Cornwall Bus Preservation Society

This Bristol LHBristol Commercial Vehicles Light Horizontal engined 6L with 45 seat ECWEastern Coach Works Ltd was a bus and railbus body building company based in Lowestoft, England. ECW closed in 1987 bodywork was one of 10 new medium sized buses delivered to Western National in the summer of 1968 with 5 going to Southern National. Built by Bristol Commercial VehiclesBristol Commercial Vehicles Ltd was a manufacturer of buses and trucks based in Bristol, England. Closed 1983. (BCV), the light weight LH was the replacement for the earlier MW and SU models which had similar mid-mounted, horizontal, underfloor engines. The engine was a LeylandLeyland Bus was a British bus manufacturer. It emerged from the Rover Group (formerly British Leyland) as a management buyout of the bus business. It was subsequently acquired by Volvo Buses in 1988 and the name finally disappeared in 1993 400 fitted to a manual 5 speed gearbox and the Girling air brake system was adopted.  

The records show that 716(MUO 328F) was delivered new to WN's WherrytownWherrytown depot, Penzance no longer exists (where LIDL is now) depot at Penzance painted in standard Tilling green livery and fitted with the non-standard 'T' shaped destination box arrangement. The main routes worked by 716 out of Penzance were to Porthcurno (504), Paul (505) and Madron (511). After formation of the National Bus Company in 1969, vehicles were re-painted in leaf green with white lettering and the double N logo was applied. By 1973, 716 had been repainted into the 'national' colour scheme and later in the decade, she received a complete front end modifcation. This involved the complete removal of the front end to be replaced by a kit produced by ECW following complaints from taller drivers that visibility was severely restricted through the shallow depth front windscreen. This modifcation was carried out on all the first batch of LH's and was later adopted as standard. With the increased windscreen size came the conventional side by side numeral and destination blind arrangement. Apart from 3 months towards the end of 1976 when 716 'was on tour' to other depots, she remained at Penzance until early in 1981 when she was withdrawn from service. After a brief spell stored at the St Austell depotSt Austell, 716 was sold to Continental Pioneeer of Richmond and painted into their blue livery. After several other homes, 716 eventually ended up at Winkleigh with Colin Shears to enter preservation and was acquired by Colin Billington of Maidenhead in June 2008.

In early September 2009, the CBPG acquired from First Devon & Cornwall, a 1998 Mercedes VarioMercedes-Benz Vario (model designation W670) is a heavy van manufactured by Mercedes-Benz mini bus registration number S529 RWP.

This vehicle with fleet number 52529 is in the pink and blue livery branded 'Tamar Link' and was formerly based at the Torpoint depot. 'Friends' spent two days washing, cleaning and fitting a roller blind to the destination box so that the bus could take part in the 'Kingsbridge 7' 6" Running Day' on 19 September 2009.

The Vario also attended the WHOTTThe West Country Historic Omnibus & Transport Trust rally at Westpoint, Exeter on 20 September 2009 along with the CBPG's GWR liveried Bristol VR VDV 141S.

This Bristol VRBristol VR was Bristol's rear-engined bus chassis, designed as a competitor to the Leyland Atlantean and Daimler Fleetline. with fleet number 1003 (VDV 141S) is a 1978 convertible open topper, one of 11 delivered to Western National/Devon General between November 1977 and March 1978. All of this batch were named after famous warships including 1003 which was originally numbered 941 and was named 'Illustrious'. When new, they were all painted in NBC red and whiteNational Bus Company Red and White livery.

Only 943 (VDV 143S) 'Ark Royal' at Falmouth depot and 944 (VDV 144S) 'Vanguard' at Penzance depot were allocated to Western National in Cornwall. Initially, 941 worked in the Torbay area of Devon but when the demand for 'open topped' vehicles in Cornwall increased, she was transferred with sister vehicle, 937 (VDV 137S) 'Victory' to the Newquay depotEast Street, Newquay to operate Newquay - Pentire - Newquay. 

After several years in Newquay, she was transferred to Penzance depot which operated the only 'open topped' service left, Penzance - Lands End - St Ives - Penzance.  941 has carried most liveries adopted by the Company and was re-numbered as 1003 before she was chosen to be painted in brown and cream 'GWR' liveryGreat Western Railway (GWR) was a British railway company that linked London ... two-tone "chocolate and cream" livery in 2003 to commemorate 100 years of the Helston to The Lizard service. The Centenary event was held in August on the very date that heralded the start of the service 100 years previously. A very large entry of former Western National buses from all over the south west gathered at Helston School before being led off by 1003 in a cavalcade of some 20 vehicles, the like of which will probably never be seen in Helston or The Lizard ever again. 1003 is now preserved in the GWR colour scheme as featured in the photographs on this site.