New To: Nottingham City Transport

Chassis: AEC Renown 3B3RA125

Body: Weymann M1487 H40/30F

Status: Awaiting Restoration

366 was delivered new to Nottingham City Transport in April 1965 as part of a batch of 35 similar vehicles. It is built on an AEC Renown chassis, a low-height design intended to reduce the overall height of the vehicle while retaining double-deck capacity. The type was also notable for its air suspension on the rear axle, a relatively advanced feature for the period which provided improved ride quality.

The chassis is fitted with Weymann double-deck bodywork, seating 40 passengers upstairs and 30 downstairs, giving a total capacity of 70.

366 was withdrawn from service in 1976. Its relatively short service life with Nottingham was largely due to the rapid advancement of one-man operation, which favoured rear-engined vehicles better suited to driver-only working. Following withdrawal, the vehicle was sold to Ensigns, the well-known bus and coach dealer, who in turn sold it to Kirkbys Coaches of Bexleyheath. Kirkbys operated the bus until 1980, after which it made its way to the yard of Denyer Brothers of Stondon Massey. Although 366 was never operated by Denyer Brothers, it was stored in their yard with its engine earmarked for sale to another operator. Fortunately, this proposed engine removal never took place, helping to preserve the vehicle’s mechanical integrity.

For the next 36 years, 366 stood in the open, exposed to the elements and steadily deteriorating. The vehicle was eventually acquired by us in June 2016 and transported to Hucknall. As can be seen, 366 will require an enormous amount of time, effort and financial investment to return it to its former glory.

The AEC Renowns were themselves an unusual purchase for Nottingham. In the preceding years, the corporation had favoured rear-engined buses more suited to the transition towards one-man operation. The Renown chassis was rare in its own right, with only around 250 examples built, of which Nottingham purchased 42 in total. Today, 366 represents not only a significant restoration challenge, but also an important survivor from a brief and distinctive chapter in Nottingham’s fleet history.