Few visitors to Beamish lately will have failed to notice how hard the bus fleet is working. There are some long term plans to expand it, but in the meantime a programme of work has begun to overhaul and improve the existing trio of vehicles.

First off for this year is the now quite aged Daimler CC bus, built in 1987 and showing signs of 24 years hard work at Beamish! If this is compared with what an original’s actual working life was, it can be seen we have done very well with this bus as very little has been done to it over the years. The chassis donor was a Renault normal control truck, and a spare chassis is held in stock ‘just in case’. The engine off the spare is now installed in the replica but otherwise it is pretty much as built. The condition is sound, though the paintwork is poor and there are various small defects to remedy. A mechanical overhaul, particularly of the braking systems, has commenced and a full repaint will follow, probably in March. The livery, like the trams, has been chosen to create some interest and will be the 1914 onwards ‘Northern’ scheme of all over crimson/maroon with gold leaf lettering – per the SOS bus. Northern celebrates its centenary in 2013 so maybe the Daimler and the SOS can find some role in those celebrations.

Below: A view of the Daimler a couple of years ago. As part of the overhaul it will be returned to its solid tyre wheels, which will vastly improve its appearance. These were originally fitted for the buses launch in 1988 but were later removed and replaced with pneumatic tyres to cope with the then very poor road conditions on the Museum site. Now that these are much improved, a return to solids will follow. The Daimler should be in action in its new livery for Easter (and the following weekend at the Great North Steam Fair…).

Below: This shot from the Museum archive shows a similar Daimler in Northern livery. The company had its origins in the Gateshead & District Tramways Company, who began a number of bus routes to serve its tramway termini. These proved so successful that a separate company was formed, the Northern General Omnibus Company. As a result the buses were repainted into the new livery, as seen below, and as will be recreated at Beamish this spring.

Also receiving attention this winter is the Access bus. In 2012/13 the other replica bus, currently in London General Omnibus Company livery will receive a similar overhaul to the Daimler, and also be re-liveried into an appropriate local scheme…