TRY 122H

Chassis: Bristol RELL6L

Chassis Number: RELL-3-935

Body: ECW

Body Number: 18108

Seating Capacity: B47D

New: December 1969

1969-1980

TRY122H was delivered in December 1969, entering service on 21st as one of a batch of 20 Bristol REs that were delivered over 1969/1970 to replace Leyland PD2s. These REs had larger windscreens as per the PBC batch and wider centre exists but only number blinds at the rear.

In their later years the buses are probably best remembered for use on routes such as the 90/91 ‘Outer Circle’ , 11/13 Anstey Lane and 34/53 Goodwood routes.122 was one of the buses used in the experimental traffic light changing experiment in July 1970 which saw some buses fitted with a black box which changed traffic lights in their favour, those fitted with this had a letter ‘X’ added under the fleet number. 122 was withdrawn at the end of October 1980.    

1980-1987

TRY122H was one of 5 REs sold to Ipswich Borough Transport to replace their AEC Reliance saloons which had high entrance steps. Arriving in October and entering service in November 1980 keeping the same fleet number of ‘122’ in the Ipswich fleet. It originally entered service in a modified livery of cream with a green band eventually being painted into full Ipswich livery of green with cream window surrounds and black lining. The REs received a few modifications at Ipswich, exact fare equipment and conversion from air suspension to coil spring. ‘122’ was one of the last two to see service in Ipswich being withdrawn in July 1987.      

1987-1989

After withdrawal the bus was purchased by Ipswich Transport Society and stored at a yard in Coddenham until sold in 1989.

1989-Date

The bus was purchased by its current owner in Jan 1989 and moved back to Leicestershire on 22nd January. There then followed an 18 month period of restoration back to LCT livery and the bus was back on the road and attending its first rally in Sept 1990. The bus was stored outside and continued to be rallied until 1993 when the bus required some bodywork carrying out. The bus was taken off the road in early 1994, there then followed nearly two years of solid work to get a lot of the bodywork attended to, new wooden framing around the front end and doors, new fibreglass panels, new side panels, new entrance step, the list goes on. In 1995 a change of work and location meant thing slowed with work being as and when possible. A further relocation back to Leicestershire in 2001 and work recommenced but as and when to fit in with with other commitments, and progress was slow. But since 2021 the bus has seen constant work carried out, brakes stripped down and rebuilt, fuel tank off and cleaned, seats recovered, finishing of the paintwork, coolant pipes and hoses replaced, plus more, dedicating as much spare time as possible to get the bus finished, even taking days off work unpaid to get the bus fit and ready for a voluntary MOT. This was achieved in early May 2024 and there then followed final cleaning and preparation with the end result being a launch at the LTHT Bus Running Day at Quorn on 18th May 2024.