The conservation/restoration project being applied to Sunderland Corporation bus No.2 (a 1929 Leyland Lion LT1) continues.  Whilst most of the attention is to the saloon and body structure, work continues on other areas too.  This largely applies to re-wiring the bus, but also looking at its history and the modifications that it has received over the years.  It will celebrate its centenary in four years – which is a remarkable anniversary for a bus that does not, in style and condition, readily meet the expectations of what you think of for a vehicle that age.  This is further emphasises by the fact that it has never received an extensive restoration (and we are discovering that it had very little done that wasn’t essential, whilst in service in Jersey too).

The heart of the Lion

Below: As we get to know No.2, we learn more about it.  Whilst it’s career in Sunderland was relatively short (five years), it’s longevity owes itself to the extended use it enjoyed in service whilst owned by Tantivy Motors and later Jersey Motor Transport, who enjoyed a quarter of a century of revenue earned by this bus.  Inevitably, during that time, it was overhauled and modified.  It also had cosmetic attention to give it a more modern appearance – though I have yet to encounter a photograph of it in this condition.

The L series, describing the Lion or Lioness in the range, were fitted with T series engines (originating from the Titan range).  The new Lion variant was developed through 1928 and appeared on the market in 1929.  The Lion Four (as it was referred to by Leyland) was developed to use the T series engine, and the first variant of the range’s evolution is represented in the LT1 model reference.  The engines fitted were Leyland’s own T-Type E.3B 5.1 litre four-cylinder petrol engine, coupled to a four-speed sliding mesh gearbox.  In the case of the early LT1s, their popularity created challenges in meeting demand, such that a price increase was soon introduced as well as operators using alternative body builders to complete their vehicles.

This view beneath the bonnet of our LT1 shows the four-cylinder petrol engine, with the oil breather, Simms magneto and carburettor prominent in the centre of the view.  The exhaust manifold (the pink section) is also prominent.

Below: An enlargement of the plate mounted on the water pump reveals something interesting – noting the engine as an E99 type.  This design appears at odds with views from Leyland’s contemporary publicity material showing the E.3B engine, which otherwise is more or less identical to the engine fitted to SCT 2.  Our example also appears to have a different carburettor fitted, vs the Solex MOVL example illustrated in the Leyland material.

Below: On another plate, the engine type is referred to as an E9, with an engine number (C4795) that is not in the range of engines recorded as being associated with the LT1s when built.  The best source of information on these buses are the two volumes of books on the Leyland Lion, published by the Leyland Society in their Fleet Series.

Below: Mounted on the body is this panel – with a chassis number (50381) in the correct range (as recorded in the Leyland Lion book) and an engine number similarly sitting in the expected range.  It is noted as an E3B (without the full stop), but I think this is a detail we needn’t worry about.  Therefore, this plate can be deemed to be that originally fitted to the bus in 1929, but does raise a few questions about the other plates and whether they post-date the construction and whether they are official changes or those made through exchange of parts with other vehicles, simply to keep the bus in service and whether the information they carry is accurate to our particular vehicle.  I’d be very pleased to hear from anyone who can clarify these details for us.

Body and floor conservation

Below:  This is a No.45 combination plane, used to cut the tongue and groove into replacement floorboards and repairs – a quicker option that resetting one of the powered machines for each part of the cut, on smaller runs and repairs.

Below: As can be seen, the tools being used on SCT 2 are fairly contemporary with it – a nice though by no means essential detail in this project.

Below:  An example of the condition that some floorboards were in.  The overall length is sound, but the ends have perished and broken up.  The easy thing would be to replace them in their entirety, which we’d probably do with a bus for regular operation, but as SCT is special (as alluded to in previous posts), as much original material as possible is being retained.

Below:  Retention of the original floorboards has entailed replacing the ends – the method employed enabling the patch to be secured with just one fastening.  It makes for an impressive and quite elaborate repair, and a method that Matt has used quite extensively in the restoration of the original floor boards on the bus.

Below:  Repaired floorboards, awaiting painting and then refitting.   Matt observed that such repairs are only really possible where the boards are well supported (and so front/back boards have had to be fully renewed where they have degraded).  The whole floor is to be over-boarded too, to make a suitable base for the new linoleaum floor covering to be fitted.

Below:  New side panels are also being prepared and primed – with two seen in situ here.  The wheel arches will be shot-blasted and painted before refitting, which in turn enables more of the internal panelling to be installed.

Below:  The black-painted wheel arch frames have been seen in previous posts, and are now securely installed, and the fitting of the wheel arches will enable the work to create the internal arch to be completed.

The saloon still requires quite a lot of work to complete the stages above, install the new panelling and beading, paint the ceiling and side panels and then fit the lino.  The side windows remain to be coated (with a protective anti-shatter film) and the facing windows will be replaced with safety glass.  A discreet window seal, made of rubber, is also on hand to ensure that any rain stays outside of the body and doesn’t run into the framing down the glass.  Phil is going to re-wire the saloon to enable its completion, and exploration of the driver’s cab structure is already underway (it is quite poor, unfortunately).  John, our painting contractor, has also began to look at options for restoring the crimson paintwork and repainting the cream.

Below: Perished window seals that have become brittle are a challenge that we need to tackle on this project, as is the degraded condition of the cream paintwork.

SCT should be back out on display (and maybe the odd lap of the site) in May, as part of the transport festival – programme for that to follow in a separate post.  It will temporarily vacate the workshop whilst another job is tackled, before re-entering in July to allow the restoration/conservation treatment to progress through the summer.

Photos by Matt Bedard, Phil Doran, Paul Jarman and Phil Smith