The Bus Inspectors

What does it take to restore, maintain and drive a vintage bus? The Bus Inspectors explore 'heritage' skills which must, themselves, be preserved if future generations are to experience bus history. Sam Carter from the London Transport Museum explains the museum's project to sustain heritage skills. Gerard Butler recalls the skills involved in driving 'crash' gearboxes and why groups like the Ribble Vehicle Preservation Trust are finding them hard to sustain. Jack Abbott and Matt Kitchin take us behind the scenes at Stagecoach Yorkshire's Chesterfield depot, where a collaborative restoration for The Museum of Transport, Greater Manchester is helping today's bus apprentices to learn skills from the past. Plus, there's inspiration from Kyra Hill at Heritage Skills Academy who explains how apprenticeships are keeping alive heritage skills in the world of classic cars. Presented by David Sheppard.

Will our preserved vehicles be cherished forever? The Bus Inspectors find out what happens to historic buses and coaches when they leave preservation and why there's no guarantee of a happy future. Preservationist James Pratt describes the realities of keeping old buses alive and the dilemma which led him to sell a bus he'd lovingly restored. Its current owner, Louis Richards, explains why he loves the bus for what it has become today - a café dedicated to the memory of his son. James Freeman from Friends of King Alfred Buses describes the tragic fire of 2023 which claimed seven preserved buses and the Friends' incredible project to rebuild one partial survivor, their 1950 Leyland Olympic. Plus, the 'ones that got away' - the buses and coaches we wish had made it to preservation. Presented by David Sheppard.

What does the future hold for our bus museums and collections? The Bus Inspectors uncover the challenges of preserving our modern bus history and hear why there are some gaps in our national collection. Katariina Mauranen, James Freeman and Maxson Goh talk about the transition from spanners to keyboards in the workshop, while Stefan Baguette from Alexander Dennis considers the preservation prospects for today's electric buses. Plus, highlights from the 1930s at Amberley Museum in Sussex and the 1910s at the London Transport Museum Depot at Acton as The Bus Inspectors continue their national grading project... and Tim Hedley-Jones from the Railway Heritage Trust provides a perspective on grading and the importance of prioritising our heritage. Presented by David Sheppard.

How important is heritage to today's bus industry? The Bus Inspectors are joined by Andrew Wickham and Anthony Delaine-Smith, two respected figures in contemporary bus operation, to discuss heritage fleets, brands and traditions, and what they mean to passengers and staff. We visit RM70 - the Routemaster's 70th Birthday celebrations - to find out how so many RMs have survived and which are the most important ones for continued preservation. Can they all live on forever? Plus, The Bus Inspectors meet preservationist Claire Fairbrother and her fleet of preserved Leyland Nationals to find out what makes each one special. Presented by David Sheppard.

Where would you keep a vintage bus? We follow the human journey of bus preservation from 1950s' teens with buses kept in old barns, to today's purpose-built transport museums. The Bus Inspectors meet Leon Daniels, Chairman of the London Bus Museum at Brooklands; pioneer bus preservationist Michael Dryhurst; and Dan Shears from the West of England Transport Collection. Plus, the latest on The Bus Inspectors' project to grade the nation's 10,000 vintage buses and coaches, with a visit to the collection of the Leicester Transport Heritage Trust. Presented by David Sheppard.

The UK boasts 10,000 historic buses and coaches, each with stories to tell - but can they all live on forever? The Bus Inspectors are joined by Peter, Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill and guests to discuss the appeal of vintage buses, the changing interest of younger generations and how grading the nation's historic buses and coaches can help to guide evolution. Presented by David Sheppard.

The Bus Inspectors are on their way, with a brand new podcast launching in February, Hear about their mission to grade the nation's 10,000 historic buses in our one-minute trailer.