JUNE
2004
Removal of panels in key places was one of the first jobs to see how bad the frame work was.
The rear quarter was, as expected, rotten and further removal of panels leading forwards were all in similar condition.
In every nook and cranny water had been getting in, where this had then frozen and expanded this had led to distortion of the frame and panels, which in turn let in more water.
Removal of panels in key places was one of the first jobs to see how bad the frame work was.
The rear quarter was, as expected, rotten and further removal of panels leading forwards were all in similar condition.
In every nook and cranny water had been getting in, where this had then frozen and expanded this had led to distortion of the frame and panels, which in turn let in more water.
It became apparent that to do the vehicle justice the only option was to largely rebuild much of the bus. As the panels and then the window frames were removed the level of deterioration became more obvious. Fuel tanks, battery trays, wheel arches and window pans all had to come out.
Most of the stuff removed was little more than junk and was of no use.
It became necessary to take pictures of the bus as parts were removed to ensure that when it was put back together it would be authentic.
The idea had originally been to have RLH 61 ready for January 13th but with the scale of work to be done this instantly looked unlikely.
As the roof was largely holding the bus together, on removal of the side panels it was not possible to remove it until the commencement of the re-framing. Even when some of the side frames had been put back it was impossible to remove all the roof panels as the bus was bowing in places, so more work was needed to stabilise the vehicle before the last panels could be removed. Alas a virus that wiped our computer has led to a lack of surviving shots of this particular period of the rebuild
By the autumn, RLH 61 was still at the very early stages of rebuild, as can be seen from this views. This photo shows all the new wooden framework before the start of replacing the upper panel work. The cab had many issues but the first was to replace the upper deck floor, re-skin the cab roof and remove all the old electrics which were all defunct. Meanwhile the platform was removed and the risers replaced.
With the wooden frame completed the bus was solid enough to be lifted to gain a look at the underneath and also endeavour to get the engine started. With the fuel tanks being of no use the bus was connected to a bucket of diesel for her first run up!
Whilst the interior could not be properly started until the window pans were in, the rear end exterior had no such restrictions and re-panelling commenced quickly. The emergency exit upstairs was another problem area and had to be removed and rebuilt separately, whilst the interior walls around the staircase were also re-skinned.
The cant rail was reskinned as was the front wings and bulkhead. The missing panels on the nearside shot are for the removable inspection panels that had to be rebuilt from scratch using the rotten ones as patterns.