Worthing Bus Rally ~ Photo Special

The oldest vehicle at the rally was former Southdown Leyland Titan TD1 UF6805

After sorting through, labelling and cropping more than sixty photos I am pleased to bring you a report of the Worthing Bus Rally, at long last!

As you will have seen from the taster that Ipswich Corporation Park Royal bodied AEC Regent 24 EPV24 flew the flag for this area

The event, held on the warm and sunny day of the 27th July attracted a large number of vehicles with buses

Many former London Transport buses attended including ex Metroline NML620E

from the former Southdown and London Transport fleets dominating the displays

The oldest example of the former fleet was UF4813 which came from the Amberley Chalk Pits Museum where it is on loan. The preserved Southdown 813 is a 1929 Leyland Titan TD1 with Brush O27/24RO bodywork. The halfcab is unique in that it has been owned by Southdown / NBC / Stagecoach from new

Former Brighton and Eastern Counties open topper CAP229

Of the latter, I have chosen my photo of  London Routemaster NML620E. It shows RML2620 in the guise of one of it's last London operators Metroline. The bus was new in May 1967 being allocated to Aldenham garage. It ended its life at Kings Cross outstation before being acquired for preservation in March 2004

1958 AEC Reliance 390DKK from the Maidstone & District fleet

Many open top buses were displayed and the one catching my attention was former Brighton, Hove & District Bristol K5G CAP229 with an Eastern Coachworks body. After more than twenty years service, it moved to Eastern Counties Omnibus Company in December 1962 where it was given fleet number LKO397

It was taken out of service in 1967 and was

Leyland Titans BJK672D and DHC782E from the former Eastbourne Corporation 

sold to dealer Ben Jordan of Coltishall in March of the following year. There it stayed for a further seven years prior to being acquired for preservation

Of personal interest was the livery carried by former Maidstone & District AEC Reliance 390DKK. I can remember many of the Maidstone fleet arriving in Great Yarmouth on summer Saturdays in

Thamesdown's Wright StreetLite WX12GDY

the 1960s wearing this livery

Many other preserved buses from operators local to the area were represented including two colourful Leyland Titans from Eastbourne Corporation - 72 BJK672D and 82 DHC782E

Among those buses displayed currently in service was Thamesdown's Wright StreetLite 413 WX12GDY from Swindon

Overland Travel's Leyland National SP30 KJD530P

A local operator I was unaware of from my many trips down south was Overland Travel

The Littlehampton (the town is known locally as LA!) based operator sent along two former London Transport Leyland Nationals KJD530P and BYW382V which still retain their SP fleet numbers!

Compass Bus Dennis Trident T184CLO - new to Metroline

Finally, Worthing based Compass Bus was displaying their recently acquired Dennis Trident/ Alexander ALX400 T184CLO purchased new by Metroline

I hope you have enjoyed the photos of the wide variety of vehicle types, operators and their liveries

These and ther pics taken on the day featured in the 2014 Worthing Bus Rally album on our Flickr site