Dundee Corporation Daimler CVG6 184 (ETS 964)
History
This Daimler CVG6 was delivered new to Dundee Corporation Transport in November 1955, fitted with MCW H36/28R rear entrance bodywork, and was part of a batch of 25 such buses, 180–204 (ETS 960–ETS 984), all of which were later converted to H37/28R.
These buses entered service on 27 November 1955 when they took over from the tramcars on the Blackness—City—Downfield service, and were the mainstay of this service until 1966, when new Daimler Fleetlines 35–54 (CYJ 835D–CYJ 854D) were bought for this service. At that point 180–204 became regular performers on other Dundee city services.
The Daimler CVG6 buses gave good reliable service to Dundee Corporation, with a total of 88 being purchased between 1955 and 1960. All but a handful of CVG6s, including 184, remained in service long after Tayside Regional Council took control in May 1975.
In order to make way for new Bristol VRs (including 204) the surviving members of this batch were renumbered in 1977, and ETS 964 briefly became 69 in May 1977 before being withdrawn in September of that year. After it was withdrawn it was decided by Tayside Regional Council to retain this vehicle for preservation, and it was restored to its original condition by the Council’s Transport Department. It emerged, fully restored, in 1981, and soon became a regular rally attender.
Preservation
When Tayside Public Transport Co. was set up as an arm’s length company in 1986, 184 passed into its ownership. During the mid-1990s it was given another restoration by members of TVVS; photos of this can be seen at the bottom of this page. The bus remained in the care of Travel Dundee and, after a period stored at G&N Wishart’s depot at Friockheim, it moved to the Scottish Vintage Bus Museum.
National Express Dundee decided in 2010 to donate the bus to TVVS. We are grateful to the company for this extremely generous gesture. Work is proceeding apace to return the bus to the road after a number of years of inactivity. New tyres have been bought and are ready to be fitted to the bus once the chassis has been prepared and painted. A dropped valve in the engine is receiving attention and the engine has been partly stripped and was recently removed from the bus for further attention. The intention is that the engine will be completely stripped and overhauled while this work is undertaken. A new rear window was required as the previous one had cracked, and with the glass out the opportunity has been taken to refurbish the frame and panelwork on the rear end of the bus.
