ex UK Bristol VR "The Kings Coach"

[Ribble]

Last seen in the Dunedin area in 2010/11, this is the Mk3 VR Prototype bus.
ex Western National No 1078 ODV78M. NZ rego is RF2020

Known as "The Kings Coach" there were plans to return it to the UK by UK enthusiasts.

Can anyone confirm the location now of this bus or any other information about it.

Don

[kaiwhara]

Latest COF was in 2004, so its parked off the road somewhere, as it is issued with a current exemption lisence which expires on May 17 2012, indicating it is still in the country somewhere...

[Ribble]

Latest COF was in 2004, so its parked off the road somewhere, as it is issued with a current exemption lisence which expires on May 17 2012, indicating it is still in the country somewhere...

Last I was advised it was located "...near the Port in Dunedin..."

I had some email correspondence with a Bristol Enthusiast in the UK back in 2010, over who owned it, was it possible to repatriate it and "Where WAS Dunedin...and was there a Port close by"....!!!

At that stage it was still for sale on TradeMe at about $45,000 which was simply way too expensive for someone in the UK to buy and ship it back to the UK....It would be well over $NZ120,000 for that.......depending on Shipping Company.

So in the end WHERE IS IT now....????

[Tog]

I've seen a photo of it dated March 2011 with the location quoted as the 'Evansdale Cheese factory on the A1', which on Googling appears to be in Hawksbury, around 25 miles north of Dunedin. It was looking a bit shabby.

[Ribble]

I've seen a photo of it dated March 2011 with the location quoted as the 'Evansdale Cheese factory on the A1', which on Googling appears to be in Hawksbury, around 25 miles north of Dunedin. It was looking a bit shabby.

OK.so its still in "the Dunedin area" then...???? Can anyone go see if passing etc ...????

I Think you mean SH1 and not A1....

Can you post the photo please...???

[Tog]

Photo copywrite Barry Wilkinson.

254. Bristol bus RF 2020 at the Evansdale Cheese factory on the A!..JPG (70.88 KiB) Viewed 3269 times

[Ribble]

OH DEAR...it does look in a bad way.....I assume that its 'secure' there but out in the open.

I dont know who the photographer.

I have passed on the information to Rob Sly in the UK ... he runs this site for VR's in NZ, plus all other Bristols.

http://bcv.robsly.com/nz.html

It looks like it was sold in 2011 as its now listed as

8/2011 Bountiful Blessings of Waikouaiti.

[Ribble]

I found a website...

http://www.assistnews.net/Stories/2006/s06100183.htm

This gives information about the owners.......

[Tog]

The story implies the vehicle has been owned by Bountiful Blessings since 2005 and my records have a date of 3/05. The photographer's name was cunningly put in the message; Barry Wilkinson, a visitor from the UK.

[Ribble]

The story implies the vehicle has been owned by Bountiful Blessings since 2005 and my records have a date of 3/05. The photographer's name was cunningly put in the message; Barry Wilkinson, a visitor from the UK.

HOW does the story imply ownershp since "2005"....I cant see a "2005"......!!! The bus has been ni the Mosgiel Christian Group ownership since coming to NZ (Kerygma) Bountiful Blessings seem to be part of the same overall organisation from their website....A Christian Group hoping to restore the bus and become a travelling Minisrty in NZ.

Thanks for assitance.

[Nutta]

HOW does the story imply ownershp since "2005"....I cant see a "2005"

The article is dated October 29 2006 and includes in the text that the bus "was bought from the charitable trust Kerygma by Almighty Administration - Bountiful Blessings Ltd last year" which would be 2005.

Since the last COF was 2004 predating this, it doesn't appear they have been able to get their mssion going. Someone I know saw it in a yard in Dunedin in May 2010 and was asked if they wanted to buy it, so it may be that it is someone elses posession, even if LTSA records have not been changed.

[Ribble]

The article is dated October 29 2006 and ..etc.

OK I see what you mean...(the website for the Christain Group??) .. I would agree that they dont seem to have been able to get their project going. That report of May 2010 seems to have been the last I heard, after I saw it at Cherry Farm in January 2010. The bus then was in a poor state body-wise, with rust all over although 'surface' and the interior seemed also a mess.

Kerrygma had the bus for sale for a LONG time at $45,000 in Mosgiel, and The Salvation Army looked at it before getting ex Ribble Olympian from the UK (I was involved with that)

Lets hope that in the end, it doesnt become a "rust bucket' sitting outside and uncared for, but at the price that it was for sale last, then I cant see anyone buying it as a possible Bus for Passenger use....and I believe that its classed in NZ as a "Truck" and not "Passenger" so that may have issues....

Its days could well be numbered by its state and current ownership.

I have passed on all the information to Rob Sly in the UK who collates Bristol information.

[Cordes Express]

Hi there, here are a couple of photos if the Kings Coach taken November last year. The photos belong to Brett Richardson from the Otago Heritage Bus Society...

The King's Crying Nov 5 2011 1.jpg

The King's Crying Nov 5 2011 2.jpg

The King's Crying Nov 5 2011 3.jpg

[Ribble]

OH DEAR.....!!!! How the mighty have fallen.....!!!! What a shame...

Id hope that the owners can at least get it inside somewhere before this Winter. A good waterblasting would assist surely.

Rob Sly in the UK advises me that the body is aluminium / wood...so maybe 'rust' of the body isnt too much of an issue......but what about the chassis......???