UPT 681V

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Original Operator and Fleet Number:

Current Owners:

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UPT 681V was delivered new to the Northern General Transport Co. Ltd., a subsidiary of the National Bus Company (NBC), in May 1980, receiving fleet number 4681. It was fitted with a Leyland 680 engine, painted in NBC poppy red livery and allocated from new to Philadelphia depot. The bus has spent its working life allocated to Philadelphia, Washington, Percy Main, Deptford, Chester-le-Street, and Gateshead depots.

The bus received a Volvo re-power modification in 1995. This involved replacing the original Leyland 680 engine and the semi automatic pneumocyclic gearbox with a Volvo engine and Voith gearbox. The re-power was intended to extend the Nationals service life for 6 years or so until newer low floor buses were available to replace them. Another development was the mid life refurbishment programme. This involved gutting the saloon, replacing the floor and seats, installing a new Purmo heating system and fitting DIPTAC handrails and a split-level entrance step. This work was undertaken on most of the Nationals but a small number did not receive it and only got the Volvo engine and Voith gearbox. 4681 was one of the few that didn’t go through the programme and the interior still looks quite original.

Craig Smith first started looking for a Go Northeast Mark 2 National to preserve in 1999 when GNE started to withdraw their Mark 2 Nationals. After a few unsuccessful attempts to purchase a suitable example negotiations were started with GNE in March 2005 to acquire 4681 - UPT 681V. Unfortunately the bus had been hired to a driver training company to conduct assessments on Polish drivers and had been shipped to Northern Ireland. On its return to GNE it was needed in the GNE driver training school. The bus was withdrawn from Gateshead depot (driver training school) in May 2006. This ended a respectable 26 years of service with Northern General / Go North East.

On the 26th May 2006, 14 months after negotiations had started, LNG members Craig Smith and Barry Perryman, both from Chester-le-Street, finally acquired the bus for preservation. It was collected from Saltmeadows Road the same day and moved to their storage and maintenance shed at Saltersgate. UPT 681V along with FTN 700W are now under the care of the Northern National Restoration Group (NNRG). Craig set up this group in 2006 so that the owners could pool all their resources at one location. Both UPT 681V and FTN 700W are now in residence at the group’s storage and maintenance shed at Saltersgate.

It is planned to restore 4681 to as original condition as is possible. The Volvo engine and Voith gearbox will be removed and replaced with a Leyland 0.680 engine and pneumocyclic gearbox, as fitted when new, together with original control equipment. The bus will also be repainted into Northern General NBC poppy red livery. A donor Mark 2 National (APT 117W) was acquired from A Line Coaches of Pelaw, Gateshead in early 2006. This will provide the Leyland 0.680 engine and gearbox required to convert 4681 back to original condition. The need for spare parts was recognised very early on and the group have obtained parts from both A Line Coaches and GNE.

March 2007 update

The damage to the rear end of UPT 681V was a bit more extensive than we first thought due to a hole under the pod. We have 90% of all the bits we need and the refitting of parts will start in March 2007. Work was slow as we found yet another hole in early March 2007. This time it is under the last offside bay. Craig made a replacement panel at work out of galvanized steel and Barry fitted it in mid March. Craig is hoping to start rebuilding the replacement Leyland 0.680 engine out of APT 117W very soon. This engine will then be fitted into UPT 681V.

The Webmaster would like to thank Craig Smith for providing the vehicle history and photos.

5 Preserved UPT 681V

UPT 681V is pictured at Saltmeadows Road on the 26th May 2006, the day it was purchased for preservation and collected by its new owners. It carries the current Go North East livery.

© Photograph by Andrew Sewell.

5 Preserved UPT 681V

The sparse interior of UPT 681V is pictured on the 26th May 2006. Note the driving instructor's seat at the bottom of the picture.

© Photograph by Barry Perryman.

5 Preserved UPT 681V

The dashboard of UPT 681V is pictured on the 26th May 2006.

© Photograph by Craig Smith.

5 Preserved UPT 681V

The rear end of UPT 681V after it had been stripped down on the 17th February 2007.

© Photograph by Craig Smith.

5 Preserved UPT 681V 5

The rear structure of UPT 681V is well on the way to being completed as seen here on the 21st July 2007. The dome and side panels were only tried on to see if the structure was in the right place, which it was.

© Photographs by Craig Smith.

56 Replacement Leyland 0.680 engine 56

Four pictures of the dismantled Leyland 0.680 engine out of Leyland National APT 117W. This is being rebuilt by Craig and will be fitted to UPT 681V to convert it back to original condition. These views were all taken on the 21st July 2007.

© Photographs by Craig Smith.