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Buses saved after charity loses home

Jim Scott,North East and Cumbria and
Ed Hanson,in Cumbria
News imageBBC/Jim Scott Rachel Smith, who is wearing a black hoodie with the Northern National Restoration Group's logo on and a high visibility jacket, stands in front of one of the remaining vehicles in the collection. It is a green bus with the words 'Lime' printed on the front. BBC/Jim Scott
Rachel Smith said the team was using the buses to store years' worth of memorabilia after losing its base

A bus preservation charity which was made "homeless" after losing its depot has said it is "relieved" its vehicles have escaped being scrapped after finding new homes.

The Northern National Restoration Group (NNRG) left the former Sunderland Corporation Tramways power station, in Houghton-le-Spring, after the building was sold to new owners in December.

It was unable to secure funds to buy the building, and feared its fleet of nine buses, some up to 43 years old, faced being stripped for parts if a new home was not found.

However, NNRG has since donated three heritage vehicles to sites in Cumbria, West Midlands and the South coast, while the remaining six have gone into storage.

The Workington Transport Heritage Trust (WTHT) has acquired a 1998 double-decker from the group after being asked to step in.

"We saved it primarily to help...we're in a fortunate position to offer them that," said WTHT chairman Ian Dunn.

"It saves this era of vehicle, it's now preserved for future generations. Once they're scrapped they're gone, there's no coming back from that."

News imageEd Hanson/BBC Ian Dunn, chairman of Workington Transport Heritage Trust, is wearing a branded beanie hat and a black gilet. He is standing in front of a number of buses, including a yellow double-decker that has been donated by a Sunderland charity.Ed Hanson/BBC
A yellow double-decker bus has been donated to Workington Transport Heritage Trust

"We wanted to find a home where their futures were guaranteed," said Rachel Smith, vice-chairman at NNRG.

"We didn't want them to be broken up or spend their lives rotting away... we wanted to them to be back out and showcase what we were going to do with them."

The charity ran open days and day trips for care home residents and people with autism, which have now been suspended.

It has kept six vehicles, which are being temporarily stored in Shotton Colliery and near Shildon, in the hope the group finds a permanent home.

News imageBBC/Jim Scott Volunteers from the Northern National Restoration Group, each with different coloured hoodies, are looking unhappy after preparing to leave their base. In the background is one of their buses, which has a red front and is reflecting sunlight in its windscreen.BBC/Jim Scott
Volunteers on the final day of operation at the former base on Wearside

NNRG trustee Callum Bowes said he was "extremely grateful" for local businesses coming forward to allow them to store the vehicles, but was desperate to see a base return.

He said rainy conditions made storing buses outdoors problematic.

"Water can leak inside the vehicles, it can cause seats to be damaged, water gets into electrics, causing more problems than ever before," he said.

Despite no news of a new home, everybody remained determined to come back "bigger and better than before", he added.

News imageBBC/Jim Scott Callum Bowes, wearing a green hoodie and a yellow high visibility jacket, smiles. He is standing near a white former National Express coach, which has some dirt marks on the front of it after being transported to Shotton Colliery.BBC/Jim Scott
Callum Bowes said he was "grateful" the collection had found temporary homes, including in Shotton Colliery

The charity said it was working to secure a number of grants to help it buy back a base it could open to the public, to "show people how far the transport industry has come from 50 years to now".

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