Pick up any issue of this magazine and leaf through it, and it becomes clear in no time that there is huge interest in historic buses and coaches. The pages are littered with photos of them, often accompanied by knowledgeable articles setting out the history of particular makes and models. Restoration projects are regularly covered. The article on Dewsbury Bus Museum's rejuvenated Guy Wulfrunian which appeared in the January issue is a case in point. It was one I read with great interest as I remember travelling regularly on a Wulfrunian operated by Wolverhampton Corporation Transport back in the 1960s. Nor are old buses and coaches solely to be found in museums. A number of modern fleets both large and small keep one or two to run on heritage routes, as a novel way of transporting wedding parties, or because the family that owns the fleet remembers them in their heyday. In some cases these old stagers are hired out to film companies for use in period dramas. No matter how old they are, or who is responsible for their welfare, all these vehicles have one thing in common if they are to be used on the public highway. Their age means that their key components need periodic repairs and overhauls. The problem is that today's technicians, who are more familiar with finding faults using hand-held diagnostics tools than they are with taking a Gardner 6LX engine to pieces and putting it back together again, may not have the skills required.
展开▼
