Thames Valley & Great Western Omnibus Trust appeals for £20k to ensure the continued operation of its recently acquired 90-year-old Tilling-Stevens bus
The Thames Valley & Great Western Omnibus Trust (TV&GWOT) has launched a fundraising appeal to carry out major repairs and improvements to 1927 Tilling-Stevens B9A Express no. 152, registered ‘MO9324,’ which it acquired from the Southdown Omnibus Trust in May this year. [wlm_nonmember][…]
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Colin Billington, TV&GWOT Chairman told CBW: “The significance of this vehicle cannot be overstated as it is the oldest surviving Thames Valley Traction Company bus, and has been the subject of a major restoration project led by lifelong enthusiast Michael Plunkett. 152 has been on loan to TV&GWOT since March 2015 when it was collected from deep storage in Sussex, where it had been laid up for a period of almost nine years. Volunteers then spent the Spring and early Summer carrying out a full mechanical overhaul, repainting of the chassis, wings, underside of the body and roof, and many other tasks prior to TV&GWOT’s TV100 event, on August 2, 2015, celebrating the centenary of the start of motor bus operations in the Thames Valley, where 152 was a major attraction.”
Although 152 is in presentable condition, there are two major items which must be addressed for its long-term, reliable use for the Trust’s objectives:
1. 152’s use is limited to daylight hours as there is no dynamo or voltage regulation system for charging the battery and powering the lights. The battery is used for starting, so frequent recharging is necessary.
2. The gearbox is badly worn and makes horrendous noises in all but top gear. New gears will have to be cut and the gearbox casing will require machining and installation of sockets to house the lay shaft bearings.
In addition, there are several smaller items involving outside suppliers. The appeal target is £20,000, the majority of which is required for the gearbox.
In announcing the appeal, Colin said: “The Trust is widely known for its thorough and authentic restorations, as well as its organisation of heritage events in both the Thames Valley and the West Country. TV&GWOT is committed to holding 152 in the charitable trust in perpetuity, ensuring that it will be kept in the Thames Valley and available for public heritage events.
“Having taken over ownership of 152, we want to be able to use it on the road with confidence for many years to come. Prior to coming into our collection, it was rarely used on the public highway. The work now proposed, made possible through this new appeal, will enable us to take 152 to events throughout the Thames Valley, bringing the sights, sounds and travelling experience of this 90-year-old vehicle to people of all generations.”
152 was one of a batch of 14 Tilling-Stevens B9A Express single-deckers with 35-seat rear entrance Brush bodies delivered to the Thames Valley Traction Company in May and June 1927. 152 arrived in June and was allocated to High Wycombe, where it was based until the mid-1930s, having had its seating capacity reduced to 32 in 1931. 152 then worked from Reading and Maidenhead, where it was recorded in late 1939 when war broke out.
In October 1939, the Great Western Railway moved its headquarters functions from London to West Berkshire, and entered into a contract with TVT to transport its staff between Aldermaston Station and offices in a country house at nearby Wasing, for which six Tilling-Stevens B9As were used including 152, for the duration of the war. All the B9As were withdrawn by December 1945 after almost 19 years in service – perhaps testament to their rugged reliability.
Sold in 1946 to a showman in Alton, who used it as a static carvan and shed, it was preseved in 1971. The bus passed to Michael Plunkett after being advertised through the Historic Commercial Vehicle Club in 1972. Michael then embarked on a major restoration project to return 152 to early 1930s condition. It was moved to Amberley Chalk Pits Museum by September 1985, where the timber construction skills of a traditional boat restorer assisted Michael in a faithful reconstruction of the original body. 152 was used at Amberley to give rides to museum visitors. It came briefly to Fifield in 2006 for a wedding and then went to a storage facility in Sussex until placed on loan to TV&GWOT, initially for the TV100 event in 2015.
Donation and Gift Aid forms can be downloaded from www.tvagwot.org.uk or from ‘TV&GWOT’ at its registered office, Ledger Farm, Forest Green Road, Fifield, Maidenhead, Berks SL6 2
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