Type of Vehicle - Coach
Year built/registered - 1966
Vehicle Description - Bristol MW6G with Eastern Coachworksbody and 6 cylinder Gardner 6HLW engine
Reg No. GRP 260D, Fleet No. 260
Livery/Operator - Currently in livery of Bucklands with United Counties fleetnames
One of three MW dual-purpose coaches bought new by United Counties (Nos 260-262). The coach entered service at Northampton in March 1966 but spent much of its’ operational life at Bedford where it is said to have been the prison bus – transporting prisoners who could be handcuffed to the seat handrails! In 1974 the coach was repainted into National white livery and two years later was transferred to Biggleswade depot and finally withdrawn at the beginning of 1978. The coach then passed through two dealers before being purchased by Turlin Moor Middle School at Hamworthy, Poole, Dorset in July 1978. By 1985 the coach had moved to nearby Bournemouth and the 130 (Bournemouth) ATC Squadron who used it for three years before it moved into private ownership. In 1989 it was purchased by Buckland Omnibus Company at Stoke-on-Trent and named Florence. It underwent some restoration, fitted with replacement seats from a Bristol RE coach and returned to passenger service. The company relocated to Woodbridge in June 1990 and 260 transferred there where it remained in service until purchased by the current owner in December 2022 and returned to Northamptonshire. The coach is now in the care of a member of Northampton Transport Heritage.
