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New TransportMuseum for BeithThe number of Transport Museums in Scotland is setto rise when a new museum housing mainly but notexclusively buses opened its doors at Easter. Now anopen weekend is set to take place at the end ofAugust. PHILIP LAMB reports.

Beith Transport Museum is a new53,000 sq ft transport museum underdevelopment in North Ayrshire, some

20mins outside Glasgow. Although mainlydisplaying buses, other vehicles such as fireengines and breakdown trucks, an illuminatedBlackpool tram and a Glasgow Undergroundcar are also to be found at the museum.

Vehicles started arriving on site in mid-2006, many having previously been stored forseveral years in less than desirable locations,but a good deal of work on the building,

previously an industrial warehouse, has beenneeded too.

Girder frame supports for large water tanksused by the previous owner of the site werevery effective wasters of floor space, but wereuseful vantage points for photographs. Theyalso allowed volunteers to see just how muchredundant piping, wiring and cable needed tobe removed.

Getting rid of these girder supportsbecame a priority, but the process turned intoa very long and frustrating one which led to

severe delays in preparing the site. Followingthis, floor areas were cleaned and painted,before vehicles were positioned on the newlyprepared floor in what was then being termedexhibition halls rather than sheds. All wereplaced to face in one direction with a clearpassage of 4ft was left between each row ofvehicles or adjacent wall, and a similar gapbetween the front and rear of each wasallowed. This is to allow visitors in wheelchairsto get as close as possible to and all round thevehicles. A method of enabling reasonableviewing of the interiors, even if just for aselection of vehicles, is a matter still beingconsidered.

Beith Transport Museum

September 2007 39

Vehicle profile GCS 50VThis Alexander-bodied Leyland LeopardPSU3E/4R was delivered new to WesternSMT’s Johnstone depot bearing fleet no JL50.

In 1987 it exchanged its red and creamlivery for Western’s new two-grey, black andwhite livery. In 1991 another repaint saw the Y-type in Clydeside 2000 livery. By 1996, andstill with Cyldeside buses, its then red, yellowand white livery was applied. The following yearthe bus was sold to Oban & District later part ofWest Coast Motors.

After ten years sterling service, the buspassed in May this year to Kenny Barclay forpreservation.

Kenny was bought up in Kilmacalm,Renfrewshire during the 1980s and 1990sClydeside Scottish was therefore his local buscompany. Kenny therefore plans to return thevehicle to Clydeside Scottish red and yellowlivery.

Alongside RM759 in Glasgow City Tour livery isthis Portuguese AEC Regal IIIPictures: PHILIP LAMB

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41September 2007

Withdrawn in September 1979 having completed over 690,000 miles, OKM 317 gave 36 years faithful serviceto AA Motor Services member Dodds of Troon. Dodds in fact still own the AEC Regent III with Saunders 56-seat highbridge body built as a demonstrator for the latter concern in 1949. The bus remained unregisteredfor the first two years of its life, so presumably only acted as a ‘static’ demonstrator on trade plates. In 1951however it went on demonstration to Maidstone & District, and although not taken into stock was given thefleet no DH500 and registered OKM 317 so that it could be used in service for the first time.

Within a short space of time, the bus moved on to C. B. Law of Prestwick, initially on demonstration, butsoon purchased. Dodds acquired the bus with its purchase of Law’s business in 1953.

The Transport Preservation Trust whichmanages the museum had originally plannedan opening event over the Easter weekend ofthe 7/8 April 2007. However it became clearthat delays from several and varied causesmeant that some sections of the site were notgoing to be sufficiently complete. For a periodserious consideration was given to simplycancelling the event completely. After furtherdiscussion it was decided to go ahead and letpeople come and see what had actually beenachieved. Some limited advertising wastherefore undertaken in the local area. Oneresult of the decision to go ahead was that allthe vehicles got out into the fresh air for apower washdown before going back into theirnew allotted positions in the further improveddisplay areas.

There are several ideas being evaluated asto how to diversify the range of vehicles onshow, and to explain to visitors the significanceof each. Amongst the non-bus exhibits thereare recovery trucks, Land Rovers, one car sofar, an Austin Seven, six green Goddess fireengines, and an underground railway carriage.

Varied smaller items such as road signs,bus stops, ticket machines, uniforms, badgesetc are to be displayed, this aspect developingas additional material becomes available. Themost unusual vehicle unusual vehicle so farBlackpool ‘Hover Tram’ 735 arrived on site inJune 2007.

Visitors will be invited to becomevolunteers or members and play an active partin the long-term development and in the day-to-day operation of the museum. They canthen also join us on the various outings andvisits that will be arranged during the yearusing museum-based vehicles.

Other local organisations, such as railwayand model railway groups will be offered

space in a large side room to establishdisplays that promote their own project. It isexpected too to supply vehicles in support ofother organisations and various communityevents.

Our visit in early July witnessed a hive ofactivity., the makings of a first class transportmuseum were well in place, and we lookforward to returning in the future to bring youfurther news of this exciting development.

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A Volvo Ailsa B55-10 mk2 with Alexander AVH44/35F LHS 747V was new in 1979 toCentral Scottish at East Kilbride depot allocatedfleet number AH23.

In 1989 the bus moved to Cumbernaulddepot, Central Scottish had by now mergedwith Kelvin Scottish and was known as KelvinCentral and had been renumbered 1967.

LHS 747V has now been restored to the inservice condition as it would have looked whenoperating from Cumbernauld depot. During itstime with Kelvin Central it also operated fromKirkintilloch, Airdrie and Old Kilpatrick depots.

After being sold she passed via a numberof smaller independent operators includingMarbill Coaches, Allander Travel and finallyJay’s Coaches to James Duncan forpreservation in April 2007.

In the short time the bus has been inpreservation, it has attended SVBMLathalmond museum in May 2007 and theStagecoach Kilmarnock Open Day in June2007. James has also managed to repaint thebus to represent how it would have looked inservice from Cumbernauld depot with KelvinCentral Buses.

Vehicle profile LHS 747V

Looking very smart outside the museum on the day of our visit was now partial open-top former GrampianLeyland Atlantean/Alexander URS 321X displayed in Glasgow livery.

Recently in service with Wilbys of Leicester and now preserved by Laurence Hayward is Alexander-bodiedLeyland Fleetline LMS i69W new to Alexander (Midland) in 1980 as its MRF169

43September 2007