The Trust membership scheme currently has almost 300 members who share an interest in Ribble Motor Services and the work we do to preserve the company’s history. The annual subscription is £25 and members receive a full colour magazine four times a year as well as access to our members Facebook page and the chance to participate in our work.
You can apply for membership by completing the application form via the Contact Page
As well as supporting our overall aims members also have the chance to work directly with the Trust. A whole range of opportunities awaits – some members work regularly at our depot on vehicle preparation, regular maintenance and vehicle restoration. We have plenty of tasks for those with specific skills and those who help in a more general way. Others help out at events by conducting on the bus service, carrying out marshalling, talking to visitors. There’s plenty of enjoyment as well as hard work and a lot of satisfaction in helping a restoration project to completion or successfully delivering a major event.
If you would like to know more and possibly take a look around do get in touch.
1036 Harrington Cavalier
Reg: PCK 618
Chassis: Leyland Leopard L2T
Body: Harrington Cavalier C32F
Built: 1961
These coaches were introduced in 1961 to replace the 1953 Royal Tigers on extended tours. They had high quality interiors with 32 reclining seats whereas the later batch for express services had 41 seats. They also had air suspension which was unusual at the time and not repeated in any subsequent Ribble Leopard coaches. The tour coaches were only used in the summer months being delicensed in the winter. Most like 1036 were based at Aintree depot.
1036 was first registered on 29 May 1961 and withdrawn after the 1971 season. It went to Norths (dealer) , here Sherburn-in-Elmet in Feb 1972 soon passing to Regent Coaches of Redditch in May . They withdrew it in Feb 1974 and it was acquired in May 1974 by Jacksons Coaches of Chorley who used it until 1986 mainly on the Works Service from Chorley to British Nuclear Fuels plant at Salwick. In October 1987 it passed to Maypole Coaches who planned to restore it. However things did not progress and it was sold to a RVPT member in 1988.
For the next 10 years the vehicle owner almost single handedly overhauled all the chassis, axles, suspension, fitted new cross members and renewed much of the bodywork.
The vehicle then went to Preston Bus for repaint into Ribble ivory and red livery. The vehicle then came to the RVPT depot where work was completed on the interior. This was completed in 2009 and 1036 has been a front line vehicle since then.