JCK 852W

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Original Operator and Fleet Number:

Current Owner:

Further Information:

New to Ribble, a subsidiary of the National Bus Company (NBC), on the 10th July 1981 as their fleet number 852, she was a 10.6m A series Mark 2 Leyland National fitted with a Leyland L11 (680) engine, almost certainly based at Preston. With the dividing up of Ribble following de-regulation she transferred across to North Western ownership in September 1986, receiving the fleet number 304. She was believed to have been stored surplus at Preston by 1990 at the time British Bus, the owners of North Western, were requiring an experimental donor for East Lancs Coachbuilders (ELC) to rebuild as a National Greenway. Thus her geographical proximity and relative newness made her an ideal candidate. She was rebuilt by East Lancs to Greenway specification during 1991 and fitted with a Gardner engine. The National Greenway conversion involved Leyland Nationals being stripped down to little more than a shell and being rebuilt to look like a new bus, but at much less cost than a new bus.

Her arrival at sister British Bus subsidiary London & Country (L&C) after being rebuilt, believed to have been in December 1991, is a bit cloudy as she was also demonstrated at other operators. However by the time she went into service for L&C as fleet number 252 from their Beddington Farm, Croydon depot her livery had evolved somewhat from that when photographed new at Blackburn. Never a popular beast with her short gearing and all-or-nothing Gardner throttle, she was never used intensively and tended to get passed around the group becoming a driver trainer by circa 1998. She was actually used in service from Addlestone (WY) Garage on the 218 on the 25th July 1997, the last day of operation of both Addlestone Garage and route 218. As part of a nationwide rebranding exercise by L&C's then owners the Cowie Group plc, London & Country was renamed Arriva serving Surrey & West Sussex from the 1st January 1998, however the vehicle fleet numbers remained unchanged. Early in 2000 she enjoyed a most surprising return to PSV use at Guildford due to a vehicle shortage but this was short lived and she was disposed of to dealer Geoff Ripley, Carlton in February 2000.

Later in 2000 she was sold by Ripley's to Dave Beardsmore (Local Motion / Ravel Travel) in Middlewich. It had been Mike Nash's intention to grab JCK when she left L&C but this wasn't possible so as he knew Dave Beardsmore quite well anyway he was able to exchange long Greenway JIL2194 for JCK (by now in Local Motion colours) in October 2000. After which JCK was comprehensively restored back into L&C livery as per the BUSES magazine article, initially for use as a loan vehicle. But by March 2001 John Appleford of Timetrak, Shepperton had made Mike an offer he couldn't refuse so she went to Timetrak who were initially expecting her to have to be repainted yet again into a dedicated Sainsbury's livery for use at the Hayes superstore. In the event the Sainsbury's deal never came about so JCK remained in L&C colours and for a while became a regular sight in and around the Staines area. However, yet again she was beset with mechanical gremlins and also suffered a series of unfortunate RTA's. She was laid up awaiting mechanical repairs at Timetrak's base at Colnbrook when she was one of three vehicles heavily vandalised one night and she lost 75% of her glass. This was circa early-2002. By late 2002 she was still awaiting repair and was now in a sorry state so Thamesbus, Byfleet (run by LNG member Martin Gilbert) took her on in November 2002 with a view to repairing her for service. By July 2003 they were themselves running into problems and very little had been done to JCK. She was reluctantly offered for sale and was repurchased by Mike Nash in July 2003. Work was quickly undertaken to make her run and move, and glass and seating was gradually re-instated in between other work. At present she is still a few gears short and has a perennial fuel starvation problem. However, Mike has every confidence that during 2004 she will return to PSV status. As Mike plans to use her in his British Bus Sales hire fleet she should more accurately be classed as semi-preserved rather than preserved.

Pictured in the livery she originally carried after being converted to a National Greenway in 1991. She carries London & Country livery with "NG - National Greenway" branding. Note that at the time she was fitted with standard National doors.

© Photograph by Mike Nash.

Pictured whilst owned by Mike Nash the first time. She has been repainted in London & Country livery with "NG - National Greenway" branding. This is the livery she carried when converted to a Greenway in 1991.

© Photograph by Mike Nash.

The accident damage to the front end can be seen in this shot. This has fortunately now been repaired.

© Photograph by Mike Nash.

Pictured on the 9th July 2003 arriving at Mike Nash's yard behind a tow truck after he had repurchased her. The numerous broken windows can be seen in this shot.

© Photograph by Mike Nash.

Pictured again on the 9th July 2003 in Mike Nash's yard after being unhitched from the tow truck. The vandal damage can again be seen in this shot. All the broken windows have now been replaced.

© Photograph by Mike Nash.