WCT 378, Park Lane Garage, Wolverhampton, 1995

nobody@flickr.com (Lady Wulfrun) — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 06:08:55 -0700

This is former Wolverhampton Corporation 378, a 1946 Guy Arab II motorbus that was re-bodied by Charles Roe of Leeds in 1952. Since its withdrawal in November 1961, the bus has had a very chequered career. It was one of several similar buses selected to be converted by the Corporation into mobile workshops and restrooms for road workers. After a brief spell in this role it was retained as an engineering office at Moat House Lane Public works Depot until rescued by the Black Country Museum in 1978. However, the Museum’s Transport Group relinquished ownership of the bus and it passed to BaMMOT in 1978. The bus was again left outside untouched until it changed hands again in 1995, where for the first time since withdrawal from service it was kept undercover. During the mid-1990s the body was split from the chassis and the chassis overhauled by the late Ron Lucas and his brother William (Guy Owner's Club). The bus has changed hands again since, but as far as I am aware the body still remains parted from the chassis, although both are stored together at a location in Worcestershire.

The details for DUK278 are:

Chassis Guy Arab II: First licenced 23/1/1946

Engine: Gardner 5LW oil engine

Original Body: Weymann H30/26R

Second body: Roe H31/26R (returned to service14/2/1952)

Allocation thought to be Park Lane Garage?

Withdrawn and de-licensed: 30/11/1961 and stored behind Park Lane Garage

Then:
To Wolverhampton Public Works Department 27/6/1062 as a mobile workshop & restroom
Converted to office/stores c 1970 and kept at Moathouse Lane Public Works Depot.

Then
To the Black Country Museum Transport Group 05/4/1978
Stored in open at Aldridge Public Works depot

Then:
Sold to BaMMOT 10/78 for £50 (token amount?)
Arrived at BaMMOT 07/11/1979 and stored at back of museum in open, unrestored.

Then:
Sold to West Midlands Bus Preservation Group & Guy Owners Club in October 1995 and moved to undercover storage in Worcestershire.

Body Lift undertaken between August and September 1998, and chassis taken to location in Staffordshire for restoration

Early 2000s, chassis returned to be reunited with body at Worcestershire, but body unrestored.

Then:
At date unknown, change of ownership to Murphy, Birmingham, but remains as preserved status.

Current: Stored in Worcestershire.

Despite its looks the bus is incredibly solid. The photo shows 378 at Park Lane Garage on Sunday 10th December 1995, where it had once been allocated. The photo shoot was done during its tow from Birmingham to Worcester, via Wolverhampton.

Uploads from Lady Wulfrun, tagged 5lw, with geodata

WCT 378, Park Lane Garage, Wolverhampton, 1995