Golden Anniversary of Oxford Bus Preservation
This month the members of the Bus Museum are celebrating 50 years of Bus Preservation.
In 1967 ten friends bought NJO 703, an AEC Regal III. This 9.6 litre diesel engine 32 seater single decker had been bought new in 1949 by City of Oxford as one of ten single deck with bodywork by Willowbrook finished to coach standard complete with a speedflash. Several of the original members are active volunteers at the museum today.
All ten coaches original had an ivory and maroon livery but later five were repainted in standard bus livery and demoted to bus duties. The company’s fleet comprised mainly double decker buses but single deck buses were needed for lightly used country services from Oxford to places like Reading. It was also used for private hire and excursions.
703 was withdrawn in 1958 and sold to Austin Hoy of Saunderton near High Wycombe along with its sister buses 701 and 705. 703 was acquired for preservation in 1967 and stored around Oxford or at High Wycombe until in 1982 the Museum’s present premises were acquired next to Hanborough Railway Station.
Membership of the museum costs £20 for adults (£30 for two adults at the same address) and gives unlimited free entry to the museum for the year and a magazine four times a year.