NPJ 472R

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Original Operator and Fleet Number:

Current Owners:

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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No. 251 was withdrawn from service by Guildford & West Surrey on the 26th July 1997.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

Alder Valley 251 - NPJ 472R is pictured in Alder Valley NBC poppy red livery. Unfortunately it is not known where or when the photo was taken or what the special occasion was. However it would appear to have been taken pre MAP as she doesn't have any local identity names and whilst she was still allocated to Aldershot depot so that would date it sometime between October 1976 and May 1981. If only she could still pull in crowds like this!

© Photograph Paul Barrett collection.

Alder Valley South 251 - NPJ 472R is pictured at Woking depot after a good wash down sometime in the late 1980's or early 1990's. She in painted in Alder Valley South post deregulation green and yellow livery.

© Photograph by Noel Clark.

Guildford & West Surrey 251 - NPJ 472R is pictured at Guildford Bus Station about to work Guildford Town Service 8 to Bushy Hill sometime in the mid 1990's. She carries an all over advert for Guildford College.

© Photograph Paul Barrett collection.

Preserved NPJ 472R is pictured at the Chatham Dockyard Bus Rally on the 5th July 1998. She carries the all over advert for Andersons Ltd Industrial Refrigeration & Air Conditioning that she was acquired in.

© Photograph by Paul Barrett.

An offside view of preserved NPJ 472R in Andersons all over advert livery at the Chatham Dockyard Bus Rally on the 5th July 1998.

© Photograph by Paul Barrett.

Preserved NPJ 472R is pictured posed outside Guildford Cathedral in Alder Valley post deregulation green and yellow livery. The photo was taken during the crew's lengthy lunch break at the Aldershot & District Woking Bus Running Day on the 2nd June 2002. She had been repainted into Alder Valley post deregulation green and yellow livery the previous week and this was her rally debut in this livery. Alder Valley used to use Guildford Cathedral for some of their publicity shots so we thought we'd do the same.

© Photograph by Paul Barrett.

An offside view of preserved NPJ 472R in Alder Valley post deregulation green and yellow livery. She is pictured at the King Alfred Bus Rally at Bar End Industrial Estate in Winchester on the 27th April 2003.

© Photograph by Paul Barrett.