RBC 345G a 1969 Bedford Twin-steer coach.

Here is some old video of another Bedford twin-steer coach owned by one of our group members.
RBC 345G is a 1969 VAL70 coach with Duple 'Viceroy 36' bodywork that was bought from Abbey Coachways of Selby in Yorkshire. It had been withdrawn from service and had stood in a yard unused for many years before it was transported by low loader down to the midlands a few years ago. Just before this video was made we managed to get the engine going again and it moved under it's own power for the first time in years.
As you can see in the film it needed full restoration and a lot of time and money was spent on it afterwards, but the project has not been completed yet and the coach is stored away at present. I just hope this old 6 wheeler makes it back on the road in the near future as there are very few like this one left now.

Category:

Autos & Vehicles

Tags:

• Bus
• Coach
• Bedford_VAL
• Twin-Steer

[mabonmog]

may we have a video of the interior please ? The 36's with the orange skylights and wire racks and interior bulbs rather than flourescent made a much better travelling ambience ! Wessex of Bristol fan/expert/geek !!!

[red347]

@mabonmog The coach belongs to a friend of mine and is now stored away in a dark building so I cannot film the interior. It is also incomplete inside at the moment but it should be put back together sometime in the future. This coach has the wire luggage racks but it has flourescent lighting not tungsten like the earlier ones had.

[Canadasvt]

Is this like the bus in The Italian Job movie?

[red347]

@Canadasvt Yes, the style of bodywork is different to the one used in the film but it is the same make of chassis.

[albionreiver2]

I love the look of these Duple vals, but i was told the Body is in very bad shape and was flexing when they was driving it about? is it still going well on the Restoration???

[red347]

@albionreiver2 It wasn't as bad as you were told. The back window came a bit loose while being driven over the rough farm ground as the rubber was perished but at least it stayed in place! A lot of work was done on the body a few years ago but then it was stored outside for a long period and the work was never completed so this has set it back a little. One day hopefully it will get done.

[leSaintLois]

Superbe !

J'aime beaucoup ce véhicule !

Regardez aussi mon autocar sur You tube :

Autocar Albatros C.B.M.

Saint-Lois

[albionreiver2]

Im glad to hear that.. -im not a bus fan -but i really like them -they are so 60's looking, i have a pic of one on my Flickr stream, Reiver re229.

[red347]

@piglood  Hehe, you're probably right!

[piglood]

If the blue people from Avatar designed a bus, it would look a lot like this!