Earlier this month, the partly reconstructed Olympic was pulled out into the April sunshine, so that the fantastic progress that has been made in the rebirth of this iconic bus could be shown off in the open air!
What an astonishing and amazing sight! A bus is starting to emerge again…
It was in April last year that the burnt-out wreck of FoKAB’s Leyland Olympic JAA 708 was transferred to the Scottish Vintage Bus Museum at Lathalmond, so that the renowned bus restorer Andrew Crockett could get to work on recreating this famous vehicle.
By the end of the summer, Andrew and his team had taken the warped and twisted vehicle apart, enabling them to assess what could be reused and what needed to be replaced. The work of reconstruction started. “It is like a giant-sized Meccano set”, said FoKAB’s Chairman, James Freeman, and thanks to the original drawings, Andrew could start getting everything he needed fabricated, and then he could start putting it all together.
Slowly, the structure grew, and by the turn of the year, rebuilt axles and many other parts had been added, so that in January, the bus was back standing on its wheels.
Since then, Andrew has made astonishing progress, as can be seen from the photographs supplied by Phil Gilbert. The floor level frame is complete, and the side structure is well on the way to window height all around. Already 708 looks like a bus!
The full programme is three years long, and the roll-out marks the beginning of Year 2, absolutely on time and on budget. 2026 should see more impressive progress as King Alfred’s Olympic really starts to emerge again.
The public will get the chance to examine progress when the Olympic is on display at the Scottish Vintage Bus Museum’s Open Weekend on 22/23 August. “That will certainly be a proud moment” comments Andrew Crockett.
Meanwhile, fund-raising continues, and the Fund has now reached its halfway point, with £250,000 either spent or available to spend. “The next part of the process will be more and more rewarding as the bus comes together, and we hope that this will encourage people to dig deep in their pockets to help support this unusual project. We are hugely grateful to all those who have already contributed, whether £5 or £50,000 – everything helps”, says James Freeman.
In addition to the usual ways of contributing – by direct bank transfer or writing a cheque, people can now donate to the project through JustGiving.com, which makes it easier than ever to help this project.
FoKAB believes that this is the first time that a monocoque bus has effectively been rebuilt from scratch. To make sure it happens, please make your contributions to Friends of King Alfred Buses Sort Code 40-52-40 Account No 00009790 or send a cheque to us at 2 Highcroft Road, Winchester SO22 5GJ, visit FoKAB’s website www.kingalfredbuses.org.uk or go to JustGiving.com
Contributions can be made as a ‘one-off’ or monthly.
Whichever way you choose: thank you!
