SEASIDE FUN?
FFY402 - Leyland PD2 / Leyland (open top) - Southport 85
Doesn’t time fly when you’re having fun? That's perhaps what I thought when I started to help the restoration of Southport open topper no.85. Now seven years on, the fun is sometimes missing but the restoration continues. It is some time since I gave an update as progress had somewhat slowed. Due to other demands on Peter Murphy's time the welding work fell behind, and I continued alone with other work.
However in the latter half of 2006 progress was good and recently the appearance of the bus has changed considerably. The cab area was stripped and the driver’s seat sent for reupholstering. Peter did a splendid job in reconstructing the inner offside wing which was badly corroded along with other parts of the cab area. As one can imagine there was quite a volume of hot air, and not just from the welding torch. Both outer wings were subject to welding, beating and filling to restore the correct profile and Tom Couling has completed the task by painting them to gloss black. Tom has also done good work with his paintbrush giving attention to the cab, lower front of the bus, the nearside, the platform area and the nearside top deck inner panels. Most of the work has been done by Tom, with primer, undercoat and a first topcoat applied.
I have cleaned a set of seat frames, sourced by Peter Murphy, as the bus had no seats upstairs when it came from the London Toy Museum. These have been primed and undercoated and fitted temporarily on the bus to ascertain the correct spacings. They will be taken out to lay the floor covering. New seat backs are being made and seat squabs sourced. Some new stair top boards have been made from 5/16inch plywood and further work continues. I am stripping old varnish from lower saloon trims, and restaining them. In the lower saloon, one ceiling panel needs to be replaced and when the old panel was removed, the timber to which it had been attached was found to be destroyed by woodworm and a new piece is being made. The woodwork above the ceiling will he treated before the panels are replaced.
And so, midway through 2007, the bus is looking good. There is one window pan on the nearside that requires a sliding window to be installed, so that the pan can be refixed on the bus. We will then be able to fix all the necessary beading to complete the nearside. This will leave the upper rear body for attention before the next major task, the offside. I have prepared new timbers for vertical and horizontal framework, but before these can be fitted, there are areas of corrosion which require the attention of Mr “Blowtorch” Murphy. Hopefully after the remedial welding we can complete the framework and panelling ready for Tom to paint. I hope this report gives the reader a mental picture of the progress, but to see it, why not visit the Museum and take a look?
With things happening it’s funtime again!
Alwyne Marsden
Chapel Lane, Wythall, Worcs B47 6JX
Tel : 01564 826471 e-mail us
A registered educational charity no 507191
