Restoration of Barton 735 Part 1
Recently I accidently deleted this page, but I can now put it right and reproduce it.
Updated October 28th 2013.
About Five years ago an advert was placed in a bus magazine offering Barton 735 up for sale, a group of bus enthusiasts including myself decided to go and have look at it to see if was worthwhile restoring it as it looked to be in poor state in the magazine, and it was.
The owner of the bus lived near Milton Keynes and the bus was situated at his home, so after making an appointment to see it we set off one Sunday morning all exited. But it was a bit of a shock to see it when we got there, it was in a worse condition than we imagined.
Recently I accidently deleted this page, but I can now put it right and reproduce it.
Updated October 28th 2013.
About Five years ago an advert was placed in a bus magazine offering Barton 735 up for sale, a group of bus enthusiasts including myself decided to go and have look at it to see if was worthwhile restoring it as it looked to be in poor state in the magazine, and it was.
The owner of the bus lived near Milton Keynes and the bus was situated at his home, so after making an appointment to see it we set off one Sunday morning all exited. But it was a bit of a shock to see it when we got there, it was in a worse condition than we imagined.
This was the first view that we had of 735 it looked as if it was sinking like the Titanic, it had stood in that position since 1986 and was sinking in the soft ground. But after a good discussion with the owner an offer was made and accepted for its purchase.
This is what it looked like when it was in service with Barton it was classified as a Leyland BLT/PD1 reg no VVO735 and fleet no 735, it was delivered in the early part of 1957 but was not a new bus it was a rebuild of a Leyland Tiger PS1 Fleet no 560, reg no KAL380 picture below.
The bus was owned by Doug Stewart who purchased the bus in !976, at that time the bus had been kitted out as a caravan, and he and his family spent many holidays in it. All documents processed, the time had come to try and get the bus back to the Nottingham area.
Somewhere behind the smoke is the bus and that was the first time we had got it started.
We had to dig the bus out of the mud before we could even think about bringing it home.
The bus was now on firm ground ready for it to be towed across the field in front of it.
The bus is now on solid ground awaiting the towing vehicle,that was to happen a week later.
A week later its here.
Back in Nottinghamshire in the company of Barton 1146.
Ready for restoration!
Updated on October 28th 2013.
Updated on October 28th 2013.