OAX 9F. A 1968 Bristol RELH with Leyland 600 engine & Eastern Coach Works body.
Visit our picture review of Ruby's 2024 rally season here >
Welcome Aboard!
This is the story of RED & WHITE Services Ltd and one of their classic British-built coaches new in 1968.
We call her Ruby. These are the companies that built her:
Ruby's chassis was built by Bristol Commercial Vehicles. She is an RELH - Rear Engine Long High frame. Finished 16 September 1967, she cost £3,358 (£/S/D).
Ruby's engine was built by Leyland Motors in August 1967. It's a O.600 type, 9.8-litre, 6-cylinder, direct injection diesel. Producing 130bhp at 2,200rpm.
Ruby's body was hand-built at Eastern Coach Works (Lowestoft) in January 1968. Completed on 10 February that year, she cost £3,600. See details below.
"Without doubt, the greatest pleasure of a Leyland-engined Bristol RE is the noise!"
How did Ruby's bare chassis travel the 245-miles from the Bristol Commercial Vehicle factory to the Eastern Coach Works (ECW) factory in Lowestoft?
Tens of thousands of new Bristol bus & coach chassis made this road trip as their first run.
Yes, the chassis were actually driven (usually overnight) by brave chaps who had little protection. Just a thin canvas in front of them and many layers of warm clothing!
They were issued with leather caps, goggles and thick leather jackets.
It must have been a cold, noisy and bumpy journey.
Luxury travel, Sixties style
Ruby's luxury interior had:
- 47 leather-trimmed seats, with arm rests, ashtrays & footrests*;
- individual fluorescent reading lights;
- forced-air ventilation;
- opening sky-lights;
- floor-mounted heaters;
- electric power doors, and
- a red aisle carpet.
* Current spec has been changed during restoration.
From 1963 to 1970, Eastern Coach Works built 413 bodies on Bristol RELH chassis like Ruby.
For details of the number of these coaches delivered to new each operator click here >
RED & WHITE received Ruby on 5 March 1968.
Two days later they registered her (in Monmouthshire) as
OAX 9F
with fleet number:
RC.968
RED & WHITE bought 3 batches of Bristol RELH / ECW mk-1 coaches:
- eleven in 1966, registered: GWO 1D to 11D;
- ten in 1968, registered: OAX 1F to 10F;
- eleven in 1969, registered: SAX 1G to 11G.
Initially, Ruby was based at Aberdare garage, but soon transferred to Tredegar, from where she worked for 12 years. She also worked short periods from Chepstow and Monmouth.
In 1974 Ruby was painted into the National Bus Company all-over white NATIONAL coach livery. In 1979 she was down-graded to a dual-purpose bus and painted half poppy-red and white. She then ran limited-stop routes from South Wales valleys into Cardiff & Newport.
Ruby was withdrawn by National Welsh in July 1983 after 15-years service. Between 1968 and 1983 a great deal of economic, industrial and social changes took place.
Ruby
was bought for preservation in September 1983 and has had
6 owners since
>
She’s now unique - the only fully operational Bristol RELH / ECW mk-1 body fitted with a Leyland O.600 engine. Similar coach (SAX 1G) survives, but has not been roadworthy for over 30-years. Ruby is also the oldest surviving RELH-4 (with chassis number 111).
Over the last 10 years a lot of restoration work has been undertaken and work is ongoing!
Why Ruby?
The chassis of our coach was completed in September 1967 - which was known as the "summer of love" (due to the hippy festivals that year). Our coach was bought by a company whose name and livery include red. So, we named her Ruby (after the red gemstone associated with love). Oh and yes, we do love her too!
Thanks for visiting our website. Jonathan
&
Ruby.
RED & WHITE Services Ltd was a bus and coach operator (based in Chepstow). They ran a dense network of bus services across the Forest of Dean, Monmouthshire, the Glamorgan & Gwent valleys from 1929 to 1978.
RED & WHITE were also main participants in the Associated Motorways express coach service consortium. Their coaches could be seen as far afield as Blackpool, Brighton, London, Nottingham & Paignton.
RED & WHITE became a subsidiary of the NATIONAL Bus Company on 1st January 1969. In April 1978 the fleet name disappeared (when National Welsh was created). Red & White returned for a while in the 1990's, and survives today.
Ruby operated Associated Motorways express coach services. Her main routes were:
- South Wales valleys towns - Cheltenham Coach Station;
- Swansea - Cheltenham Coach Station;
- Cardiff – London (Victoria Coach Station).
On summer weekends she was used on holiday express services to seaside resorts like: Blackpool, Bournemouth, Brighton, Minehead, Paignton and Weymouth.
In 1974 Associated Motorways was re-branded NATIONAL Travel, becoming NATIONAL EXPRESS in 1980.
See her
destination blind >
Read more >
REjoice in the ride
Enjoy more of Ruby on YouTube
RED & WHITE
magazine
LIMITED EDITION
16-page, full colour A4-size glossy magazine about Ruby (front cover shown).
It gives details of the companies that built her; the companies she operated for; the routes she used to run and information about her restoration. Includes original Bristol RE LH chassis drawing from 1966.
just £2.50
( 2nd class postage in a hard tube costs an extra £2.20 ).
Please email: info@redandwhitebus.com to order a brochure.
Payment by Paypal please.
Proceeds go towards the upkeep of Ruby . Thanks!
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