BIRMINGHAM 'NEW LOOK' BUS

2548 is one of the first batch of one hundred Guy 'New Look' buses for Birmingham, all with Metro-Cammell bodies, which had long service lives. It entered service on 3 October 1950. 2548's first eighteen years of passenger service were spent at Quinton Garage, before moving to Hockley Garage in 1968. On 1 October 1969, along with the whole BCT fleet, 2548 passed to West Midlands Passenger Transport Executive (WMPTE).

A second career

Withdrawn from normal service in April 1972, after clocking up 545,000 miles, 2548 was renumbered 197 and converted to a promotions bus for WMPTE's new Travelcard. The upper deck was turned into a cinema with windows blanked out and seats turned round to face a projector screen at the rear. It was made redundant from this role at the end of 1977

Preservation

2548 was rescued by the Quinton-based 2548 Group in April 1979. After most of the alterations for Travelcard promotion had been reversed, 2548 spent the next four years on the historic vehicle rally scene before being taken off the road for major mechanical, electrical and bodywork refurbishment, which was completed at Aston Manor Transport Museum, Witton, in May 2011. Apart from some welding work, upholstering of seats and signwriting of external advertisements, all other work was undertaken by 2548 Group volunteers. It is estimated that a total of 20,000 man hours went into the restoration. The bus has been returned to the livery it carried in the 1960s with all fittings, transfers, advertisements and notices appropriate to the period.