Bus Preservation Notes

Bus preservation articles taken from newspapers and magazines.

The following article has been reproduced from the Sunderland Echo newspaper, dated Wednesday 29th August 2007.

Photo: Economic bus preservation

Photo: Back Home: An Economic bus arrived back in Seaburn with former Sunderland residents Robin Hawdon and his father Wilf. Photo by Tony Colling reproduced from the Sunderland Echo newspaper, dated Wednesday 29th August 2007.

A once-familar sight made a welcome return to Wearside, thanks to a vintage bus enthusiast.

The distinctive cream and maroon Economic buses ran between Park Lane in Sunderland along the coast to South Shields for almost a century. The last passengers disembarked in January 1975 when the Whitburn-based company was taken over by Tyne and Wear PTE.

Bus enthusiast Robin Hawdon, from Lincolnshire, is the proud owner of an Economic bus which was driven by his great-uncle Geoff Spain in 1962 and the 40 year old haulage company owner made the return journey on the bus to Wearside for the first time in 25 years.

Robin, originally from Fulwell, and the 1962 AEC Reliance bus made the painstaking journey up to Seaburn for a vintage vehicle rally on August bank holiday Monday. With a top speed of 40 mph, Robin said that the trip took five hours. His son, Samuel, 13, who shares his dad’s obsession, also made the trip.

Robin said: “It’s fanastic to get the bus back on its home ground. I acquired it two years ago from a fellow enthusiast and it was in fairly good condition. I’d say about 95 per cent fine.”

He added: “I have another ex-Economic bus which is going to take six years to get on the road. It’s a labour of love. You’d have to enjoy it or you’d lose your temper.”

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