The Fleet

	International Harvester SL, TH 1451. Body: Agenda Coachworks B20F TH1451 was new to Davies Brothers of Pencader in March 1931. The chassis, manufactured in Chicago, was imported by Evans Motors of Carmarthen and bodied, probably by Thomas & Thomas of Carmarthen, as a 20 seater bus. It was sold in 1933 and converted to a lorry for use on a farm in Laugharne. It was rescued for preservation by Davies Brothers at a farm auction in 1988, but following their closure in 1999 was purchased by Williams Coaches of Brecon where it was professionally restored and fitted with the replica bus body you see today. Still owned by Williams Brothers and named "Doris", she now has pride of place in our display area. Thanks to Vernon Morgan for the historic information above.
	Leyland Tiger PS1, GTX 437. Body: Neath Coachworks B33F This beautiful single decker entered service as fleet number 37 with Llynfi Motor Services of Maesteg on 11th September 1947 and kitted out with a Massey Brothers of Wigan body. In late 1956 she was sent to Neath Coachworks of Cilfrew for repairs, but it was found that the body contained unseasoned timber and required complete replacement. The present body is therefore the work of local craftsmen, making this bus unique. It re-entered service on 4th June 1957 where it remained until retirement in 1971, at which point it was the last of its type running in South Wales. She entered preservation in 1972 with a private owner before being placed in the care of Swansea Museum, from where she has been placed on display with us. In 2022 she underwent repairs to the cooling system and celebrated her 75th birthday at a special running event.
	London Transport AEC RT (Regent III), RT227, HLW214. Chassis: CU1103, Body: 1476 RT227 had a comparatively short life with London Transport. Delivered in November 1947 to garage TC (Croydon, short for “Tilling Croydon”), 227 worked on routes 115, 130 and 197 where it stayed until withdrawal when it was sold to Birds (Stratford upon Avon) in April 1959. The same month RT227 was purchased by Warners Motors (then Warner Fairfax/Warner Bus and Coach) where platform doors were fitted. Doors were fitted as works services or Smiths Industries employees had complained. 227 was painted green by Warners then sold after withdrawal in July 1973 to a group of young enthusiasts who dismantled a lot of the bus before the RT1702 Preservation Society based at TL (Catford, originally used by Tilling for “Tilling Lewisham”) purchased it for spares but decided to rebuild it. During this time it was parked at PR (Poplar) till transfer to TL a few years later. In 2004 the group decided to sell RT227 to a private owner for continued preservation. 227 appeared at various shows before going into storage in 2011. It was purchased in May 2023 by three members of the museum. Having undergone a mechanical overhaul, RT227 is now fully roadworthy and is currently (Jan 2025) being professionally repainted back into its original red livery. RT227 is believed to be one of only three RTs with their original bodies.
	Bedford OB, FUT 58, Body: Duple C29 New to Pole of Syston, Leicestershire in March 1950. It saw subsequent service with Eagle of Castle Acre in the 1970s before being retired for preservation in 1978.Still a runner, It was stored at the museum by a private owner, who purchased it in 2006, before passing into the museum's ownership in 2023.
	AEC Regent V MD3RV, MCY 407. Fleet no. 447. Engine AV470, 7.75 litre. Body MCW Orion H33/26R One of 20 (440-459) delivered new to SWT in Dec 1955, the first 10 being highbridge, the remainder lowbridge 56 seaters. It's one of four highbridge versions fitted with platform doors, the others being 441/2/4. Being the tenth Regent V ever made, 447 is the oldest survivor. 447 worked on the Llanelli town service until its disposal in early 1967. After a short time with Whippet of Huntingdon, it moved to Charlton-on-Otmoor Motor Services near Oxford in November 1968. Having returned to South Wales in 1978 it changed hands twice before being acquired by the 447 group in 1982. After much restoration she passed the MOT in February 1989. During the 1990s it ran a visitor service around Pembrey Country Park, near Llanelli. 447 was acquired by us in June 2010 and thanks to the hard work of Alan West underwent a major restoration that was completed in October 2015, just ahead of its 60th birthday. A replacement low-mileage engine was fitted during 2020. This bus is licensed for private hire - please phone us on 01792 732832 for further details.
	AEC Routemaster VLT 66. LT Fleet number RM66 New in November 1959 and initially based at Poplar garage, VLT 66 went on to a further 13 garages before being withdrawn and sold in July 1987. It was converted at Lamming of Coulsdon into a single-deck tow bus/engineering support vehicle. However, weighing in at 5 tons, it was deemed too light for serious towing and was sold to Allmey's of Eastcote in 1990 then BTS Coaches in 1994. In 1996 it was acquired from Ripley of Carlton by the 447 Preservation Group of Llanelli. 66 was purchased by a consortium of our members in 2010 and is now fully restored, frequently appearing at rallies at which it doubles as a 4 bed camper van.
	AEC Routemaster WLT 308. LT Fleet number RM308 New to London Transport's West Ham garage in June 1960, RM308 was withdrawn at Tottenham in February 1985 and purchased by JCB Highway of Uttoxeter in April 1985. Following use as a publicity vehicle for Singapore Airlines, it passed into preservation and was kept at a farm in Northamptonshire. Since being re-homed at the museum, RM308 has been painstakingly restored to its original condition, with major interior upper deck refurbishment completed in early 2014. RM308 is a rare vehicle in the Routemaster world due to having been reunited with its original body during its last overhaul in service.
	Guy Arab IV, YTH 815. Body: Massey 2459 L31/28RD New to Rees and Williams of Tycroes in 1962, this is one of two such buses they owned; the other being UTH 78, bought in January 1960. 815 has a Johannesburg-style front which was unusual in South Wales, the only others being Roe-bodied Guys belonging to Pontypridd Urban District Council. In the late 1970s it was sold to Warstone Motors of Great Wyrley, Staffs for use in their Green Bus Service. Around 1993 it was sold on for preservation to the 447 Group based in Pembrey Country Park, Carmarthenshire. However it become vandalised in a poorly-secured former munitions tunnel where it languished before being sold to a private owner in Swansea in 2010. In 2017 815 transferred to the Cardiff Transport Preservation Group in Barry, from where it was purchased by us in December 2021.
	AEC Regent V 2D3RA, 11 BWN, Fleet No. 571. Body: Willowbrook H39/32F. Engine AV 590, 9.6-litre 571 was one of a batch of 24 Willowbrook-bodied AEC Regent Vs delivered to South Wales Transport in April 1962 and assigned to the Brunswick depot. In 1972 she gained a distinctive and very memorable livery as a pub carrying advertising for Truman’s Beers. This much photographed livery remained a part of Swansea life until early 1974. 571 was taken out of service towards the end of that year and stored at Port Talbot along with 566 and 569. Before the scrap man was allowed to collect them they were taken back to Ravenhill where they were smartened up and repainted into NBC livery before re-entering service in early 1975. In 1979, South Wales Transport restored 571 as a show bus, attending rallies in Bristol, Southampton and, more locally, Singleton Park. With the privatisation of the bus industry looming, she was acquired by the Lower Swansea Valley Railway Group for fundraising purposes. Later in the 1980s she was sold out of preservation and languished in the open in North Wales. Once again she dodged the scrap man and was bought by a group of enthusiasts in Swansea who restored her for the second time. More recently she was stored at the former fire engine museum at Gorseinon before passing to Pic Up Spares. 571 was purchased by the museum in June 2021 and has undergone a major structural overhaul and repaint. As of December 2024 the interior is being refurbished in preparation for a return to the road in the first half of 2025.
	AEC Regent V 2D3RA, 282 DWN, Fleet number 38, Body: Roe B37F New in 1963, SWT fleet no 38 is the sole survivor of only eight such buses which were specially designed to pass under low rail bridges in the New Dock area of Llanelli, one of which had just 9ft clearance. It formed part of a batch of six (35-40) bought to replace the 1950 batch of Regal III models as well as supplement another two, 33 and 34 (TCY101/2) purchased in 1959. 38 was withdrawn in 1972 and sold to Bedlington & District in Northumberland before being bought by the West Yorkshire Transport Circle. The National Museum of Wales acquired the bus in the late 1980s with SWT restoring it for display. It was for a time loaned to the 447 group of Llanelli, before being been stored at Nantgarw for many years with the engine removed. 38 was donated to Swansea Bus Museum in April 2011, complete with two engines, a gearbox and many spares. Following what was at times was a very frustrating restoration, 38 passed the MOT test on May 10th 2013. In September 2013 she underwent replacement of damaged body panels and a full external repaint. In April 2015, a major refurbishment of the interior was completed and a fresh MOT obtained. A replacement cylinder head gasket was fitted in 2019. .
	AEC Regent V 154 FCY. Fleet number 586. Body: Willowbrook. Seats: 71. Engine AV 590, 9.6-litre. 586 was new to SWT in 1963, operating from Ravenhill and Brunswick garages in Swansea. After withdrawal it was sold to Cottage Garage in Llanelli, who used it as an office and mobile advert. It was originally purchased for preservation in 1989 by Andrew Gibb who repainted it into the SWT colours it is in today. 586 is now part of the Swansea Bus Museum collection. A new clutch was fitted in 2017 along with some rear panel replacement during 2018. During 2023 remedial work was completed on the fuel system.
	AEC Reliance 2MU3RA5072, ABO 147B. Engine AEC AV470, 7.75L. Body: Harrington Grenadier 2906 C36F New to Western Welsh with fleet number 147 in March 1964. 147 subsequently saw service with Greenslades of Exeter (1971), M.K.Rowe of Cornwall (!975) and Willis of Bodmin (1976). Restored into original Western Welsh livery in the early 1990s by brothers Rob & Chris Gibbons. She then passed through several preservations until passing to Gibbons Coach Holidays in 2016. She was purchased on behalf of the museum in November 2022 and will be taking on private hire duties during the second half of 2024.
	AEC Regent V 423 HCY. Fleet number 590. Engine AEC AV691, 11.3L. Body: Weymann H39/32F M1467 The AEC Regent V was SWT's standard double-deck chassis throughout the 1960s, although this 1964 batch was unusual since 3 different styles of bodywork were purchased. 590 was one of 9 fitted with Weymann bodies. This bus operated mainly in the Llanelli area until being withdrawn in 1980. After serving as an exhibition bus for Flyaway Ltd, it was sold to a Peugeot dealer in Loughor for promotional purposes. Restoration by its present owner commenced in 2007 and was completed in May 2010, with 590 now restored to its original 1964 SWT livery.
	AEC Regent V 2D3RA, GWN 867E. Body: 27' Willowbrook H37/27F. Fleet no. 639. New in January 1967 as fleet number 639 (renumbered to 839 in 1970, then 889 in 1977) and part of the last batch of Regents purchased by South Wales Transport. Due to falling passenger numbers SWT in 1965 standardised on these shorter 27'6" (8.5m) 64-seat buses rather than the earlier 30' (9m) 71 seaters. For this reason 639 was one of several retained in later life to navigate the tight corner alongside the Plough & Harrow pub in Murton and the very last SWT Regent V to run at a farewell event in February 27th 1982, the last day of AEC Regent operation by SWT. 639 was sold (along with 636) to the Pembrokeshire Agricultural Society for use as a mobile judging and commentary box on the showground at Withybush, near Haverfordwest. It was purchased by the museum and following a great deal of restoration successfully gained an MOT certificate in time for the running day marking the 30th anniversary, in February 2012, of the withdrawal of the last Regent Vs by SWT. 639 has been restored in SWT pre-NBC livery and is licensed for private hire. Please phone us on 01792 732832 for further details.
	AEC Reliance 6MU3R, KKG 215F. Body: Marshall DP41F. Engine: AV505 New, as part of a batch of 15, to Western Welsh on Sept 1st 1967 in blue and ivory livery. Transferred to South Wales Transport in 1972 when the Neath Abbey depot came under their control. Upon withdrawal on Jan 1st 1979, 215, as well as 2 others of the same batch (204 and 209), was converted into a yellow towing vehicle, and in 1991 transferred to the Brewers fleet in Port Talbot. 215 first entered preservation in 1994 and is part-prepared for return to its original 1967-1971 livery.
	Leyland National Mark 1, JTH 756P This Leyland 510-engined National was new to SWT Brunswick depot in 1975, seeing subsequent service in Llanelli before passing to Solent Blue Line and Cowdrey of Gosport by 1991. Its final lease of service life was across the Bristol Channel at Grenville College, Bideford. From there it was swiftly acquired by dealer, Martin Perry, Bromyard and then purchased by the Group within the same week. 756 is progressing through a major overhaul and repaint in preparation for a return to the road.
	Bristol VRT, MOD 571P. Chassis: VRT/SL3/1457. Engine: Gardner 6LXB. Body: ECW O43/32F Originally a hard top bus (H43/32F), 571 was new to Western National Omnibus Co Ltd in May 1976, carrying Devon General branding. Following the break-up of Western National in 1983, 571 remained with Devon General until 1987 when it was put up for sale by Green’s, a dealer in Weymouth. It was purchased by Western National Ltd - a different entity from the original owner, operating solely in Cornwall & Plymouth. 571 was purchased for spares by People’s Provincial in April 1993 but entered service due to its good condition. It was converted to its present open top layout in 1995. Following First’s acquisition of the company in 1999 it remained in the First Hampshire & Dorset fleet, operating open top services to Portland Bill until April 2011, when it transferred to First Cymru as fleet number 39971. It operated a service between Swansea and Limeslade during the summers of 2011 and 2012. Following a decision not to run the service in 2013, it was kept in storage at Pontardawe and donated in April 2014 in recognition of Peter Nedin's retirement from First Cymru after 45 years service. MOD 571P was the last Bristol VR to be owned and operated by the FirstGroup, so its passing into preservation marked the end of an era.
	Bristol VR, RTH 931S. Chassis: VRT/SL3/1011. Engine: Leyland O501/Gardner 6LX. Body: Eastern Coachworks CO43/31F Delivered new to SWT in 1977 as a convertible bus with detachable roof. 931 was sold to Badgerline in in 1990 for use on the Bath City tour, with its Leyland engine being replaced with a Gardner 6LXB from a withdrawn bus (OWC 295K) in June 1992. Transferred to Penzance for the Penwith Tour route in 2003, then purchased for preservation in 2007. 931 was recently repainted into a BET crimson livery similar to that carried during SWT's 1989 75th anniversary celebration and, following a prolonged period off the road, gained a new MOT in May 2018.
	Bristol VRT WTH 961T. Chassis: VRT/SL3/1855. Engine: Gardner 6LXB. Body: ECW H43/31F New to SWT in 1979, 961 worked mainly from the Swansea and Pontardawe garages. In March 1980 it was one of six loaned to Crosville for new services in Crewe for which their new vehicles were not yet delivered. It was sold to Western National in 1990, operating in Devon & Cornwall until 2004. The original Leyland engine was replaced by Gardner 6LXB in 1993 and refurbished in 1999. 961 was bought for preservation in 2005 and is now fully operational, having been repainted back into its original NBC red livery. It gained a new MOT in February 2012 and featured in Bus & Coach Preservation's August 2012 issue. During the winter of 2018/9 she received some remedial attention to the paintwork with the front fog lamps being reinstated in autumn 2019.
	Bristol VRT, BEP 978V. Chassis: VRT/SL3/2299. Engine: Leyland O501 Body: ECW H43/31F 978 was new to the SWT Ravenhill depot in May 1980. In the run-up to SWT becoming privatised in 1987 it was one of the VRs that were kept in stock for an anticipated increase in passenger numbers. In reality it was used for "day" runs, such as school contracts and was allocated a sole dedicated driver. Later in life it transferred to Pontardawe from where it was withdrawn by First Cymru in July 2000 and stored at Tycroes. From there it was acquired by a private owner for preservation during 2003 before being purchased by the museum in 2005. Restoration of this highly original bus was completed in August 2014. The post-deregulation SWT green livery has been retained to complement the red NBC livery on sister vehicle 961. 978 was featured in the December 2016 of Bus & Coach Preservation magazine. Click on the photo for restoration pictures
	Bedford YMQ/S, LCY 299X. Body Lex Maxeta B37F New to South Wales Transport with fleet number 299 in January 1982. Five of these fully-automatic short Bedfords (LCYs 298-302X) were purchased to replace the soon-to-be-withdrawn 27ft AEC Regent Vs which had been retained to negotiate the very tight corner alongside the Plough and Harrow pub in Murton on the Swansea to Pennard Route 14 service. Realignment of the corner in late1984 enabled the use of regular buses, resulting in the five short Bedfords passing to Alder Valley (later rebranded as Bee Line) in Bracknell in return for 2 Bristol VRs. 299 was subsequently sold to Tillingbourne of Cranleigh, R&I Coaches of Middlesex (re-registered as RIB 7018), Yeoman's Canyon Travel of Hereford (re-registered as YLW 895X) and finally Dobson's of Northwich. After being taken out of service 299 was sold to a private owner in Swansea for preservation and regained the original LCY registration in 2013. 299 transferred to the Cardiff Transport Preservation Group in 2017 and was purchased by us in September 2021. Still in running order, she is now undergoing restoration.
	Leyland Tiger, NTH 263X. Body: Plaxton Viewmaster Express This rare-bodied Tiger was new to Vale of Llangollen Tours as GCA 126X in March 1982. It was later re-registered as 6052 VT then SNT 808X before being sold to Williams Brothers of Upper Tumble, near Llanelli, in April 1987. Between June 1987 and April 1996 it carried the registration of 7 WTJ before becoming NTH 263X until the end of service around 2006. She is currently awaiting restoration.
	Leyland Olympian, C903 FCY. Body: Eastern Coachworks H45/30F 903 was one of seven Olympians - the final batch of new SWT double deckers - delivered in September 1985 through a joint purchase agreement with the former West Glamorgan Council. For this reason 903 spent most of her working life based at the Ravenhill depot, although she transferred to Port Talbot in later life for contract work. Alongside Northern General, SWT was an early adopter of the Cummins L10 engine/Voith automatic gearbox combination and, with its high ratio rear axle and unrestricted engine, 903 was capable of 70mph on the motorway. Due to reliability problems, the original electronic destination panel was replaced by the traditional blind mechanism. Withdrawn in 2006, she passed to Chepstow Classic Buses where she was used predominantly on shuttle services, most notably for the Glastonbury Festival. She was repainted into an all-over blue in early 2008. Having been out of service since mid 2009, 903 was acquired by us in November 2012. As one of only six known Cummins/ECW Olympians in preservation, 903 has been restored and repainted into its original NBC Poppy Red. She returned to the road in Autumn 2019 following a major cylinder head overhaul. Click on the photo for restoration pictures
	Mercedes Benz L608D, D230 LCY. Body: Robin Hood B20F South Wales Transport had a passion for the Robin Hood-bodied Mercedes Benz L608D considering them to be very simple, low cost and incredibly robust vehicles. First registered on October 9, 1986, 20-seat Fleet No. 230 was one of the second batch delivered to the company. The vehicle entered service on October 26, 1986 as one of a number operating the popular ‘hail and ride’ Town Mini service at Neath. Having been withdrawn in 1997, mechanical restoration was completed by us in 2019 with the aim of getting her fully operational and completing yet another piece in the jigsaw of SWT history.

	Dennis Dart 9SDL, L501 HCY. Body: Plaxton Pointer B35F The first SWT Dennis Dart, new in October 1993, allocated fleet no. 501. Initially based at Ravenhill depot before moving to Llanelli,it later formed part of the Brewers fleet. Following service at Bridgend depot of First Cymru as fleet number 46501, it was taken out of service following a front end accident. The museum acquired the vehicle in January 2009. Restoration into its original green SWT livery is planned.
	Dennis Dart 9SDL, L766 DPE. Body: Wadham Stringer Winchester C39F (originally C37F) This coach-bodied Dennis Dart, registered in November 1993 was a demonstrator built by Wadham Stringer. Only one other of this type was produced following an order from a health board. 766 was later operated by Wealden Beeline in Kent before passing to Maidstone and District, who were later absorbed into the Arriva Group. Following an accident, it was repaired using East Lancs EL2000 split-screen front end due to the original one-piece windscreen being irreplaceable. Following service with Arriva on the Burton to Derby route among others, it was acquired by CT Coaches of Radstock, near Bath, where it remained in service on school contracts until 2024. This quirky-looking Dart entered preservation in February 2025 and is now owned by a member of the museum. A future repaint is planned. .
	Dennis Dart SFD, P137 TDL Body: UVG Urbanstar B43F This rare-bodied Dart, built on a step entrance chassis, was one of six delivered new to Wightbus (owned by Isle of Wight Council) in September 1996. It was subsequently owned by Ribble Valley Coaches and Bee Luxury Travel of Nottingham before passing to J.R.Dent Coaches of Lincolnshire in 2012. In February 2015 it bought by Stanways of Stoke for use on school contracts and general reserve work. Upon becoming surplus to requirement and prior to being advertised on eBay it was purchased for preservation by its current private owner and now resides with us. It's one of only 25 high floor Urbanstars ever built.
	Dennis Dart 9.2 SLF, P580 BTH. Body: Plaxton Pointer B31F This Dennis Dart was one of the first batch of the Super Low Floor (SLF) version supplied new to South Wales Transport in November 1996, and the last new bus painted in SWT/First green livery. Prior to being painted into First "Barbie" livery, 580 carried all over advertising for local radio staion "The Wave". Withdrawn from service and donated to the museum by First Cymru in October 2012,
	Volvo B10M, P339 VWR. Body: Plaxton C53F New to Wallace Arnold with a C50F body in May 1997. After a period with National Holidays it passed to Thomas of Llangadog where it remained in service until the company's closure in 2017. The seating was increased following removal of the toilet area
	Transbus Dart SLF CU53 APY. Body: Plaxton Pointer 2 B31F New to First Cymru in Swansea in November 2003, where it remained for most of its life except for 5 years sterling service on the Carmarthen Park and Ride until 2016. As one of the final First Cymru Darts in service, it was withdrawn in September 2022 and kindly donated to the museum in March 2023.