The Transport Museum at Wythall in the West Midlands is noted for it’s superb collection of buses and coaches mostly from the Midlands region of the United Kingdom as well as a variety of vehicles from other parts of the UK. Each year the Museum puts on a ‘Bristol’ event which showcases buses and coaches of Bristol manufacture. The West Midlands was never noted for ‘Bristol’ buses, so it is great that the museum recognises this famous British marque.
This DVD programme was filmed by the independent transport videos cameras during the ‘Bristol’ events in 2022 and 2023. We feature rides on four different Bristol double-deck buses ranging from 1946 to 1975, travelling on the same route from the Museum at Wythall to Maypole on the outskirts of Birmingham. It might be the same route each time, but each bus is completely different, as you will see. We have placed a camera in three of the cabs for the journeys as well as a camera in the lower and upper saloons. Our first ride is on board former Cheltenham District 90 (UHY 374), the excellently restored Bristol KSW6G with an ECW H60R body in the dark red and cream livery used by this subsidiary of Bristol Omnibus. Built in 1955 we travel with the driver in the cab and have views from the passenger's perspective.
Our second ride is also on a former Cheltenham District vehicle. This time its 5030 (JOU 160P), a 1975 Bristol VRT/SL3/501 with an ECW H71F body and is owned by Stagecoach West as their 19950 and is painted in a retro Cheltenham District livery. This time we travel as a passenger in the lower saloon and see the driver in action! Our third ride to the Maypole is on board former Bristol Tramways Bristol K6A C3386 (JHT 802), built in 1946, but with an ECW H59R body, which was transferred from C3032 a rebodied Bristol GO5G in 1949. As a nod to the past this bus carries fleet number C3032, in the rear platform area! We travel with the driver in the cab as well as being a passenger in the upper saloon.
The final bus ride on this programme is on a Bristol Lodekka. The bus in question is former Bristol Omnibus 8576 (866 NHT), now registered 462 XVE, a 1961 FS6G with an open-top convertible ECW CO60R body. Painted in it’s original livery of allover cream with black wings and wheels, we have a spirited ride to the Maypole and back on this lovely bus filming from the cab as well as from the lower saloon. In between our journeys out to the Maypole we see a good variety of Bristol types at the Museum. These include a single-decker L type, MW, LH, RELL, RESL and RELH with a variety of ECW bodies suitable for both bus and coach duties. Double-deckers include K types, Lodekka, VRT and a unique 1933-built Bristol GJW with a Weymann PO54R body in the cream livery of Eastern Counties. Restored to the highest standard, HLG4 (VG 5541) spent a number of years in the USA before being repatriated to the UK to join the ranks of the many splendid preserved Bristol buses. There is so much to see, too much to mention here, so sit back and enjoy ‘Bristols at Wythall’.
Produced by - Independent Transport Videos
Duration - 98 minutes approx
Region - 0 (worldwide) PAL
Aspect Ratio - 16:9 Widescreen
DVD only
Released - March 2024