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Pontypridd 8 visited Swansea for the Bus Museums open day at the end of October, the weather was cold and bright as can be seen in the photos. WW1370 and PTX830F also travelled along the A48 from Barry. No. 8 performed two timetabled runs during the day.

Mike November 3rd, 2018

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On Sunday 9th September, the Festival of Transport at Merthyr Tydfil Leisure Centre drew the visitors from many parts of The Valleys and some came from Swansea and Devon. Mike Taylor, the Chairman of the Cardiff Transport Preservation Group which organised the event said “It was a slightly mixed day weather wise but with enough sunny spells for us to run open top buses, we brought along several buses from our collection and these together with visitors saw over 40 heritage buses from the late 1940s up to the millennium. Nearly all the classic cars came along, on the day there were in the region 170 classic and more recent ones. It was good to see the 103 year old Model Ford T and some of the high performance models such as a Ferrari and Porsche. The cars of the1950s 1960s and 1970s made up many interesting vehicles. With sponsors bring new vehicles including hybrid powered there was something for everyone, and the free heritage bus services all did well. At the festival, a surprise visitor from the north was a 1949 built Leyland Titan PD2 open rear platform double decker that operated from 1949 for Todmorden J.O.C. of Calderdale, which served part of the West Yorkshire coalfield – their services ran to places like Rochdale. The Todmorden Joint Omnibus Board was unusual as it was run by a committee of the council and the railway from 1907 as the LMS up to BR in 1971. This was first time it had visited Wales. People attending the Festival could experience travel on a number of vehicles such the oldest were the half cab double decker’s as the orange and while 1960s Guy Arab V formerly with Cardiff, a blue and cream AEC Regent V from Pontypridd and a green and cream Leyland Titan from Caerphilly. Single decker’s and coaches also ran some of the longer trips using an late 1996 Cardiff Metrorider and later 2000 Dart. Jones International of Llandeilo who brought along their yellow coach helped out on trips to Rhymney Brewery. Mike Taylor, added “those that came were had a good day out with more at the show than last year. We would like to thank all those that came and to our sponsors, Merthyr Tydfil Leisure Trust, Stagecoach, Griffin Mill, Brecon Mountain Railway, Rhymney Brewery, 6060 and RT Williams”.

Mike September 10th, 2018

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August road run was around the Vale in PAX before stopping off for liquid refreshments, photo taken near Ogmore.

Mike August 19th, 2018

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Photos from the successful trip to Newport in our Leyland PDR1, this was the first time 68 went home since she limped out in 2006 to join the CTPG collection.

On Sunday 12th August we will be taking a trip to Corporation Road, Newport to visit Newport Bus depot, we will be leaving Broad Street on Newport 68 at 10am and returning mid afternoon, it is possible we can pick up in Cardiff central if there is enough interest. We will have a depot tour and a run in their Leyland PD2.

Please email to confirm your wish to come along, do not turn up at Newport separately as you will be refused entry.

Mike July 29th, 2018

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Our June & July road runs were undertaken with Cardiff buses both freshly painted, 258 ran into the Vale for a trip around Ogmore and a stop at the Red Lion and 434 performed well on a trip to Cardiff and return via Penarth and Sully to stop at the Cherry Orchard in Barry.

Mike July 29th, 2018

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The event attracted large numbers of classic and performance cars and other vehicles to the seaside town. Around 480 visiting vehicles turned up from a 1929 Armstrong Siddeley to the latest Mercedes and buses from the 1950s to the 1980s including double decker buses used on services to Lands End, a Fairford Airshow bus and a Scottish coach from the midlands. The day was especially warm and with large number of visitors even the beach looked really busy at times. The free heritage bus service operated an intensive timetable with four different open top buses proving ever popular.
Mike Taylor, for the organisers when asked how the day went, said “It was a very hot day for our visitors and our volunteers, we had a very busy event and we had lots of visitors travelling on our heritage buses. The day started very early with classic cars turning up two hours before the show started – and the main area allocated for cars soon filled, we had some interesting visiting vehicles not seen at Barry before. There were so may cars to see. One entry stood out for me was the small red Morris Minor Royal Mail van – a humble vehicle once seen by millions every day, now a distant memory. On the bus side we had some visitors coming some fair distance – including the West Country, the Midlands and Essex. We had a lot of first time visitors, and donations on the day will go to restoring our collection of Welsh buses. I want to thank all those that came and volunteered on the day, the Vale of Glamorgan Council and all the exhibitors making the day possible”.
On the restored bus front for the first time in preservation two former Cardiff Leyland Lynx a 1990 Mark 1 and a 1991 Mark 2; single deckers operated free trips, whilst just repainted was the ever popular 1964 Guy Arab V former Cardiff half cab open top bus, with thanks to help from Cardiff Bus.

The open top buses proved popular and four operated free trips during the day including a 1958 Bristol K, the 1964 Guy and two very different looking Bristol VRs, a 1976 Swansea Beach Bus that ran on the Gower. And our 1979 Cardiff bus fresh in its commemorative Corporation Tramway livery.
Visiting buses and coaches included modern vehicles from Cardiff Bus, Stagecoach, Edwards, Creigiau Travel and Henleys of Abertillery, whilst on the heritage side buses came from Newport, Swansea Bus Museum, Essex, Cheltenham, Gloucester, Bristol, Minehead and Wells, whilst the 1982 Scottish coach had come from the Midlands.
Some superb classic cars from the 1930s, to the 1950s were in the show. Car clubs dominated the entrants, and whilst the Glamorgan Car Club and Jaguar Enthusiasts continued to present their collection of truly Classic Cars supporting the many individuals bring a classic, there were others which appeal more to the younger visitor with specialist interests such as the South Wales Classic & Performance Club; Range Rover Cymru; South Wales XR Owners; the Welsh Mini Group and Vale Ford.

Mike June 13th, 2018

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Work continues on the rebuilding of our Leyland Leopard towbus back into original condition.

Mike May 23rd, 2018

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On Wednesday 16th May Pontypridd 8 performed a road run back into familiar territory on Treforest Industrial Estate where a short stop was made for passenger lubrication followed by a return via Llantrisant Road and Ely back to Barry.

Mike May 23rd, 2018

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On Sunday 12th August we will be travelling to Newport for a tour of their historic depot on Corporation Road, we hope to do this in Newport 68. Further details to be published once the arrangements are confirmed.

Mike May 10th, 2018

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The Cardiff Transport Preservation Group organised, with heritage coach owner Jonathan
Radley an interesting weekend for bus enthusiasts and Depot neighbours. On Saturday 28th April a convoy
of 14 heritage coaches and buses, some running from Cheltenham came to Barry and on
Sunday, free bus trips were run from The Bus Depot in Barry. For the volunteer charity
group they ran more services than initially planned, and visitors and locals alike made full
use of the fee trips, despite the unseasonal cold weather.
The group marked the anniversary, 40 years ago when the then state-owned National Bus
Company formed National Welsh, which became Wales largest bus company (by vehicles
and staff), and this included the depot, now a heritage centre at Barry.
Amongst the visiting convoy of heritage vehicles on the Saturday was a former 1968 Red &
White coach from Swindon and a 1964 Western Welsh coach from Kent, and both ran trips
from Barry and into the Vale on the Sunday. Additionally, a 1950s coach visited from
Coventry and a 1960s bus came over from Bristol.
Mike Taylor Chairman of the heritage bus restoration group said “It was a bit cold at times,
but we had planned for extra trips and they all ran, it stayed dry and we ran our
open top buses and it was noticeable the families with children had a good time.
As an Anniversary for an old local company 40 years ago it was good to see some
past employees, including the manager of Barry, Alf Elms who left 31 years ago.”
The day was saw a test run for a newly restored former Cardiff Leyland Lynx new in 1990
which will be a star attraction at the heritage groups big event on 10th June when classic cars
also come along to our Barry Festival of Transport.
Photos of ABO 145B by Chris Stewart, others by Steve Wren