Vintage Transport Weekend

Over the last couple of days the North Norfolk Railway held its Vintage Transport Weekend with bus operations being centred on its Holt Station site

Burlingham bodied Leyland Tiger PS2/3 JLJ403 was new Bournemouth Corporation in 1949. It has a period design Art Deco interior and is seen here receiving attention from its owner 

I made my appearance on the Sunday and it was good to chat to a few enthusiasts I hadn't seen for a little while. Rather than regurgitate photos of the same old vehicles I thought I would mostly confine this post to those examples less frequently seen

The two Bristol MWs present were ex Eastern Counties 3014AH and former Red & White JAX117E

A rare visitor to the event was an Eastern Coach Works bodied Bristol MW from the Red & White fleet. U1766 (JAX117E) is the last surviving bus from last batch of MWs built. From new it spent most of its life at Aberdare. By 1978 it had received National Bus livery and had moved to Chepstow. It was withdrawn by National Welsh in late 1983

Preserved by the Dennis Society, this Hutching and Cornelius Dennis Lancet made its first appearance 

Making its debut was Dennis Lancet UF YYB118 in the colours of Somerset independent Hutching and Cornelius. It was new to the South Petherton based operator in August 1957 and marked a change to Harrington bodies being purchased by the company. YYB was the last UF remaining in service on withdrawal in September 1974. Passing to Tor Coaches of Street it then spent a further seven years with Brutonian Coaches. It has subsequently been preserved by the Dennis Society and very smart it looks too

Bristol VR JJT437N has an East Anglian connection despite its Wilts & Dorset livery. Photo: Reg Vardy

As I was leaving the event, I passed an ECW bodied Bristol VR in Wilts & Dorset livery. JJT437N was delivered new to Hants & Dorset in June 1975 before passing to Wilts & Dorset in April 1983, where it was withdrawn some ten years later. Beestons of Hadleigh acquired it from dealer Ripley of Carlton at the beginning of 1995 where it stayed until August 1996. After another couple of owners it was finally acquired for preservation by Michael Cole of Frinton in around October 2011

A further former Eastern Counties vehicle in attendance was GCL349N, a Bristol RELH new in December 1974. It was with Cambus from September 1984 until March 1989 and later acquired for preservation in May 2003. Julian Patterson purchased it two months later with its current owners, the Bristol Road Group of Bearstead, taking possession of it during August 2004

Roy