A former Southern Vectis bus has returned to the Island after 50 years on the mainland.
The 1953 Bristol double decker has joined the IW Bus and Coach Museum’s collection, having been donated by enthusiast and collector Derek Priddle.
The bus was towed from its former home in Surrey by Stag Lane Motors, who have worked closely with the Ryde-based bus museum for many years. Wightlink also provided the ferry crossings free of charge.
JDL 40 was sold by Southern Vectis in 1970 and achieved notoriety by overturning near Gatcombe in December 1954. Its 50 years on the mainland included use as site accommodation by a demolition contractor in Wales. When rescued by Derek Priddle in 1987, it was in use as a storage shed and temporary accommodation in Dyfed, Wales.
Southern Vectis purchases over 70 Bristol K type buses in the late 1940s and early 1950s, JDL 40 being one of them. It will be restored at the bus museum over a number of years in memory of member and benefactor John Reynolds of Binstead, who died in May 2019.
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