We Did It!

At the end of March this year I posted that the last Olympian built for use in the UK currently resides in a withdrawn state in the rear yard at First Great Yarmouth's Caister Road depot.

Olympian 34110 W437CWX regularly appeared on a Bernard Matthews contract workings

First Eastern Counties 34110 W437CWX had earlier attracted some bids to secure it for preservation but all interested parties subsequently withdrew due to the amount of money and work involved to get it back on the road

34110 in a wet Gorleston High Street in October 2013 working back to Great Yarmouth on the 6 from Bradwell

34110 in a withdrawn state in the depot's
rear yard in September last year

The post, which easily attracted the most number of views on the blog during the five years of its existence, was a desperate attempt to bring the Olympian's plight to the fore. Regular blog contributor Jamie Skinner struggled to save 34110 and obtained a list from First of the necessary repairs required and he also later pulled out for the same reasons

However, the renewed publicity from the blog together with being armed with this information helped generate more interest from would be preservationists. Together we both sent emails back and forth to persons interested in an attempt to save it.

One individual from Essex made contact and was was positive he could save it. Following a period of negotiation, I can now exclusively reveal that it has been saved and will become part of Yeldham Transport Collection under the ownership of Colin Thorne. Colin has already saved three of his own buses (see www.preservedbuses.com so he certainly appreciates what's required when it comes to the work involved in getting them back on the road after bus companies are finished with them.

Colin intends that it will be remain in Barbie livery and wants to use the advert frames to boast about the bus' status. There is also a lot of advertisements inside which he wants to keep as a historical feature so it makes more sense to stick with the 'as withdrawn' theme.

W437CWX at Market Gates in November 2008 only a month after being transferred to First Eastern Counties

My thanks to Colin for the additional information and I wish him every success in preserving W437CWX and I am pleased that Jamie and myself played a small part in getting it achieved. My original report which includes 34110's history can be viewed here 

My thanks to my contacts at First for the information and to Jamie for his help with getting it finally saved

Roy