Southdown/BH&D - dual door Bristol RESL 2210 PPM 210G
Bristol RESL6G chassis RESL-5-166 ECW B35D+27 body 17106 Series 2 Current Status: 2210 is currently de-licensed
The latest news with 2210
Rear interior repaint
In June 2020 Jason and Daniel started removing seat frames from the rear section of the interior in readiness for repainting.
In August Jason, Daniel, Emily and Rich grinded the seat frames and side skirts back to metal, removing all remnants of paint. So far (25/08) Daniel has managed to paint the seat legs and side skirts with red oxide and finished them off with a top coat of green. As it stands, the seat frames require a coat of red oxid and, along with some seat legs, painting in green.
The repaint refreshes the interior entirely however, we still have some other areas of the interior which require attention. These will be done in the next few months and will be presented on our website.
Electrical issues, cooling issues & more...
07/04/19
The winter has thrown up some issues with 2210.
A coolant pipe which runs along the interior of the bus was found to be furred up and badly corroded preventing coolant from circulating properly. In addition to this, the coolant header tank was found to be defective so a replacement one is required, Another major problem with 2210 has been it's electric charging system sending too much current resulting in blown bulbs, fuses and potential catastrophic consequences.
Richard has fitted some new piping and preparations are being made to remove the defective header tank which involves partial removal of the drivers cab floor. Once this is completed, coolant will circulate freely and to the correct pressure thus avoiding any over-heating problems. With the new piping, some new trim has been fitted to the offside interior and whilst the seats are out, the time is being used to tidy up and repaint the side skirting panels. Heather and Jason have been busy doing this over the weekend and work is set to continue over the next few weeks.
Family friend Colin has come to our aid and rectified the charging problem. Investigations found problems with the voltage regulator and a short circuit on the alternator. Thankfully this has now been resolved and 2210 is charging properly.
2210 will be off the road for a little while longer whilst we finish off some interior painting and the header tank replacement, We hope to have it back on the road sometime in May.
Below are some recent images.
MOT PASS FOR 2210
Wednesday 8th August 18 We're pleased to confirm that Southdown 2210 successfully passed it's MOT.
MOT preparations for 2210
On Saturday 4th August 18, Heather and Jason carried out some preparation work on 2210 ahead of it's annual test later this month. A new windscreen washer motor was fitted and good all round grease up of all joints and moving parts was required. A check of all lights, horn, doors and brakes plus various other items was done followed by a good clean inside.
We hope to submit 2210 for test soon and see her back on the road.
A Quiet Year for 2210
Well 2018 has been a very quiet year for 2210 so far with very little activity.
In March, she was in Winchester ready to be our Control vehicle for the Bristol VR day however this was cancelled due to the snow. Shortly afterwards, 2210 took a party of friends out on a local excursion but returned to depot with some electrical gremlins in the headlight system. The bus was returned to our Central Works and been stored since and is now out of MOT test and delicenced.
We have now started work on the electrical problems and hopefully this will be resolved shortly. 2210 will then undergo pre-MOT inspection and service before an MOT test sometime in August. it is hoped that 2210 will be back on the road by the end of August and is scheduled to take part in our Bristol RE Running Day in November.
Investigations underway with the headlights at Central Works
Beer Excursion
Thursday 7th September 18 saw 2210 as the carriage of choice for an evening out a pub in East Stratton, near Winchester.
We picked up some friends from Micheldever station ready for the short drive to the village for food and drink. A good night was had by all and 2210 looked and performed great.
Running repairs
On Sunday 20th August 18 Richard and Daniel set about replacing the seals and U joint in the drive shaft on PPM following on from an oil leak and play within the shaft.
Heather replaced the old mains master switch with a fresh new example as the original was becoming faulty.
Pictures below show the work carried out.
2210 Back on the road after six months absence
In September 2016, we found a problem with the electrical charging system on 2210 . The bus was not charging the batteries which meant that eventually they would run flat and be unable to provide enough power to the systems or start the engine. Despite our best efforts, we were unable to solve the problem and we contacted a colleague at Stagecoach for help. Colin kindly visited the bus at Winchester and being a former Hants & Dorset electrician, he was only too pleased to get his hands dirty.
Within two hours, the systems were working perfectly and the bus passed fit for service again. we are very grateful to Colin for all his help.
2210 returns to the road
Since returning to the road in 2016, 2210 has attended three events.
Saturday 16th July - Alton Beer & Buses Sunday 17th July - Alton Bus Rally Sunday 7th August - Stokes Bay Rally
On each occasion, she proved to be very popular with enthusiasts. Below are some picture taken at the various events.
RE-turn to the road for 2210
After some last minute adjustments and general tidying up on Sunday 12th June, PPM was booked in for MOT at IM Services in Romsey on Monday 13th June.
Following a three year restoration which involved a complete strip of all paint, preparation and repaint, new panels, chassis overhaul, new window rubbers, replacement engine, full service, gearbox overhaul, electrical work and much more; we are exceptionally pleased that PPM210G passed her MOT first time! Her first MOT for many years.
Co-Owners Richard Sinclair, Jason/Heather & Dan Rayner carried out the restoration with help from friends of the Hants & Surrey Bristol RE Group. "Richard has much experience with Bristol RE's having restored several himself over the years" said Jason. "When I first saw it, it was in a very sorry state, without an engine and in general poor condition. Daniel and I were very enthusiastic to save the RE because of it's significance to the Portsmouth area during the early 80's but it wasn't something we could do alone. I mentioned the RE to Richard who was equally enthusiastic and it was agreed we would take on the project" explains Jason.
The bus, along with Richard's own Bristol RE plus a Mercedes Minibus on behalf of Mark Turner were presented for testing at IM Services of Romsey. It was three out of three for us as all vehicles successfully passed their tests. There are still a few small jobs to finish her off before she will attend any shows, but we hope her first event will be Alton in July where she will be on static display in an 'in service' condition.
Full details of the restoration can be seen below.
One step closer!
On Sunday 15 May we spent the afternoon in the glorious sunshine on our glorious PPM.
Throughout the day various jobs were carried out:
Jason painted the lower exterior panels in Leaf Green after the previous red paint had been sanded down.
Rich and Jason started deep cleaning the bus from ceiling to floor. They reached the middle of the bus, working from the back. As you can see in the pictures, their work has made a huge difference.
Dan sanded down the first coat of cream paint on part of the exit area before applying a top coat to one of the panels (with the used tickets bin attached) and the panels above the doors. The first coat of Cream was applied to the panel to the right of the doors.
Windows, doors and... well, paint!
The May Bank Holiday gave us some valuable time to work on PPM and turn yet another corner in her progress.
On Monday 2 May the following work was carried out:
The last of the windows were cleaned and fitted to the bus along with their new rubbers.
The interior windows were removed making it easier for us to paint around the entrance and exit areas.
The panels around the exit doors were scraped back to bare metal, sanded, de-greased and sprayed with a Grey primer in preparation for being hand painted cream.
Parts of the cab area and dashboard were painted.
Nearside wheel hub surround was painted silver whilst the wheel rim was grinded, de-greased and painted Grey.
New 'Please Pay As You Enter' signs were fitted back onto the bus after being refurbished. The frame of these signs were painted silver, the glass was painted white and the appropriate vinyls were applied.
The chrome trim on the outside around the front and along the nearside of the bus was cleaned up with a wire netting and refitted.
The washers were plumbed back in.
The electrics for the exterior lights were refurbished and replaced where necessary.
More Progress
On the weekend of the 9th & 10th of April Jason, Richard and Heather attended the garage and the following work was carried out:
* Offside windows refitted with new rubber * Exterior lights refurbished and refitted * Some electrical repairs * Near side windows removed for frame preparation and new rubber * Exterior trim cleaned and refitted * Southdown fleet names and NBC logo applied * Offside front wheel arch and brake drums refurbished
2 - 4 April - A step closer..............
As reported on our news page, Richard and Jason and Heather spent three days on carrying out a range of different jobs on 2210, taking a huge step closer to the project being completed.
Jobs carried out included:
* Rear Windows and number box window removed - new rubber fitted to windows and refitted * Final coat of leaf green paint applied * Rear lights refitted * Another coat of cream paint applied in the cab area * Offside windows removed to allow painting of window pans and new rubber - at least four windows refitted with new rubber * Front destination box and number windows refitted with new rubber * Front grill refitted including a new National Bus Company grille badge * Nearside wheel arches painted silver * Offside skirt panels refitted * Aluminium trim cleaned and prepared for refitting
Here are some pictures of the progress over the weekend.
Some more PPMmmmming
On Sunday 7th February some further work was carried out on PPM.
Jobs carried out over the weekend include:
Rear engine flaps refitted after refurbishment
The chassis around the rear brake chambers was rubbed down and repainted.
The rear brake chambers were refitted
Aluminium panels around the entrance and exit doors were spray painted in Grey primer
The front and rear nearside and front offside wheel hubs were painted in a top coat of NBC Grey.
The exit door panels were completely rubbed down and we are now in the early stages of applying the Green undercoat.
Hinges and locks on the rear engine flaps were also refurbished and painted
Every Possible Minute!
On Monday 25th January Jason and Dan spent the afternoon working on PPM.
Unfortunately, due to such damp weather the silver paint that we used to paint the nearside wheel arches last week has run. Because of this, the nearside wheel arches were both scraped and sanded right back in preparation for painting in the next few weeks.
Although the small step backwards, there was a little move forward today with the front offside and rear nearside wheel hubs both sanded and painted in their Green undercoat in preparation for the top coat of Grey.
If you're cold, you're not working hard enough!
Sunday 17 January 2016 was bitterly cold with snow getting closer to our doorstep throughout the day, but that didn't stop us getting some work done on PPM!
On this occasion we:
Removed the rear brake chambers for refurbishment
Refitted the overhauled front nearside shock absorber
Scraped paint off of the front offside wheel arch and rear nearside wheel hub
Painted the front and rear nearside wheel arches silver
Repaired the damaged panels around the Entrance and Exit doors
Painted the repaired panels in an undercoat
Overall, a very successful day!
No time for Christmas!
During December and January we have carried out a range of different tasks including: Over the weekends of December 27/28th and January 2nd & 3rd:
Refurbishment and necessary replacement of the front nearside brake drum, cylinder, hoses and parts.
The front nearside wheelarch and wheel hub were prepared for painting - The hub has now received its first undercoat.
A newly refurbished battery box cover was sourced, prepared and painted. This has now been fitted to the bus.
The small lower panels on the nearside were removed, repaired where necessary and repainted. These have now been refitted.
Chassis painting was completed with the last of the Grey paint being applied around the gearbox area.
The rear exit doors have received a full strip of paint and sanding in preparation to be repainted.
The length of wood that fits to the nearside of the bus at kerb level was taken off, repaired, sanded and painted. This is now ready to be refitted.
The front nearside shock absorber was removed for inspection and refurbishment.
The air filter housing was also refurbished and repainted.
All in all, we are rather happy with the progress we have made over the past month.
Next we plan to paint the exit doors with primer, continue with preparing the other wheel arches and hubs for painting as well as applying further Green to the nearside exterior.
Wheel hub and bearing refurbishment, painting and more painting!
On the weekend 28th and 29th November 2015 we attacked PPM having not worked on her since July.
It became apparent in recent exercises that the front nearside wheel bearing was defective. In view of this the wheel hub and bearing was removed, refurbished and re-fitted.
Also, the second to top layer of paint has been added to the nearside bodywork but we're not going to show you that as it's a secret! The final drop of paint for the chassis was the top layer of Grey around the engine bay which smartens it up from its old grubby look. Oh hang on, a tiny bit left around the gearbox. Green protector was applied today ready for the Grey next time! The cab area received a coat of cream paint whilst the inside of the front doors were returned to how the vehicle operated with Southdown, with Green inside doors. And lastly, PPM's bottom was re-fitted after being refurbished and I must say, it looks rather nice!
Further Chassis Refurbishment and Cab Area Renovation
Sunday 12th July 2015
More work was carried out on the chassis with the front nearside being painted in its top coat of Grey and the engine bay in rust protecting Green. Furthermore, Jason rubbed down and started painting around the entrance and cab area on board.
Final Paint Removed, New Panel's Fitted, Chassis Refurbishment and New Paint for 2210!
As you will have read on our news page, the weekend of 13/14 June as seen a lot of progress with PPM210G.
New panel's were fitted, the final remains of the old paintwork were removed, further chassis work and even the application of new undercoat to the nearside were just some of the things we achieved this weekend, Some pictures are below - she is beginning to look like a Southdown bus again !!!
Panel removal and yet more scraping of paint
Sunday 22nd March saw more progress with 2210. After being turned a couple of weeks ago, damaged panels were removed, a poor repair on the rear nearside was removed and new framework fitted. Some more old paint was removed from the roof and some rubbing down around windows was also carried out. After a break over the winter, progress is now being made but we still have a long way to go....
Painting...
Sunday 9th March 2015 PPM turned around for accessibility, scraping and re-panelling beings on roof coving and nearside.
Sunday 19th November 2014 Some more panels replaced, filled and painted on the offside.
Sunday 22nd June 2014 saw the first layer of top coat applied to the offside and front dome.
Saturday 3rd May 2014 the front windscreen surround, headlight panels and bumper all received a first layer of undercoat. Sunday 23rd March 2014 saw PPM being sanded down and another layer of undercoat applied to the offside and a first layer of gloss on to the rear. Pictures below show the evidence!
On Sunday 2nd March 2014 PPM saw a large amount of progress. Although scraping and rubbing down is still going on Richard began painting the first coat of green paint on the bus transforming the rather worn out body look to a stunning smooth surface. As per the slideshows below pictures of this process will be added as and when carried out, the pictures are displayed in date order.
Chassis overhaul
February 2015: Over the past few months work on PPM has slowed down due to other commitments and the winter weather. Work is to be resumed within the next few weeks.
Throughout October and November 2014 PPM received a huge amount of attention underneath. The air and water pipes were removed for refurbishment and replacement, the two air tanks were removed for refurbishment and the whole length of the chassis was hand painted.
One layer of undercoat and a layer of protective chassis paint meant that within just a few weekends she was in top condition.
Further Restoration
Saturday 26th April and Sunday 27th April 2014 saw the fitting of the dome, windscreen surround, rivet strips and front headlight panels after the wooden framework saw replacement. Some pictures have been added onto the end of the timeline.
Richard B, Mark and Daniel continued with scraping the roof of PPM on Sunday 23rd March where another two panels were completed. The pictures have been added below joining the collection.
Stripping the paint can be a very time costing job but in order to ensure the best outcome is possible we feel the job needs to be done properly! Below are some pictures of the various body work we have carried out on PPM. Pictures presented in date order.
The Engine Being Fitted
Sunday 22nd September 2013 saw the first lift of the engine into 210. She moved under her own power for the first time in ten years on Sunday 20th October 2013. Pictures presented in date order.
Hover over pictures at either end of the timeline to move along. Hover over the right hand side for the latest pictures.
Assessment Day
Monday 27th August 2013 saw restoration commence on the BH&D/Southdown Bristol RESL. The day gave us the chance to pull PPM out into the daylight and assess the bus for good and bad points! As well as this a quick clean up was carried out inside and out of the bus before returning back into her space in the shed in preparation for the engine to be fitted.
Hover over pictures at either end of the timeline to move along. Hover over the right hand side for the latest pictures.
210 to Hampshire for restoration
Monday 19th August 2013 saw the arrival of PPM210G to our collection. After leaving West Sussex at 18:30 she arrived under the tow trucks power at 22:30.
A closer inspection of the vehicle is due to take place within the next seven days. Once the inspection is complete work will begin in order to bring the old girl back to life. One of the first jobs is to fit an engine!
Arrival to 'main works' at 22:30 on Monday 19th August 2013.
The History of PPM 210G
8/68 New in red and cream fleet livery to Brighton, Hove & District Omnibus Company Ltd., Hove, East Sussex (210). 8/68 Allocated to Conway Street, Hove.
1/1/69 Acquired by Southdown Motor Services Ltd., Brighton, East Sussex (210) on taking over Brighton, Hove & District Omnibus Company Ltd. 1/1/69 Allocated to Conway Street, Hove. 6/69 Renumbered 2210. 9/5/74 Given white NBC-style Southdown fleetnames. 11/74 Painted in NBC green bus livery with white waistband, NBC logo and Southdown fleetnames. 6/75 Allocated to “Pool”. 3/76 Allocated to Portsmouth. 7/78 Painted in NBC green bus livery with white waistband and Southdown fleetnames and red white and blue NBC logos. 6/80 Overhauled, reupholstered (with yellow and brown striped moquette), and painted in NBC green bus livery with no white waistband, but with white Southdown fleetnames and red white and blue NBC logos, by CrosvilleMotor Services Ltd., Chester, Cheshire, on behalf of Southdown Motor Services Ltd. 31/10/81 Withdrawn.
28/5/82 Acquired by The Executors of A.O. Sherrin T/A Sherrin’s Coaches, Carhampton, Somerset. 5/82 Bus used to inaugurate a town service in Minehead. By 14/6/87 Painted cream with black skirt and red waistband with Sherrin’s fleetname.
8/88 Acquired by Somerwest World, Minehead, Somerset (holiday camp). 8/88 Painted white with blue and yellow stripes for use on courtesy services.
By 4/92 Acquired by P.J. Hembry, Keynsham, Avon, for preservation. By 7/93 Converted to B41D and painted in red and cream Brighton, Hove & District Omnibus Company Ltd. livery. 7/93P.J. Hembry moved to Hazelbury Bryan, Dorset. 1998 Loaned for short periods during 1998 as required to G.H. Cudlipp T/A Cudlipp Coaches, Sturminster Newton, Dorset.
12/00 Acquired by Brighton, Hove & District 210 Preservation Group, Brighton, East Sussex, for preservation.
19/8/13 Acquired by Hampshire Bus & Coach Preservation Group, Winchester, Hampshire, for preservation.
Our thanks go to Robert Smith of Portsmouth for supplying us with such detailed history notes.