In a move supporters hope will be the first steps on a long road to restoration, Leyland Olympic JAA 708 has been removed from the site where it was severely damaged by fire. New in 1950, the bus was the first underfloor engined single-decker in Hampshire when it entered service with legendary independent King Alfred Motor Services. The bus was withdrawn in 1965 and exported to the Irish Republic, later being saved and returned to the UK where it underwent a 10-year restoration by the Friends of King Alfred Buses (FoKAB), which aims to keep the operator’s name alive.
The vehicle was one of eight preserved buses caught in the blaze on a Hampshire industrial estate in the early hours of 8 December last year. The others were gutted beyond hope, but now the Olympic has been transported to FoKAB’s workshops for full inspection and a decision on its future.
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Extracting the bus was not easy, said chairman James Freeman. “After the calamitous fire back in December, FoKAB’s priority has been to rescue the precious 1950 Leyland Olympic and to secure it from any further damage, in order that its future can be carefully and properly assessed,” said James.
“With much help from a lot of people this was finally achieved not quite three months after the fire.”
James said that the first stage had been to extract the vehicle. The second was to have it carefully cleaned of asbestos residue that had fallen from the burning roof of the storage building. This was completed and the necessary paperwork issued. Then the third and most challenging stage was to fit a set of slave wheels so that it could be transported back to Winchester.
“In all probability there is a long and very challenging road ahead, but we have taken the first steps,” he added.
