A "Modern" Bus
DM1051 is now for sale (July 2005). Contact me for details.
The DMS class was introduced by LT in an attempt to reduce staff costs (they had one-man operation in mind although this required a change in the law). The class had 2 sets of doors for entry and exit. When LT found the boarding times were very slow they altered some of the class to become crew-operated by taking away the ticket-machine and making other modifications. This modified class was known as DM. At some point DM1051 lost its second door (although as you can see in the diary photos the entrance floor was there all the time).
For a variety of reasons, the DMS/DM class only had a limited success. For a full acount of the reasons, see The DMS Bus Page
I acquired DM1051 in June 2002. It had been owned for a short time by Mike Fuller of Bedford, and was about to be sold as a playbus. I thought it too good a bus to undergo this fate. It had full Class 5 MOT (it was only just out of Class 6 MOT), and by all accounts a good engine.
I negotiated with a friendly local farmer to rent space to keep the bus on a farm. It will not be in covered storage, but will be on hard-core, and reasonably secure.
In-service History
1/75 Aldenham2/75 Brixton (Trainer)
3/75 Brixton (in service)
2/78 Upton Park (Trainer)
7/79 Barking (Trainer)
8/80 Wood Green (Trainer)
11/80 Poplar (Unlicensed)
5/81 Poplar (Withdrawn)
6/81 Ensign
7/81 Ensign (Purfleet)
9/81 Blue Diamond Coaches, Harlow
6/82 Southern Coaches, Harlow
8/86 Pathfinder Coaches, Chadwell Heath
3/87 Shorey's Travel, Maulden, Beds
3/02 Mike Fuller
6/02 John Braga (for preservation)
Restoration Diary
| June 2002 | Purchase and Test Drive |
| July 2002 | A tentative start |
| August 2002 | Still predominantly cab-front repairs |
| September 2002 | Still on lower deck... |
| October 2002 | Spreading upwards |
| May 2003 | Out of hibernation. The long delay caused by Winter, other work and idleness is over. All I did over the break was to start the engine about once a week. It never failed to start "on the button", except once when I stupidly ran out of diesel! |
| June 2003 | Scraping off, rubbing down, undercoating - and a start on the top coat. |
| July 2003 | MOT beckons...and we fail! |
| August 2003 | MOT Success! |
| September 2003 | Preparing for Showbus |
| October 2003 | I solve an air-pressure problem ... |
| January 2004 | Good news and bad news... |
| July 2005 | DM1051 is for sale! |
Photos
Click on any photo for a full-size version
This document
maintained by JohnB@crownsys.co.uk.
Material Copyright © 2002 John Braga