Bringing a Bristol VR Double Decker Bus Back To life After Laying Idle For 15 Years | **Re-Edit**

In this episode we were asked to bring a friends Bristol VR double decker bus back to life after it had been sat idle for 15 years, but will we get it started?
*This is a re-edited version of the episode we published last Sunday, some items had to be removed from the original video*
Also don't forget to check-out all our London bus restoration videos in this playlist...
• London Bus Restoration...
Built in the 1960's our AEC Routemaster London buses need constant attention, so if you want to find out what it takes to keep a London Routemaster bus on the road then make sure you check-out all our maintenance and restoration videos here on KZbin...
About Us:
We offer our London buses for private hire.
We are proud to have the privilege of owning one of London’s most recognisable sights - the iconic London Routemaster Double Decker Bus!
Our beautifully restored red London double-decker buses are available for Weddings and Special Events across North Wales and the Northwest UK, they add some nostalgic novelty and a touch of class to any occasion.
For more information, please visit our website: www.routemaster4hire.co.uk
#londonbus #routemaster #double-decker bus

[@vqey2]

That’s bus heaven isn’t it

[@keithdavis6852]

Dog was having the ride of his life time

[@mikebuckley666]

I have lived in Lowestoft all my life and would sometimes see the rolling chassis arrive ready to have the coachwork added. The chassis having no bodywork the crash helmet clad driver used to sit behind a perspex screen, must have been quite a journey from Bristol!

[@nickpresland8956]

oh that lovely Gardner wine .. I too went to school on a VR in the 80s and used to sit always at the back by the exit . memory's .....

[@darreng745]

Nice to see the holding in neutral when using the SCG selector, so many used to snap through the gate and wondered why they got a jerking from the bus as the bands did not release quick enough.

[@DmanYTofficial]

What an amazing treasure trove of busses! You could spend all day wandering around taking a look...

[@paulchance3766]

Loved the green Bristol VR'S in Brighton in late 70s early 80s... 😉

[@miketravis6149]

I remember the green busses as a youngster on the Isle of Wight, Southern Vectis. Classic.

[@daviddoyle9310]

Amazing place full of beautiful old ladies.

[@henrybowden9907]

It brings back memories. I used to drive these VRs on the Service 1 route in Bristol in the early 80s.

[@Twmpa]

Wow, I would love a look around that hangar. Shame there is no public access, the owners should organise an open day. VRs were the double deck workhorses of United in the north east when I was growing up, I spent many an hour on them. This design is now over 55 years old and still looks good.

[@jamesfrench7299]

Yeah and have bits go missing. There are some real nutters in the bus fraternity. We got a peek at least!

[@PreservationEnthusiast]

​@@jamesfrench7299Surely we should not be running these polluting vehicles today with carbon emissions concerns. Pack them off to Barnsley for clawing and shredding. They'll give you a few grand apiece. Could make a tidy little sum scrapping that lot.

[@driver288]

How weird. A whole place with peoples old buses! A hidden treasure

[@Bionicweiner]

Cool.............Vr I used to drive them at Yorkshire traction, plain and simple just did the job, nice job..........some cracking stock.

[@simonuden8450]

I lived all my younger life in and around Bristol. We moved there when I was 4 and I remember the Lodekka rear entry buses that travelled up and down the A38 where I lived, about 10 miles outside the centre of the city. Then when we moved closer to the city and I went to school there, it was mostly front engined front entrance FLFs, gradually transitioning to REs and VRs by the time I left school. My school was only about a mile and a half from the BCV factory on the Bath Road, so I often saw the RE and VR chassis being driven Bath direction on their delivery run to ECW in Lowestoft. Whilst I do appreciate the RM, it's fabulous to see so many Bristol variants in preservation, and the sound of the Gardiner engines and the whine of the transmission bring the memories flooding back.

[@mrcogginsgarage7062]

St Brendan's by any chance ? Simon.

[@stephenhall6595]

Another type of Bus I recall traveling on in my youth back in the 80s.

[@HighlandMike325]

I can see that in my mind as an 80s kid, driving along Rhyl promenade in about 1983 with Colwyn Bay, Bangor or Prestatyn on the front.

[@gary6579]

Love the old Bristol Vr, drove one for walkers coaches in northwich many years ago lol...Great to see one in such good condition and the old leyland national, drove a few in my day....

[@kenabell4978]

Love the VR was trained on them and nationals, love the sound and just about everything else about them

[@ianmaddams9577]

There was some amazing old buses in that hanger.

[@andrewhill400]

I used to drive a Bristol VR around Newquay back in 2011. The supervisor always knew I would come in for overtime if they offered me the VR for the day. It was great fun compared to my usual Optare Solo 😁

[@cornishadz]

Western Greyhound? I live near penzance so it was a VR heaven until the olympians took over....

[@basiltaylor8910]

You poor sod, driving a Telly Tubby Bus,yes cats&kittens an Optare (Aka Charles Roe of Leeds) Solo designed by said Telly Tubbies, Dipsy, Tinky Winky, Lala,and Po must be soul destroying . Surprised you are not on a anti depressant drug like Benzodiazepam, driving those fucking things eight ten hours a day.

[@michaelstaley2241]

Fantastic array of lovely classic buses..

[@busfan361weston3]

Good to see old buses!

[@michaelbruchas6663]

Wow! Amazing bus collection….

[@DavidMartin-ym2te]

That's a pre-war Belfast hangar - almost as interesting as the buses!

[@colinwithey6792]

The reason the hangers are their still is the rareness of them one did fall down they were going to be an aviation museum but they were in such bad condition they became storage to raise cash to repair but as I said one fell down before funds could be raised

[@poolieboy07]

Remember this VR at Griersons,when i was there taking parts off the derelict VR's in his yard,for the restoration of Cleveland Transit H106.We were told not to touch DVG 509 as it had been sold.

[@cornishadz]

Love the Bristol VRs

[@DarrenSaw]

Travelled on these 100s of times in the 80s, my spine still hasn't recovered.

[@patrickw6934]

Stagecoach Lancaster was still running a VR (mainly on the Lancaster - Blackpool route) until 2005/6. As a result it went off to preservation in Cumbria straight after retirement. I'm used to them with "Maidstone and District" on the side.

[@AngloCelticMetalDetecting]

I grew up on the Wirral. Now living in Evesham. The Crossville name brings back memories. Often taking one from Claughton village to West Kirby. I might have been on this one when as teenagers we used to go camping at Llangollen 😊

[@johnburke5384]

I can smell the exhaust from here in London....Brilliant !

[@tomgriffin286]

Great channel, very informative. I watch on the TV mostly so I don't always comment, but while I'm here, I enjoy the longer videos and the explanations are great. It's good to see Jess keeping her eye on things in the depot!

[@LTVoyager]

Glad I watched the original. 😁

[@allansayers7842]

wonderful to see. reminds me of my childhood hanging around my dads bus garage

[@Free_Ranger_CT110]

This came up on my feed today, it's a huge shame that the buses were sold & the business shut down. I was hoping Allan & the crew would start their own channel. All the best to everyone involved.

[@jamesfrench7299]

Getting in a favourite bus after a long long time gives one powerful nostalgia rush. Dave looked very conflicted riding in the back there. Good thing you did the oil in two parts. Not worth the risk of overflowing.

[@michaelobrien9825]

Looks a great a great bus garage/museum/ storage., looks not a bad looking bus considering its age either.

[@showmanpete2805]

brilliant, remember these in leeds from my childhood

[@neilstemp7137]

I remember driving Bristol VR and the leyland national in the 80s it bring back memories

[@glyngregory5456]

Worked on these many years at Trent happy memories!

[@richardhaywood4123]

Used to ride many of the trent fleet to Ashfield school in the early to mid 80s,great era in my life those days,originally had Nottingham depot in the morning which changed to Mansfield then alfreton and Hucknall on the return. The RE was a very distinctive engine note as was the vr we rode 761 formerly MGO 322 many times and knew it had to make preservation!

[@raymondpearce5245]

Brilliant video guys

[@christopherhood9241]

brings back memories of the school bus - local ex NBC used a number of VR's on school runs in the mid-late 80's with newer Olympians on main road routes.

[@nickhale2900]

I though of you guys the other day while in a local garden centre. There was a neglected Route master just stood out in the open and rotting away.

[@stephenfish307]

One of my first buses to drive 😊

[@sintoantonyvellani3506]

Fantastic video I saw from India British rear engine double decker bus are awesome guys

[@cmheadbanger]

Awesome looking bus in that livery, Gardner engine sounds great when warmed up idling away, hope to see more Bonus videos of Collector Buses maybe a Volvo Ailsa as mention they are a front Engined not half-cabs, think they were maybe the last Front engined Double Decker buses to be built in the late 70s to mid 80s, I remember the First SMT Lothians Ailsa's MKIII with Alexander RV bodywork and the Yellow and Green line on the livery, maybe with the SCG Gearbox as a lad they sounded awesome, think they withdraw then in the mid 00s, shame buses had character in the 70s, 80s nowadays we just stick with the horrible Enviros and Streetdecks "Hop on and Hop Off" buses!!

[@brianwood9913]

L/T had some ex Birmingham Volvo Ailsas at Potters Bar garage. Boiling hot in summer but toasty warm in winter for the driver as the engine was part of the cab. All were pretty worn out and were scrapped, but I remember one coded V12 which went like a rocket, 55mph + up the A1 returning to base. According to the scrap guy who collected them part of the chassis had rotted away with a 10ft gap in the middle!!

[@danielrussell446]

@@brianwood9913 remember the West Midlands ones new one is preserved and lives by me JOV738P I believe always remember their scream growing up

[@leesimpson9694]

Bristol VRs were a massive part of my childhood, Northern Bus had a fleet of Bristols, RE and VR. They were a staple of our area in the early to mid 90s.

[@michaelstaley2241]

Excellent lovely dog

[@nataliehilton9334]

I remember that Isle of Wight Southern Vectis had VRT buses as well as Western National, based in Taunton, Somerset. They were really good buses to ride.

[@andywarrington4738]

bristol VR , my god all those memories , they had these around York , my Dad was a bus driver back then , like an old friend these are

[@MrRossi1805]

At least on screen, this Bus looks great 👍

[@joncrawford3485]

Lived in a small town just a bit west of Lowestoft Suffolk (ECW) called Beccles in the 1970's & 80s. Remembered seeing the chassis's of these buses being driven by goggled drivers through the town; health & safety eat your heart out!

[@donwright3427]

Top notch guys

[@davidpound2296]

In my day it was L/Lwl and the K, LD, LS, MW followed by the FS, FLF and RE. Yes, I lived in Crosville land but I never worked for them. Great to see these buses still running.

[@markrhodes1053]

Really enjoyed that video, thanks

[@tomkerr552]

I drove a lot of those in the 70s plus a few in the preview. Old memories coming back. I passed my PSV test on July 73 aged 21.

[@themistocleszammit]

Super video. I live not far from there! If you’re ever near there again and see a couple passing on a tandem, that’s us!

[@davidbassett4577]

Bristol VR’s .. spent more than a few hours travelling on them at home in High Wycombe with Alder Valley, & neighbouring Aylesbury with United Counties & on Oxford/South Midland routes in neighbouring Oxfordshire. Brings back holiday memories of Devon & Cornwall including open top versions down to Lands End with Western National; been over the Torpoint Ferry in one too! Other holiday rides on VR’s include Hants & Dorset/Wilts & Dorset; and on Crosville open top VR from Rhyl to Conway!

[@borysandreyev9717]

Yo-Moy! Bus Klondike! Respect

[@AndysShed]

I used to drive VRTs on a regular basis. The answer to how to fill the oil without getting it everywhere is to thorw away the traditional oil can or funnel and get a big plastic watering can from your local Wilkos. Stick the oil in that and it's much easier to tip in. It's also easier to monitor how much you're putting in each time.

[@simoncrossnz]

Would love to see some features of the other buses in there if the owners could be convinced... especially if they have a Leyland badge. Thanks from NZ!

[@algorhythm1454]

"We've loaded everything we're going to think we need" .....or maybe..... "We've loaded everything we think we're going to need" 🤣

[@fasttrackblastback8286]

Would love to have a drive of one of these old things. Some were still in service in the 90s!

[@illletmyselfout.8516]

What a treasure trove of cool buses my dad drove buses his whole life I loved going along

[@KarrrRep]

I was born and raised in a small country town called tring in Hertfordshire. The main bus route that operates through my home town used to be operated by London County/ Green line. The route ran from Aylesbury Buckinghamshire to Watford Hertfordshire and the main bus depots were Aylesbury / Hemel hempstead / Garston which is on the outskirts of Watford. In addition we actually had a small outstation in tring. The buses I remember travelling om from a young lad were these bristol vr beasts with their unmistakable soundtrack and the leyland nationals which I remember seeing that little chrome gear lever on the right side of the driver which I learned later on was the semi auto gearbox. Some drivers could operate them nice and smoothly whilst others tried driving them like they were driving a race car not holding in neutral between gear changes as per leyland recommended.

[@stuartcraigon2003]

As sweet as a nut! Beautiful tone. Just something special about gardner engines.

[@MetrobusChris]

What a immaculate Bristol VR i ever seen I’m from the West Midlands I’m a MCW Metrobus and Fleetline fanatic I love the VRs as well we also had Bristol VRTs 😊

[@willswheels283]

I’m sure I remember seeing this particular bus in service with Crosville in the 80’s and it paid a visit to Bangor briefly with the YMB ***W reg plate. I definately remember the Bristol VR’s in service.

[@oculusangelicus8978]

If I had one of those double decker buses, I would offer my services to take fans to football games, be a driver for Pub-Crawling events and everything else I can think of! Here in Canada, Double decker buses are not a thing at all. there is one double decker that does what I just said I would do, back in my home town, but that's the only one I have ever seen in person, so it would be awesome to be able to own one! I think there might even be a need for one out in a small town where my Brother lives, to go to a larger city about 45 minutes away, but I know that I would never get enough people to use it to fill such a vehicle so it wouldn't be worth it financially. But it would still be cool to have one!

[@oliverharding9761]

That smoke was the mobile phone of it's day. LOL

[@jamesbalchin4640]

Brilliant

[@uries15]

The Belfast truss roof of the hangar is also worthy of mention.

[@lastofthebrownies]

I used to ride on these in the Stoke area in the 80s. Most of them had Leyland engines, which sounded less agricultural than the Gardners. Also lots of Bristol RE examples before they were displaced by the ubiquitous Leyland National types.

[@mandoprince1]

Spent many journeys on Bristol VRs and REs when I was growing up (also Lodekkas and MWs before that). Absolutely loved them, especially the sound they made. Was sad when these began to be replaced by the Leyland National and Olympian, though many VRs stayed in service long after the Olympians first started to appear.

[@tonys1636]

Smokey bus garages well ex tram shed brings back memories, it was the increasing numbers of Daimler buses that caused the smoke not so much the AEC engined in London garages.

[@matthewduffin6066]

It's about time we had some where in Hull to do this with people with learning disabilities it brings back memories for me travelling to school on through eyms

[@-DC-]

Used to be loads of VR's running round Northamptonshire absolutely magical sounding machine.

[@monideepmukherjee106]

Good friendly doggie is here also....sweet..................

[@ricbow9357]

Served my time at crosville in the Rhyl depot Albion works working on those very buses spent many a hour under vrs defrosting the air tanks in the winter as the apprentice 😄 there’s nothing like a yard of vr,s and nationals ,damliers (30+) idling at 6am on a cold morning before the drivers get in with the diesel fog great to see them alive and kicking

[@jonathancumberbatch9869]

My Dad used to be in Rhyl, do you remember Jimmy Jones, Harold Lomas, I'm trying to remember the guy who was head mechanic who flew the fixed wing glider

[@ricbow9357]

@@jonathancumberbatch9869 yeah I remember jimmy and Harold Dave Townsend was the workshop Forman I saw him recently

[@russellb1212]

Wonderful to see a VRT brought back to life, great work chaps, the storage venue is a place of dreams

[@Routemaster4Hire]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@keithatate3050]

Many happy memories traveling on Bristol Vr`s with United Counties who had ECW bodied one`s and with Northampton Transport who had them with Alexander and East Lanc bodies

[@themadcoachman]

I love Vrs , my favourite buss , I reckonise so many of those buses

[@EuropaSman]

I used to go to school in Lowestoft. Journeys home would usually be on an Eastern Counties VR, or on occasion either a RE or National Mk1. My abiding memory of the VR is sitting on a smokey top deck looking at the ECW logo just above the front windows. My middle school's sports field was next to ECW. We used to walk down a path that ran past the northern perimeter of the works. Unfortunately there was nothing to see because of the high wooden fencing. I was fortunate enough to go to an open day at ECW not long before it closed down. Sadly the site is now the North Quay retail park and there is nothing left of the works.

[@mange2]

I loved driving the Bristol VR in service, but every time I went over a big bump I hit my head on the ceiling of the cab, LOL. The seat is very bouncy. It was the same colour too on Eastern National. My favourite drive was always the Leyland National though.

[@funkstrummer2151]

What did you prefer about the National? I did like the sound of the Leyland 510 engine over the Gardner.

[@mange2]

@@funkstrummer2151 I just loved the way it drove, it was smooth and nicer than driving my car. Loved it.

[@nascar0509]

I remember EYMS having numerous VR's and the firm bouncy suspension.

[@kriswilson265]

Great video would love to see you bring a leyland lynx back to life

[@jamesgreen3417]

As a child in Surrey used to travel a lot on Alder Valleys Leyland Nationals. Then in Hull late 70s early 80s Leyland Atlantean’s then in Grimsby Lincolnshire Roadcar ran Bristol VRs until Stagecoach took them over. My only grip with VRs was the poor lower saloon headroom

[@matthewduffin9098]

Hey Alan the V R double decker bus and the Leyland national single decker bring back memories for me going to school on here in Hull through East Yorkshire motor services And going to the coast on in days gone by shame they don't have any left in Hull these days

[@crossleydd42]

The Volvo Ailsa was made in Scotland and most went to Scottish operators. A very sound vehicle. Amazing that some got to Wrexham area.

[@icenijohn2]

I've ridden plenty of happy miles in Eastern Counties' VRs trundling around Norfolk. Good times! After moving to California I've finally managed to buy my own bus which I'm converting to a motorhome: it's a Crown ex-school bus with a rear-mounted Detroit 6V92 two-stroke which makes the best sound of any bus, even better than a Bristol RE if that's even possible. I'll always like my ABCs - AEC, Bristol and Crown.

[@willlowe607]

Spotted a Wilts and Dorset VR there also. They were a common site around Bournemouth and Poole until not that long ago.

[@rogerjsy]

hi guys i only discovered your channel recently and have never really thought about busses even though im a motor mechanical engineer myself and work at jersey airport for 20 years now maintaining aircraft related equipment im now 54 yrs old and have worked all my life on machinery of certain descriptions watching you guys working on the busses is brilliant and im now hooked ! i would love to own a routmaster double decker from the 60s and convert it into a mobile home! the routmasters in my opinion are the best busses ever made, maybe one day if i live long enough i can have one of my own to play with! may you keep up the good work and the channel ..kind regards from Roger Jersey Channel Islands

[@TrainDriver1953]

Remember a bus like that in kent

[@oiHodgesx]

Used to drive these at ribble/stagecoach chorley 1987.dash reminded me of a bathtub and drove like one too 🤣

[@m3hnl]

very nice vid i grew up around bath and bristol and remember these very well but my fav will always the lodekca

[@andrewcripps2314]

I went to school in Bath in the 70s and the buses then were double decker single cab Bristol buses in green loved the noise and the fact you could jump off the ones that had a pole at the back before it stopped there where a lot of step hills in bath and when you where upstairs at the front it was quite scary sometimes 213 and 203 routes long time ago now 😀

[@TheHornoxx]

👍👌👍 diese roten Doppeldecker sind wunderbar und eine Ikone für Euer Land obendrein - klasse! & und Gruß aus D

[@johngibbon585]

Drove 105 VR MCW bodied fleet at Wolverhampton Cleveland Road Garage during the 70's and 80's until all moved to Walsall Garage. The Mk II VR was a much better bus than the MK I. But they were very heavy on the steering especially with a full standing load. Happy Times. Also past my test on the VR at Withal Bus Museum back in 1974.

[@TheWacoKid1963]

Sunderland Corp 46, Atkinson Alpha, rare as rocking horse droppings. Of the three purchased by Sunderland, 46 & 48 survive, 47 was in a scrapyard for many years but sadly bit the dust about 10 years ago.

[@garybroadhurst3548]

As I child in the 70s and 80s I rarely saw Bristol VRs in Manchester so it was a highlight of any trip along North Wales coast to see, and occasionally ride on these operating for Crosville. I remember staying in Pestatyn and pestering my parents to let me ride (alone, at the age of 8 or 9) into Rhyl and back just to experience a VR., It's amazing how something as mundane as a bus can bring back such vivid memories of childhood. I always though those single seats upstairs we so cool, along with the large triple seat at the front. Where does a memory like that sit for 40+ years and then come rushing back so easily?

[@phils4634]

You are referring to "Latency-Free recall", which is a VERY hot topic in neuroscience right now. There are numerous lines of thought, some pretty unusual (yet backed with hard data), including such exotica as "Non-Local Consciousness", which is a key area of research in the "Near-Death Phenomenon" field. The Pribram-Bohm Hypothesis is an "interesting" start, if you fancy going down that very deep rabbit-hole!

[@peterjhillier7659]

I think your Videos are great, how nice to see the expertise you use to keep these lovely old Buses running, by the way what’s the Intro Music, and the rest you use throughout your Videos?

[@lesthiele4921]

I can see why you do not want the location disclosed, that was a excellent video of travel days gone by, I wztvh the guy change gears and that reminded me of traveling on busex in my younger days, i have subscribed as I wznt to travel with you all.