MCCW bodied Leyland Atlantean - KBB 118D Restored to Former Glory

The North East Bus Preservation Group have raced to restore a 1966 Newcastle open top Leyland Atlantean that previously appeared in 1977 in a special livery for the Queen's Silver Jubilee Celebrations.

The NEBPT hoped to display the bus over the weekend of the Queen's Platinum Jubilee and worked until the last minute in order to have the bus ready for display at this milestone weekend of the Platinum Jubilee.
It appeared on Sunday 5th June in South Shields, resplendent again in the 1977 Silver Jubilee livery that it carried in 1977.

Now the bus is restored it will be accompanied by other buses from the NEBPT collection to other events during the year, which are shown below.

History

The vehicle was delivered to Newcastle Corporation Transport in 1966 as fleet number 118 out of batch of 28 vehicles, 106 to 133 (KBB 106D to KBB 133D).

On 1st January 1970 it was transferred to Tyneside PTE and in 1974 was rebuilt as an open topper for use at South Shields.

The bus was sold to Galway Tours, High Ryan, Moycullen, Co. Galway, around 2000 and was used on sightseeing tours in Galway, Ireland, with registration number ZV 1510. It was last last operated April 2004.

It was kindly donated to the NEBPT by Galway Tours owner, Michael Healy, Castlegar, Galway, Ireland, August 2006.

Significant work was required to restore the vehicle and the NEBPT was pleased to secure Awards for All England funding from the Big Lottery Fund to enable KBB to be professionally restored.

Above and below 118 will appear at future events with other buses from the NEBPT fleet

Visit the NEBPT website for further details here