North West Vehicle Restoration Trust running day 2021

All clouds have a silver lining. Was supposed to be going to Belgium for the Sanicole Airshow after its cancellation last year. However with so many things changing on a daily basis our group had decided to leave attending until 2022.

This then left me with a weeks holiday in September which translated into some other opportunities. My very enjoyable first (and long held ambition) visit to Coningsby (with free bonus typhoon display!) will be covered in a subsequent upload but I also was able to take advantage of the redated (from June) North West Vehicle Restoration Trusts open day in Kirkby on the 12th.

I have only been able to attend once previously, as it usually clashes with an annual trip to Scotland so was very glad of the opportunity - and what an enjoyable day it was! Many highlights, including Merseybus Olympian reunions, plenty Atlanteans on show and a Bristol VR in service too so plenty of nostalgia to be had. Very well organized and supported so huge thanks to the group and wider preservation movement for staging such a great event, particularly as we still are in jittery post co-vid times

Originally was planning to upload several smaller videos, but the joy of youtube timestamps mean you can just skip to the parts you want to see, so if its just the rides you're after see the running list below to take you were you fancy. "Comings and going" mostly consists of buses arriving or departing on service work or from the event itself. It's safe to say most if not all bus preservation tastes would have been covered by this event! Sadly I only found 2 metrobuses, and they weren't being used but so very pleased to find 0809 (F809 YLV) sat at the back of the depot awaiting its turn to be worked on. That will be a lovely day when 0809 AND 0810 can take part in something together :-)

Anyway, enough dreaming, the all important running order (then you don't get too bored!)

0:00:01 - Buses dotted around Charley Wood Road ready for the days event
0:01:26 - various arrivals
0:02:22 - wander around the yard and depot to see the various static exhibits
0:03:29 - my holy grail of buses spotted right at the back of the depot, F809 YLV (Merseybus 0809) awaiting restoration :-)
0:04:38 - Leyland PD2 FBG 910 Departs on a 96 to Kirkby Station
0:05:36 -THAT Olympian noise courtesy of a reversing F262 YTJ
0:06:25 - ** RIDE ALONG** - Atlantean A323 GLV (MPTE 1003) on route 90 to Prescot
0:20:15 - Yard wandering, part 2
0:21:48 - various comings and goings part 1
0:27:15 - **RIDE ALONG** - Olympian F261 YTJ (Merseybus 0261) on route 90 to Prescot with a shot of the return working from outside Prescot Tesco
0:40:49 - **RIDE ALONG** - Bristol VR BMA 521W (Crosville Cymru DVG 521) on route 90 from Prescot to Kirkby Admin
0:51:32 - Comings and goings part 2
0:57:55 - **RIDE ALONG** - Atlantean FHF 456 (MPTE 206) with a top driver on a jaunt round the Industrial Estate on route 93, then a line up with sister vehicle FHF 451 at the end
1:08:08 - Comings and goings part 3
1:12:36 - **RIDE ALONG** Atlantean XKC 831K (MPTE 1204) appearing at its first event after restoration, the friendly driver gives us a brief intro to the bus before a journey on route 97 to Page Moss that was shadowed by 2 other vehicles
1:21:23 - **RIDE ALONG** - Leyland Titan CUL 122V (MTL 2122) returning from Page Moss to Kirkby Admin after swapping vehicles. I do now have more time for these vehicles after many years of despising them (they seemed to always turn up instead of my beloved Metrobuses and the rear profile is just downright scary!). This one has a good hub noise too which adds to the entertainment :-)
1:29:53 - Comings and goings part 4
1:31:27 - **RIDE ALONG** - Bristol VR BMA 521W (Crosville Cymru DVG 521) - Eager for some more VR action I took the last round trip of the day on the 544 to Hood Street Gyratory. After a brief view of the bus at its dedicated City Centre stand (complete with LED advertisement for the event, well done Merseytravel!) the journey heading back to Kirkby Admin is captured. You can see a few of the other vehicles from the event heading away from Kirkby as the event was more or less finished by the time we got back there.

Again, huge plaudits to all involved with this, once again, fantastically organized and well attended event. A real tonic after the covid-battered year we've all suffered

Видео North West Vehicle Restoration Trust running day 2021 канала Chris Birkett's adventures in video