RE-Liance
Bus Preservation Group
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Red & White RS167 |
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SPECIFICATIONS:- |
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This was the doyen of a batch
of 21 Bristol RESL's to enter service in 1967. The whole "RS" class was allocated
to Aberdare depot where most spent their whole working lives.
This particular bus, however, worked from
several depots in later life and was the last to be withdrawn. It was also the last RESL of its type working
within the National Bus Company.
The RED & WHITE examples were unique amongst Series 1 RESL's, with Tilling Companies, in that they were fitted
with Leyland rather than the more common Gardner engines. In fact, only 31 of the 161 built were so powered,
the other 10 being supplied to Municipal operators.
Entering service on 1st April
1967, it had received by July 1973 NBC Poppy Red livery and was renumbered RS
2967.
Having been moved between
various depots, it was finally transferred to Chepstow depot from whence it was
purchased by Messrs. Gareth and John Jones, in May 1984.
Collected from Bulwark on
June 1st, it was initially parked at Ponthir, near Caerleon but moved to a site at Llandow
Industrial Estate on 1st September 1984.
The 5th April 1985 saw
another move to the National Welsh Garage at Aberdare.
Here, the owner is indebted
to the staff (and particularly Mr. Alan Jones), for the great help he received
in restoration work.
At the breakup
of National Welsh, Mr. Jones was again forced to move the bus to open storage
at Parfitts yard, Rhymney Bridge, where it
deteriorated over the next six years to a state of dereliction
June 1995 saw the aquisition of the bus by the Reliance Bus Preservation Group and a move to
our base for restoration. Mr. John Jones
is now a member of our group.
October 1997 saw a new class
5 M.o.T. certificate and a first outing to the Dean
Forest Railway Transport Show.
The title photograph was taken outside Bedwellty Park, Tredegar with passengers on the "Heritage" trail.