Hydrogen Bus Arrives at Beith Transport Museum (date: 27.01.08)

Beith Transport Museum has been selected by Transport for London
(TfL) to receive one of three prototype Hydrogen powered buses to add
to the existing large collection of vehicles.

The vehicle was part of a Europe wide trial called C.U.T.E (Clean
Urban Transport for Europe) involving 31 different companies, where
47 Hydrogen powered buses worked alongside conventional vehicles for
a number of years in nine European cities to evaluate the reduction
of harmful emissions, indeed the only emissions from these vehicles
was harmless water vapour! The other two UK vehicles have been
donated to the London Transport Museum and the National Science
Centre. Transport for London is also covering the cost of
transporting the vehicle to Beith.

Beith Transport Museum is located on Willowyard Road, Beith
between Beith and Glengarnock. It is open Mon-Fri and Sunday. We can
be contacted on 0845 120 8091, or at admin@tpt-beith.org.uk.

The vehicle will join a collection of over 100 vehicles which include
Buses, Tow Trucks, A Railway subway car, Boat, Blackpool Tram, Tank
and armoured cars, various fire engines and also vintage cars and
bikes.

The museum is holding an open weekend on Saturday 22nd and Sunday
23rd March 2008. Admission is free and everyone is welcome, it will be
a great day out for all the family. There will be many free bus
services operating to and from the museum using the museums vintage
and privately owned vehicles. Further information will be posted on the website soon.

The vehicle, LK53 MBU, was delivered late on Saturday night (26/01/08), and the
following photographs were taken today by member Kenny Barclay, in the yard at Beith.

http://kennybarclay.fotopic.net/p48062061.html

http://kennybarclay.fotopic.net/p48062063.html

http://kennybarclay.fotopic.net/p48062056.html

http://kennybarclay.fotopic.net/p48062059.html

More images of the vehicle will be uploaded during the week.

Notes of interest:

LK53MBU - ESQ64992, was new to First London in 12/03 allocated to Hackney Wick garage. It is a Mercedes-Benz Citaro O.530 hydrogen fuel cell bus with a Mercedes-Benz body - seating is B30D. It was returned to Transport for London in 01/07 and stored. The other 2 in the batch were ESQ64991/3 LX53MBO/V.