18th August 2010
14th April 2010
7th March 2010
21st December 2009
DMS2257 Paid her a visit a few weeks ago before the bad weather turned up. Once the engine is repaired she will need some rather serious bodywork and welding. Being MCW bodies she is a bit rotten to say the least but at the moment it doesn't look terminal. I'll be learning some welding skills over the next few months and these will certainly come in handy with 2257. Still not sure at the moment if the Iveco engine is worth repairing. The liners have gone and it now exhausts out of the filler cap! It would be nice to see another B20 Fleetline preserved out on the road.
DMS550 & DMS2257 now have their own Facebook group. Just type DMS550 into the search bar to find us!
27th November 2009
On a brighter note, I am in regular contact with DMS guru Stuart Boxall wh owns/part owns several of these old ladies (glad I'm not the only loony). DMS2257 (OJD257R) has passed into his ownership which after a long chat he offered to me. DMS2257 is of course a B20 re-engined with a rather sick Iveco unit. I'm hoping to pop up and see her soon, but I'm suspecting the Iveco is beyond all hope and may return her to trusty Leyland power- although it would more likely be a 0.680 and not the original turbo charged 0.690 unit. More on this later though.
2nd November 2009
24th August 2009
17th July 2009
20th June 2009
March / April 2009
Good news indeed! Someone I know had started a bus and coach restoration business in Ramsgate, His line of work was in rail replacement buses and also open top tours with City Sightseeing but now he has decided to start an Ensign style operation in Kent. He had an ex GMPTE Northern Counties Atlantean up for sale but was willing to break it for spares. This has netted me the doors, handrails, headlights, wheels/tyres and brakes for 550, all for a reasonable price too. The wiring loom is 90% done now. There are just a few (4) wires of the same colour causing confusion. Think it will have to be a case of try them and see. Once this is all done the flat offside front tyre will be swapped for a new one and the doors installed along with the front platform rebuilt. I have price this up already and for the parts to build the front step I'm looking at about £115. Angle iron from B&Q seems the cheepest option.
January / February 2009
Work has continued on 550's wiring loom which really is a time consuming and tedious job. Also all the old Plaxton seats have been put back inside for the time being until I take them to the tip. Looking at her it would appear very little has happened but once the wiring is done that will change. Basically when she experianced a small fire some years back it burned through the wiring loom in where the lower saloon rear seat would go. The fire was caused by a blowing exhaust pipe setting fire to the wood flooring. The burnt section of loom being (I hope ) the reason why she won't drop into gear. After getting quoated £300 for the work to be done and speaking with FotEK's Tony Hammond I decided to have a go and do it myself. Tony had rewired part of an AEC Regent and has given me guidance over issues with electrics before.