NPJ472R History

Chassis                                 Leyland National 11351A/1R

Bodywork                              Leyland National B49F

Engine                                   Leyland 510

Unladen Weight                   9020 Kg

Built                                        September 1976

Chassis Number                  03647

Registration                          NPJ 472R

Original Operator                 Alder Valley

Fleet Number                        251

Capacity                                49 seated + 24 standing = 73 total

NPJ 472R was new to the Thames Valley & Aldershot Omnibus Co. Ltd (Alder Valley), a subsidiary of the National Bus Company (NBC), in September 1976. The bus received the fleet number 251, a number which despite the changes in ownership that were to follow, it has carried for all its life. The bus entered service with Alder Valley on the 1st October 1976 painted in NBC poppy red livery with Alder Valley fleet names. It was one of 191 Mark 1 Leyland Nationals delivered new to Alder Valley between February 1973 and May 1978.

On the 1st January 1986 the Thames Valley & Aldershot Omnibus Co. Ltd (Alder Valley) was split into two parts becoming Alder Valley North (later renamed The Bee Line) and Alder Valley South, with No. 251 passing to Alder Valley South on this date. Alder Valley South was privatised in October 1987, being sold to Frontsource Ltd (Balfour Beatty). On the 18th November 1988 Frontsource sold the company to Q Drive (Len Wright), the owner of The Bee Line. In November 1987 No. 251 was repainted from NBC poppy red livery into the new Alder Valley post deregulation green and yellow livery.

On the 15th December 1990 the West Surrey operations of Alder Valley at Guildford, Woking and Cranleigh were acquired by London & Country (L&C), using the off the shelf company of Randomquick Ltd, along with 48 vehicles including No. 251. This part of L&C’s operation originally used the fleet name Alder Valley West Surrey (although the Alder Valley prefix to the fleet name was soon reduced to small print). The company name was subsequently changed from Randomquick Ltd to Guildford & West Surrey Buses Ltd (G&WS) on the 27th January 1992, this company being a London & Country subsidiary. On the 14th March 1992 all West Surrey and London & Country routes in the Guildford area were extensively revised and re-branded with the Guildford & West Surrey fleet name. However 251 was never repainted into Guildford & West Surrey livery and it continued to operate with G&WS in its Alder Valley green and yellow livery until September 1993 when it was repainted with an all over advert for Guildford College. It carried this all over advert until April 1996 when it was repainted with an all over advert for Andersons Ltd Industrial Refrigeration & Air Conditioning.

No. 251 was withdrawn from service by Guildford & West Surrey on the 26th July 1997. The bus was sold to Ripley (dealer), Carlton in August 1997 and was acquired later the same month by Mike Nash (dealer), Weybridge. The bus was purchased for preservation in September 1997 by the current owners, Paul Barrett and Alan Fairbrother and has been extensively rallied ever since. In May 2002 the bus was repainted from the Andersons all over advert back into Alder Valley post deregulation green and yellow livery.

Depot Allocations

Aldershot          October 1976 - May 1981

Alton                May 1981 - November 1986

Cranleigh          November 1986 - April 1987

Woking             April 1987 - May 1992

Guildford          May 1992 - July 1997