Sheffield Corporation Bristol VR OWE 271K

All the English 'big city' municipally owned buses were swallowed up into Passenger Transport Executives set up in 1969-70 and 1974. Many of these corporation bus undertakings had long and proud histories and specified distinctive buses for their citizens. Sheffield is typical of these lost bus fleets and liveries, disappearing into the South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive in 1974.

Representing the typical Sheffield bus is more difficult. The operator liked to spread its orders to keep builders on their toes and standardisation was evidently unimportant! During 1971, Sheffield ordered 25 Bristol RELL dual door single-deckers to be bodied by Seddon. However the operator had second thoughts and revised the order to 18 Bristol VR single door double-deckers bodied by East Lancs. Both Bristol and East Lancs were new suppliers to Sheffield, despite its past variety.

They were delivered in summer 1972 and this one was repainted silver for the Queen's silver jubilee in 1977 prior to receiving the South Yorkshire PTE colours in 1978. All were sold in 1979 as non-standard, however, and this was one of several purchased by Maidstone & District. The 1980s saw it transferred to the new Hastings & District fleet and it worked from that town until retirement in 1993 when it was bought by Phil Ireland for major overhaul and restoration to Sheffield colours.