1117 as found © G.Meek

the big lift © G. Meek

1117 at Freckleton, the roof props can be seen inside  © G.Meek

Notes:

This is the oldest vehicle in our collection and was only acquired fairly recently. In 1989 Jack Hornby the Mechanical Superintendent at Ribble Central Works received a letter and some photographs from a gentleman in Kent advising him that an ex Ribble Leyland Tiger has been in use as a weekend chalet/storeshed for the last 35 years at least. Although Ribble had restored its two Leyland Lion's , it had since been privatised and no money was available for any further restorations, so the letter was forgotten about until 1999 when our intrepid traveller Keith Severn found out about it and went to investigate .

The photographs showed it was in a valley and near Meopham, but despite being outside the correct chalet it was impossible to see the bus because of bushes and a caravan parked in front of it. It was only when an occupant of one of the chalets next door came out to investigate the visitors that they were shown the bus. After several more visits and discussions with David Powell a local RVPT member (and former Group Engineering Manager with Arriva )and the owner of the bus Mrs Rhoda Green of Rochester , it was offered to the Trust. There was however one condition - the caravan that hid the bus from the road could not be disturbed, as this established the right to residential development on the site at a future date. As the caravan looked in as delicate state as the bus this meant the bus would have to be lifted over the caravan with a crane. Fortunately, David agreed to make the necessary arrangements in Kent, and we were fortunate that his approach to the Royal School of Military Engineering resulted in them agreeing to get involved and use the lift as an exercise in lifting awkward loads. We would however have to hire slings , spreader beam and chains as well as providing a rolling road for the crane to run on. !! Two more years of occasional visits got the bus empty and a working party from Freckleton in Nov 2002 shored up the inside of the bus , and fitted plywood sheets either side of the exterior fastened together with long threaded rods and nuts on each end to prevent the side from bulging. It was then sheeted over and more or less ready to roll (or lift!)

After one false start with the Army in 2002 arrangements were made for February 21 2003 to be the day for the lift to be done and the bus transported to Lancashire on a caravan transporter.All went well until 18 hours before the lift when we found out the caravan that was being delivered to Essex , with the transporter then coming to Kent to collect our bus was now going to Bristol instead. Through a network of contacts we were put in touch with Peter Denyer who kindly agreed to transport it to his farm with a tractor and farm trailer. This though meant that it would then need transferring to a lorry trailer for later transport to Freckleton, but fortunately the Army and lifting gear company agreed to divert via the farm to enable the vehicle to be transferred to a lorry trailer. Peter Denyer then also offered to transport the vehicle to Freckleton for which we were again most grateful.

On arrival at Freckleton the vehicle had its sheeting and plywood sheets removed and is now in a corner of the shed, its future safe but with no date for its restoration, though sourcing of parts for it is ongoing.  If you know of the whereabouts of a 6 cylinder petrol engine or radiator or 22 inch wheels and tyres we would like to hear from you !!