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.
1161 Leyland Lion
Reg: CK 4518
Chassis: Leyland Lion LT2
Body: Leyland B30F
Built: 1931
The oldest restored bus in the collection was one of a batch of 63 which were fitted with 4 cylinder Leyland petrol engines. Many were sold by Ribble in 1940 when 1161 went to Wintour of London where it was used by the Ministry of War Transport for taking staff to munitions factories. By 1942 it was with Newbury & District who sold it on to Luff of Leatherhead in 1947. By 1949 it had been converted for use as a chalet near Bracknell. It then took root there (almost literally) until the millennium.
Having known of its existence for some time RVPT member Bill Ashcroft reached agreement to rescue it and move it to Lancashire. Over the next ten years Bill and his helpers carried out a complete restoration and the bus made its first public appearance in 2012. More work was carried out subsequently and it appeared at our Morecambe running day in 2014. The restoration work was carried out in one of the depots owned by Fishwick in Leyland but during 2014 Bill kindly offered to donate it to the Trust and it now resides in our depot. It is a remarkable survivor and plays an important part in the Ribble story. A full colour booklet telling the story of the bus and its restoration is available for £5 and anyone interested in having a copy is invited to contact us through the contact form on this site.