Lyme Bay Coaches - Behind the Scenes

05/03/2023

Success today with 519👍Batteries fitted, engine oil sorted, loose bits secured, electrics checked, air leak sorted, started and moved. Front o/s air bag needed now. Now I need a recovery truck! Thanks Sam for your help mate.

23/02/2022

Work on RSX 501M is continuing with many smaller jobs being completed. The bodywork has been prepared, leaky roof sealed, window rubbers attended to, boot lock replaced, diesel leak sorted, destination bulbs replaced and a list of further jobs made.

13/02/2022

Our 173 was woken from its slumber today after fitting new batteries. Due to other commitments and pressures, It hadn't been started/moved Since August last year. It instantly flew into life and everything (apart from the windscreen wipers) was working correctly. What a good old Volvo B10!!
👍🙂😎🚌 Further progress to follow ......
Thanks to Finley for the video clip.

13/02/2022

I know we have been very quiet for a while now .... but at last we have been able to get 501 in the shed and tackle some bodywork jobs prior to repainting. Progress photos to follow in the not too distant future. 👍😎

30/07/2021

Is anyone interested in helping with a light restoration/repainting/cleaning project? This is on one of our coaches which will not be part of the operational fleet and NOT used for hire or reward. Interested, successful enthusiasts will be given opportunities to go on trips to transport rallies and other bus related events. For more information please send us a private message. 👍😊

19/06/2021

A productive couple of hours spent today at our yard! Matt managed to unbolt and take out 4 more pairs of seats from 955 and Ed and Luke started bodywork preparation and rubbing down on 501 .... not to your standard, Grant Firmin, by any means, but we are giving it a go!👍😀

06/06/2021

Another busy couple of days and a productive afternoon with Matt, Pete, Luke and Edward at Lyme Bay Motor Coaches and Jeeves Chauffered Wedding Cars. Bedford Paramount, 73 hoovered out inside, pink Jaguar now up and running after an unfortunate incident involving water in the petrol tank!😱Coaches moved around in preparation for 173 to return from our friends at Oakley Coaches. Thank you Paul very much for your help. 👍 Lincoln Continental, Princess Rachel, started and given a much needed run after a long hibernation. Rach 😍 1952 Sunbeam Talbot now running well and in use again. It’s hard to believe that this car is 69 years Old now! General yard tidying and organising. Fingers crossed for further post lockdown progress very soon!
TEAM LBMC/JCWC 💪💪👍😎

Rach H***e
Paul Oakley

02/06/2021

We are always grateful for support and assistance from other operators of older vehicles, and have some great friends within the coaching industry. We are always happy to help others when we can.
Yesterday we were very pleased to pass on a set of Plaxton seats, which actually came out of 73, our Bedford YNT Plaxton Paramount. (We’ve now reseated 73 with newer style seats from our Premiere, 218.)
We advertised the original seats for sale as being solid but suitable for retrimming.
Luke and George from Royal Motorways arrived at our yard with suitable minibus to collect yesterday, and we are pleased to report that these seats are now going to aid the restoration and continued use of ex White Bus Services, Bedford YRQ/Plaxton Elite, KDT 281P.
It was great to meet such genuine coaching guys and we look forward to seeing you again and meeting KDT when she’s back on the road!

30/05/2021

Posted by Luke Freathy.

Busy day making the most of the weather by working on bits and bobs at the yard for LBMC and Jeeves Chauffeured Wedding Cars. 😄
We did do a bit more than just open up boot doors, as it may appear...

09/05/2021

More progress made today by Matt, Luke and Ed on 955 and 501. We have decided to give the Jonckheere a complete interior makeover with a set of matching seats and roof trim, new side panel carpet, refurbished dashboard and varnished wood window sills. 501’s seats had a good Hoover today and all the old sign writing has been removed prior to preparation work starting on the bodywork.

03/05/2021

Today at the yard - 3/5/21, 73 and 955 at rest and contemplating the future for Jurassic coast excursions .......

02/05/2021

Q: When is organised chaos not organised chaos?!😂
A: When certain LBMC team members decide to transform the interior of one of the coaches! 😂
Slow but sure progress .... watch this space!

29/04/2021

29/04/2021

We have a set of Plaxton “lollipop” seats for sale. They have been removed from a 1986 Paramount but would suit a Plaxton Supreme or Elite. They could really do with bring re trimmed as they’re quite worn and faded. Structurally they are sound and were in use until recently. Would be suitable for someone restoring a Plaxton coach from the late 1960s through to the mid 1980s. Offers around £250. Please call (01297) 552143 or send a message.

29/03/2021

“Good Night”

10/10/2020

🚌INFORMATION/ANNOUNCEMENT!

We have recently received a multitude of questions and requests, publicly and via private messages for information, mostly from the enthusiast fraternity. We have always tried to be “enthusiast friendly” and provide information when we can and we are usually happy to help. We are NOT, however obliged to give out details which are a security risk or potentially sensitive. In the case of our vehicles we feel strongly that to reveal locations of where they are based/stored is potentially risky from a security point of view.
There has been much speculation as to our future and as we have received requests for information from the public, clients and enthusiasts, we feel that the time is now right to clarify our current position.
The present time is unusual and difficult for everyone in the coach industry, and for a number of different reasons, depending on the particular business focus. Huge problems exist for operators running 1 or 2 coaches and those with 200 plus vehicles. Relatively recent and very established companies are experiencing severe operational and financial problems. Several have sadly been forced to close permanently. Although we are a relatively new operation, we are extremely fortunate to have good and trusted friends within the industry and this comes from our previous involvement in operating PSVs for a prolonged period of time in the South West of England.
Certain coaching friends are at the moment supporting us brilliantly, and we are very grateful for this assistance.
We are NOT closing down but have temporarily suspended our operations publicly until the new year. Our vehicles are currently being stored in several locations to keep them safe over the winter months. For several reasons, we have moved out of our original operating base and will not be returning there. A new base is currently being prepared and some of our vehicles will be moved there in the very near future.
Although we are not currently operating, a huge amount of work is going on behind the scenes with vehicle maintenance and preparation/restoration, getting our new base ready and working on our programme of tours and excursions for 2021. After a public survey we decided not to run seasonal excursions or Christmas shopping trips this year. The financial risk was too great and we felt it would not be viable.
We appreciated the support of everyone when we operated our tours and excursions during July, August and September and we look forward to providing an exciting selection of tours next year. Details will be posted as soon as we have finalised the details.
It is inevitable that there will be some vehicle changes within our small fleet, hence the advertisement below for our 218 - N218 HWX. Volvo/Plaxton Premiere.

We hope this clarifies our current position and provides a helpful explanation.

We wish everyone all the very best and thank you again for your support.

The LBMC Management - Myself, Derek, Matt, Matthew G, Luke and other members of our great team.

Edward Jacobs,
Proprietor/Operations Manager,
Lyme Bay Motor Coaches. LBMC.

***************************************
THIS VEHICLE IS NO LONGER FOR SALE.
FOR SALE ...
UNFINISHED PROJECT ...
We are regrettably selling our 1995 Volvo B10M with Plaxton Premiere body. Due to the current Coronavirus situation, we have had to change our plans. The coach will be sold as a running vehicle but with no seats as we are using them in another coach.
As we were rebuilding the rear end structure, we have already spent a lot of time stripping out the corroded sections, ready for new steel to be welded in. (See photos) As this process has already been done this would make an ideal racing car transporter or possibly a mobile home.
The coach was running and driving well and the engine is good. It can be driven away on trade plates.
If you have any questions or would like to make an appointment to view, please call Edward at Lyme Bay Motor Coaches on (01297) 441343 or mobile (07395) 539490.
PRICE: £1,150 (no VAT)
This coach was new to Wallace Arnold and may possibly be of interest to a preservationist or as a source of parts. She is too good to break really but in the present climate, unfortunately has to go.

04/10/2020

A gallery of recent pictures showing behind the scenes activities. Our team are always busy with something! 🤩👍

04/10/2020

Our 519 - G519 LWU seen today at Sedgemoor Services on the M5 and later at the M4 Magor Services in South Wales .... keeping good company with something just a little newer! 👍😊 Thanks to Matthew G, Matt W, Luke, Colette and Phil for their assistance this weekend.

Edward Jacobs
Operations Manager.

03/10/2020

Spot of vinyl removal today in beautiful beach weather. ⛱️
Other preparations also completed to ensure 519 is ready for its move!

29/09/2020

It’s caption competition time again!!!

This is Pete, our mechanic, checking out 519 prior to her journey at the weekend!👌👍😊🤭🤣

24/09/2020

We were so pleased to be able to help our good friends Tebzy and Pat yesterday when their new acquisition, OVL 494, a 1960 Bristol SC/ECW was driven all the way from Havant and stopped off with us at our Somerset heritage coach base on its way down into the depths of Cornwall. Tebzy wanted to split the journey over 2 days so we were able to provide a resting place for the bus overnight. What a beautiful old vehicle she is, new to Lincolnshire Road Car Company and at present looking fantastic in the livery of Brutonian of Somerset. Thank you also to our friend Adam from Taylor’s Coaches for helping with the arrangements. We hope you enjoy the photos taken at Podimore Services and at the yard.

05/09/2020

At LBMC, our service van has excellent visibility...! 🤣

30/08/2020

“Shhhhh!!!!
Not only are mysterious things happening to our staff .... but we are gearing up for our mysterious mystery tours! There’s also a mysterious fleet member ..... can’t say any more .... just yet!” 😂

27/08/2020

LBMC BEHIND THE SCENES UPDATE!!

27/08/2020

AJH 163A (XBW 242)
1963 AEC RELIANCE/ PLAXTON PANORAMA 51 SEATER.

As you may already know, our friend Steve Lester, rescued AJH 163A at the eleventh hour from being broken up for scrap and contacted Edward Jacobs our proprietor and operations manager Immediately. He had remembered that Edward had previously owned AJH when he was running ESJ Motor Coaches in Cornwall, so thought that he would like to know that she had reappeared!👌😀 Within days the deal had been done and AJH returned to Edward’s ownership, albeit with his newly established coach company, Lyme Bay Motor Coaches.

Edward, Derek, Trogg and Dave have now fully assessed the coach, and initial work on carefully removing rotten sections of the wood frame has begun. We are using, where we can, the old sections as templates for the new parts of the frame required. We are NOT going to pull everything apart, causing a disaster and almost impossible re-assembly!

Some work on the prop shaft has also taken place and this is presently removed pending further investigation. Although a very long way into the future before they can be fitted, a set of Plaxton seats has been sourced and are waiting to be collected from Scotland. ⭐️⭐️COULD ANYONE HELP WITH THIS? ⭐️⭐️££ will of course be paid! 👍😄

AJH was new to Chiltern Queens as XBW 242 and was sold to ESJ Motor Coaches in the early 1990’s. She stayed with ESJ until approx. 2007 when sold to the late Phil Platt. Since then AJH has been with Ron Greet and two subsequent owners who attempted, but never completed conversions into a mobile home. We are very excited about returning this beautiful classic coach to the road and Edward still can’t believe that he is now the owner (for the 2nd time!) of a vehicle he thought he would never ever see again!

LBMC will keep you updated with further progress reports. This is a fairly major restoration project which will be tackled little by little as and when time and finances allow.

When finished, AJH will be named to reflect part of her past history... Her new name has already been chosen but will not be made public until the restoration is completed and she is again back on the road. AJH will shortly have her own page. Watch this space for updates and new information.
Please can we ask that you respect AJH’s security and don’t ask for her storage location. We really appreciate your help with this.
Thank you for your interest. 👍😎

(4 more pictures added 28/8 showing AJH with Chiltern Queens, ESJ and how she is now.)

26/08/2020

We take our safety responsibilities very seriously at LBMC and have a customer friendly video for passengers to view at the start of their journey. For staff amusement, our Customer Assistant, Luke made his own highly funny version of this which really brightened our day!!
😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
Go Luke!! 👍

25/08/2020

A windy morning up on the hill preparing 173 for its tour tomorrow. :)
Ed is seen here cleaning the roof (definitely no hose related jokes had) whilst Matt and Luke set up new gadgets and prepared covid-safe tour arrangements.

‼️REMEMBER- There's still places on our scenic Weymouth & Portland day excursion tomorrow- see our main page! Lyme Bay Motor Coaches

20/08/2020

LBMC 173 - H173 DVM
VOLVO B10M / VAN HOOL T8 ALIZEE C55F.

17/08/2020

A selection of recent photos of members of our great team working on Coach 173 in readiness for our launch, which started last Friday with a staff and supporters mystery tour and continued on Saturday with the first of our Jurassic Coast excursions. 😄👍 We have also included some pictures taken during the first and second days of operation.

15/08/2020

Top driver Matt taking 173 through Lyme Regis narrows, on today's Jurassic Coast Day Coach Excursion from Kings Down Tail! 😀