Red & White RS167 - LAX101E

SPECIFICATIONS:-

Bristol - RESL6L
Year of Manufacture - 1967
Engine - Leyland 0.600
Body - Eastern Coach Works
Reg No. - LAX 101 E
Fleet No. - RS 167

This was the doyen of a batch of 21 Bristol RESL's to enter service in 1967. The whole "RS" class was allocated to Aberdare depot where most spent their whole working lives.

This particular bus, however, worked from several depots in later life and was the last to be withdrawn. It was also the last RESL of its type working within the National Bus Company.

The RED & WHITE examples were unique amongst Series 1 RESL's, with Tilling Companies, in that they were fitted with Leyland rather than the more common Gardner engines. In fact, only 31 of the 161 built were so powered, the other 10 being supplied to Municipal operators.

Entering service on 1st April 1967, it had received by July 1973 NBC Poppy Red livery and was renumbered RS 2967.

Having been moved between various depots, it was finally transferred to Chepstow depot from whence it was purchased by Messrs. Gareth and John Jones, in May 1984.

Collected from Bulwark on June 1st, it was initially parked at Ponthir, near Caerleon but moved to a site at Llandow Industrial Estate on 1st September 1984.

The 5th April 1985 saw another move to the National Welsh Garage at Aberdare.

Here, the owner is indebted to the staff (and particularly Mr. Alan Jones), for the great help he received in restoration work.

At the breakup of National Welsh, Mr. Jones was again forced to move the bus to open storage at Parfitts yard, Rhymney Bridge, where it deteriorated over the next six years to a state of dereliction

June 1995 saw the aquisition of the bus by the Reliance Bus Preservation Group and a move to our base for restoration. Mr. John Jones is now a member of our group.

October 1997 saw a new class 5 M.o.T. certificate and a first outing to the Dean Forest Railway Transport Show.

The title photograph was taken outside Bedwellty Park, Tredegar with passengers on the "Heritage" trail.