The Roger Burdett collection

I imagine most bus enthusiasts will know the name of Roger Burdett as he is one of the country's leading preservationists and has a large collection of interesting vehicles that can often be seen at events. Yesterday I had the privilege of visiting his premises in Coventry thanks to my friends in the West Midlands area of the Model Bus Federation and it was a most enjoyable evening surrounded by fascinating vintage buses that was well worth the slightly fraught 50-mile journey through roadworks and rush-hour congestion.

Gentlemen, your carriage awaits. Coventry 244 ready to give enthusiastic MBF members a trip.

Roger owns around thirty vehicles and has a couple more on long-term loan from museums, most but not all of which are on site, some being out on loan or undergoing work elsewhere. In addition, a number of other vehicles are in residence, either stored or under restoration for other people, so there was plenty to see. The collection is very varied but there are two main themes: local buses from Midland Red and Coventry Transport, and obscure coaches of the forties and fifties. It was a welcome change for me to view a collection that doesn't include any of the London buses that so dominate the preservation scene; although an RF was present it was just visiting for that evening.

Just visiting. An RF is too common for Roger's tastes.

The collection includes coachwork from such little-known manufacturers as Whitson, Scottish Aviation, Metalcraft and Barnaby, on chassis that include Tilling-Stevens, Foden, Commer and Seddon, plus some of Midland Red's home-built products. The oldest vehicle dates from 1933 and the newest from 1971, and many of them are either unique or near-unique so it would be unlikely that you'd see another on the show scene. There are so many that they are crammed into the sheds nose-to-tail with just enough room to squeeze between them, so the majority were sadly impossible to photograph.

GOU 732 is the sole surviving post-war Tilling-Stevens. This photo was taken at a rally 17 years ago but Roger still has it tucked away at the back of his shed.

It was a very laid-back visit and Roger was happy to let us roam the site, take photos and climb aboard the vehicles for a look inside, and spent a lot of time talking knowledgeably about them with an appreciative audience. He even treated us to a ride around the local area on Coventry 244 (EVC 244), a 1940 Daimler COG5 single-decker with a Park Royal body. I was expecting a bone-shaking journey but was amazed at how solid and refined this 76-year old veteran is: it certainly shakes and rattles much less than modern buses and in Roger's expert hands the pre-selector gearbox gave very smooth changes.

Come FLY with me. Seddon V8 awesomeness.

Roger's policy is to keep the vehicles roadworthy as much as possible and he certainly isn't afraid of driving them long distances; he has a busy schedule of events coming up in locations as far apart as Glasgow, Ipswich and the Isle of Wight, so his vehicles can be seen all over the country. The majority are in running order but others are in various stages of restoration so there is always work for his team of helpers to do. The sheer scale of the work required on a bus is just mind-boggling compared with restoring a car, and to do it on just one vehicle would be a major undertaking so restoring so many is an incredible achievement.

Hang on, that's not a bus. This early Bedford TK is used for transporting parts.

A few of the more unusual coaches were fired up for our amusement. First was his newest vehicle (FLY 755J), one of two surviving Seddon Pennine IVs with front-mounted Perkins V8 engines, a fearsome-sounding beast with an apt registration as it is a real flying machine. This brought back a lot of memories for one friend, who used to travel to school on similar vehicles. Next came the unique Metalcraft-bodied Foden PVRF6 (NTU 125) with a two-stroke powerplant in the back, which quickly attracted the attention of the MBF's resident Foden expert.

Albion CAX 390 is the latest project, just delivered and not yet unloaded. Estimated completion early 2018.

Last but not least was WKJ 787, a Beadle-Commer integral coach with the bizarre TS3 engine, a horizontally-opposed two-stroke unit with three cylinders, six pistons and a big supercharger, which makes a frankly unearthly noise unlike anything I had ever heard before and certainly justifies its nickname of the 'Commer knocker'. These high-revving two-strokes require a very different driving style from the plodding Gardners, so it must take a bit of adjustment when switching from one vehicle to another in this diverse collection.

A Royal Blue Leyland? It's not the operator you think...

Most enthusiasts will associate the Royal Blue name with Bristol coaches used on express services in the west country, and these are well represented in Roger's collection, but few know of the other Royal Blue, a small independent based in Pytchley, Northants, who used the same livery. It was this company who in 1949 took delivery of my particular favourite, FNV 557. A Leyland PS2 with one of only two roadworthy Whitson bodies in the UK, this has a wonderful Art Deco interior that is still in excellent original unrestored condition and was clearly much cherished by its first owner.

What a great way to beat the mid-week blues and it was enjoyed immensely by all. I must stress though that this is a private collection and isn't open to the general public; this was a group visit made by appointment with Roger, but vehicles from the collection can often be seen at bus rallies and running days around the country. Many thanks to Roger Burdett for his hospitality and to West Midlands MBF area secretary Roy Finney for organising this unique opportunity to experience so many superbly-preserved buses and coaches.