More from the blog roll!

Other work in hand is the rexine covering of the internal window cappings on RTW335. If you scroll through the back pages of this blog, you'll see the condition of the interior with its cracked emulsion paint - the condition which 335 arrived to us. Despite the years stored outside and the generally damp interior, the aluminium window cappings are in good condition and fit to re-use. We are therefore stripping off the emulsion covered rexine, cleaning them up and fitting new green and cream rexine. The picture is not of a before and after - but of a cleaned up capping and one with new green rexine applied.

Back & blogging

Steve Newman at Ensign reminded me that it has been over 3-months since any fresh news on RTW335 appeared on the blog. I know this is unforgiveable but I can only use the excuse of a very hectic summer, day-to-day life at the BusWorks being very busy and frankly being a bit 'blogged out' with keeping track of events for the Blackpool tram 125th anniversary and the projects I was managing as part of this once in a lifetime celebration. Anyway, enough excuses - I apologise!

Although visually work on 335 does not appear to have progressed as far as I would have hoped by now, work is still progressing. The rear platform was stripped down to reveal to usual corroded rear step riser (which is now being replaced) and timberwork around the rear end has been replaced (see picture). There is still a reasonable amount of timberwork to replace around the front & cab area which is one of the next jobs - our specialist joiner has been laid up in hospital for two months after a big operation - but he is back part time now.

Other news to report is that sister bus RTW467 is now with us - and we have photographed it to death! Ironically, 467's body used to be on 335's chassis! We will be using the sister bus to create patterns over the next few months to rebuild parts of 335.