New To: Trent Motor Traction Company Ltd (NBC)

Chassis: Leyland Atlantean AN68/1R 7601555

Original Body: Eastern Coach Works 22032 H43/31F

Current Body: Willowbrook H43/31F

Status: Awaiting Restoration

History

Delivered in July 1976 as part of a batch of seven similar vehicles, 571 was fitted with an Eastern Coach Works double-deck body, seating a total of 74 passengers – 43 upstairs and 31 downstairs. This batch of vehicles was delivered shortly before the Meadow Road Garage fire on the night of 23 July 1976. The fire destroyed forty buses and damaged a further twelve. 571, 573 and 577 were destroyed before they had even entered service. Unfortunately, 573 and 577 were deemed beyond salvage, but 571’s chassis was considered salvageable.

571 was dispatched to Willowbrook in Loughborough for a new body to be built upon the existing chassis. As this was only one vehicle, it didn’t warrant creating a whole new body design, so 571 gets its ‘Marmite’ looks from the use of leftover parts from previous orders – mainly the batch of Leyland Atlanteans built for Brighton. Many people say the roof dome looks a bit like an upturned boat hull due to its three ribbed sections. Despite their unusual appearance, these sections are crucial in keeping the internal and external roof dome panels in the correct position. The bus returned to Trent’s Meadow Road garage in Derby late in 1977 with its new body.

After returning to Trent, 571 spent a few months at Derby depot before being transferred to the much smaller Melbourne garage. Following Trent’s takeover of Barton Transport of Chilwell in 1990, 571 transferred to Barton and became its first double-decker for a number of years. It was based at Melton Mowbray garage, where it was mainly used on school contracts. Seven years later, 571 was replaced by displaced Leyland Olympians and sent to Langley Mill for a repaint into the Trent Buses red and cream livery. It was then sent back to its original garage at Meadow Road, where it worked a regular school contract but also appeared in normal service from time to time. It was withdrawn around the year 2000 and this rare vehicle was sold for preservation.

571 headed for the Transport Museum Wythall, near Birmingham, where it stayed for a while. The bus then passed into private preservation in South Wales, where it was stored in an old haunted nuclear bunker – during its time there, it actually featured in a television programme. It then passed to Swansea Bus Museum before returning to private preservation and eventually ending up with Nottingham Heritage Vehicles, the predecessor to NHVC, in 2010. We stripped the panels off and repaired and treated the framework before being approached by private preservationist Phil Towle, who wished to purchase the vehicle.

We agreed to sell 571 and Phil asked us to repanel the vehicle for him before he collected it. Sadly, he wasn’t prepared to pay for new aluminium to do so, which led to us using old straight panels from other vehicles in the collection. This, in turn, resulted in a somewhat patchwork-quilt appearance. 571 was rallied in this state for a few months before Phil and his team completed the remaining bodywork and painted 571 back into NBC Poppy Red.

In April 2019, Phil contacted us to advise that he was going to scrap the bus due to a knocking noise that had developed from the engine. After talking with Phil, it was decided that the best course of action was for the bus to come back to us, ensuring it was safe for the future. In April 2019, Burrows Recovery were hired to move 571 to our storage compound. The original intention was for the bus to be sent away to an outside workshop to have a replacement engine fitted. Sadly, this didn’t end up happening and the bus has remained in storage for the last seven years.

On Friday 18th September 2026, 571 was towed to our depot building by Crouch Recovery to allow recommissioning work to begin. This will be no quick or easy task by any means, but it is one that will certainly be worth completing in the long run.