Bristol K5G 1944 with ECW Lowbridge Body
Reg no JVW 430
Eastern National Fleet No’s 3885, 1274, 2201
Engine: Gardner 5LW Diesel
Transmission: 4 speed manual
On 14 February 1944, JVW 430 carrying a new design of Eastern Coachworks Lowbridge Body was licenced for the road by Essex County Council. It was a combination of a pre-war chassis assembled during WW2 and a prototype post-war lowbridge body built at Erthlingborough near Northampton. For the first twelve months it toured England and Wales as a demonstrator vehicle before returning to Eastern National in Chelmsford, then to Bishops Stortford, Maldon before moving to Braintree in January 1956. Between March and June 1959 JVW 430 entered Central Works, Chelmsford for modifications to bring it in line with the rest of the double deck fleet. It then soldiered on at Braintree and was to finish its working life with Eastern National on contract work for the building of Bradwell Nuclear Power Station before being delicenced on October 3 1964. On 21 November 1964 JVW 430 was sold for preservation. A number of groups and individuals subsequently owned and carried out renovation work on JVW 430 before arriving at Canvey in 1988. It is now in need of major renovation before it can be used on the road again.
Please read the artical JVW 430 Returns Home written by one of our founder members Douglas Payne.
April 17th 2024, first time outside for 25 years, getting a wash and clean.
