The workshop includes a 4-wheel lift and exhaust extraction equipment.
London Bus Museum is renowned for the quality of its restorations with much of the work being carried out by our skilled volunteers. The Museum has a fully-equipped workshop with the facilities to carry out all mechanical and body-work as well as an upholstery trimshop. We have volunteer staff with mechanical, coachbuilding, coachpainting and trimming skills. New recruits to our restoration teams are always welcome, whether skilled or just ‘general hands’. Training is willingly given to those eager to learn new skills. If you are interested in becoming a volunteer in this area, please contact us here.
Previous total restorations have included our 1937 STL-type and the 1945 Guy ‘Utility’, the latter being subject to a complete body/chassis separation at the Museum. Here are details of our current restoration projects and future plans:
The re-building of the body of NS174 has commenced using new pieces of ash framing and what remains in usable condition from the original body. Some original drawings are available and our restorers have also been able to take measurements from London Transport Museum’s NS. The chassis and most of the mechanicals have already been completed. The reconstruction of the body is a major task, for example, new seats will have to be made from scratch, and further funding will be required for the manufacture of parts and any specialist work needing to be contracted out. Full restoration is likely to take at least another two years after that.
Restoration work on the Canteen Trailer has started and has revealed considerable rot under the panels. We aim to complete the refurbishment by Autumn 2017.
By 2014, RF19 will be back in its original smart grey and green “private hire” colours.
RF19 is now in the workshop and restoration is progressing well. The coach will be returned to its original ‘sightseeing’ condition but all parts which were fitted when it was converted to a Green Line coach will be retained. The vehicle is in excellent mechanical condition, with new tyres fitted, but needs an interior re-trim and external repaint.
Much work remains to be done on RFW6’s body.
After the completion of RF19, attention will turn to RFW6. There is body-work to do under the skin on this coach as well as an interior re-trim and external re-paint.
The restoration of T357 could start in 2015
Longer-term projects to be started after completion of those above are T357 and T448, probably in that order. LT1059 and STL2093 remain – restoration of those is still very much in the future, unless one of our supporters wins the Lottery and donates a considerable sum to the Museum!
STL2093 has returned to the museum and is part of the WW2 display while awaiting its turn for restoration