| Fleet No 2306
Reg No TOI 2306 Company Citybus Ltd Chassis No RELL-3 2413 Body No 340/22 Type Bristol RELL6G Body Alexander (Belfast) X type B50F+24 Engine Gardner 6HLXB Gearbox 5 Speed semi auto originally 4 speed auto when new. New 29/05/79 Short Strand 29/05/79 - 1/06/85 Ardoyne 1/06/85 - Converted to B52F+22 in 1982 Acquired for preservation by Richard Shannon 2004 New in 1979 "2306" was part of a batch of 15 Bristol RE's delivered to Citybus in that year. Previous deliveries of RELL's had seen them all to double door configuration along with fibreglass seat's throughout. 2306 - 2320 were the first single door RE's to be delivered to Citybus, seating 50 they were intended for private hire work and were the first to be trimmed with soft seats. When new 2306 was fitted with a 4 speed gearbox, this was to be a bad choice for a private hire bus and was soon swapped as was the rest of the batch with five speed units from second hand Crosville and United RELL's round 1980. Eventually being downgraded to service work in the mid 80's 2306 was reseated to 52 and the acquired the familiar fibreglass seat throughout. After bein further reseated to 51 in 1991 led an uneventful life until the late 90's when transfered to Ulsterbus taking up residence in Londonderry's Pennyburn depot, remaining there until withdrawn in 2004. Restoration work so far has seen the interior stripped out and the floor lifted owing to being rotten. A full repanel has been carried out with only the front panel's awaiting replacement and engine and battery doors being refitted. The back end has seen substantial rebuilding elimnating accident damage and much chassis descaling and painting. Mechanically a new exhaust system has been fitted and a service carried out, waiting attention is a broken back spring and the front brakes needing new drums and linings, a full check over also needing done. Also waiting being fitted are new front bulkheads, the old ones having cracked with stress. It is planned to restore her to as when new in Citybus Livery. |
the_k_files_050.jpg 2007-10-23 18:02:00 |
230688.jpg 2006-09-17 16:49:27 |
230687.jpg 2006-07-27 19:01:51 |
230683.jpg 2006-07-21 19:18:27 |
Outside for a change with Ben's RELL 230682.jpg 2006-07-21 19:15:37 |
230679.jpg 2006-06-01 16:28:13 |
panel's startin to go on. 230677.jpg 2006-05-23 19:11:00 |
this shows how much the backend of the bus was pushed in, the bent bar is meant to be straight, originally i wasnt goin to replace any of this but i decided im this far i might as well. 230664.jpg 2005-07-16 10:56:49 |
nearside gettin attention. 230666.jpg 2005-09-13 19:51:56 |
battery box refitted 230644.jpg 2005-07-09 14:10:25 |
With the floor out the opportunity was taken to strip the battery box down, this is it after painting ready for fitment 230643.jpg 2005-07-01 15:20:00 |
wheelarches removed an a start has been made on painting the chassis an running components. 230633.jpg 2005-06-30 17:01:38 |
Cab as acquired 230610.jpg 2006-05-21 00:00:00 |
home safe an sound 2306 9.jpg 2006-05-21 00:00:00 |
mid to late 80's in Belfast city centre. 2306 3.jpg 2006-05-21 00:00:00 |
2306 2.jpg 2006-05-21 00:00:00 |
In Ardoyne mid 80's not too long out of psv. 2306 1.jpg 2006-05-21 00:00:00 |
de_1_b.jpg 2006-05-21 00:00:00 |
230686.jpg 2006-07-21 19:19:39 |
230685.jpg 2006-07-21 20:11:00 |
230684.jpg 2006-07-21 19:21:00 |
mudflap on and lights on, bumper is off Ulsterbus RELL 2293, not the straightest though! beggars cant be choosers. 230681.jpg 2006-06-13 19:05:02 |
230680.jpg 2006-05-30 17:37:16 |
startin to look a bit more like a bus! 230678.jpg 2006-05-29 21:09:56 |
redressing in progress! 230676.jpg 2006-03-21 18:01:02 |
Nice an straight! 230675.jpg 2006-03-28 17:28:14 |
starting to go together now 230674.jpg 2006-03-15 16:33:54 |
after making sure everything fitted together ok the back end was coated in underbody sealant. 230673.jpg 2006-03-14 19:42:11 |
offside panel on an fitting good, holes have been cut for the lights now. 230672.jpg 2006-03-14 16:06:40 |
new fibreglass panel cut to size an trial fitted along with one peice bumper. 230671.jpg 2006-03-14 12:31:30 |
230670.jpg 2005-10-15 10:50:03 |
230669.jpg 2005-10-15 10:49:27 |
inside view, im glad i did this as it makes such a difference to the back of the bus. 230668.jpg 2005-12-11 17:26:54 |
new uprights an stress panel's, looking a bit more like it should 230667.jpg 2005-12-08 15:02:23 |
a few less rivits an bolts an this is how it looked. 230665.jpg 2005-07-16 17:44:31 |
replacement piece in place, this came off 2399 in beatties. 230663.jpg 2005-07-16 09:58:11 |
offending item removed! 230662.jpg 2005-07-13 17:07:34 |
start of the removal of the damaged frame, this involves drilling out rivits holding it to the stress panel's an removal of bolts through floor an seat rail. 230661.jpg 2005-07-13 17:02:35 |
collection of spare parts. 230660.jpg 2005-05-05 10:58:46 |
mmmmm o dear! 230659.jpg 2005-07-16 09:52:37 |
What seemed to be straight turned out not so straight after all 230658.jpg 2005-07-16 09:52:08 |
230657.jpg 2005-12-11 16:48:40 |
230656.jpg 2005-12-08 15:03:00 |
Basically a rollin shell now, this is the disheartening stage, its at this point where you just want to give up 230655.jpg 2005-07-12 18:59:22 |
230654.jpg 2005-07-12 19:20:55 |
back still looking straight! 230653.jpg 2005-07-12 13:40:53 |
230652.jpg 2005-07-11 15:45:17 |
the damage uncovered at the back n/s arch, framework snapped in 2. 230651.jpg 2005-07-11 17:43:07 |
