Dennis Loline III 506

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1964 Dennis Loline III - AAA 506 C

Dennis Loline III (506) at Woking 2002

BODY - Weyman H39/29F body, (number M1378)
ENGINE - Gardner 6LW
GEARBOX - Five speed

506 was one of a batch of fifty, Dennis Loline III's, (481-530), which were the last Loline's to enter service and also the last Dennis vehicles built for the Aldershot & District Traction Company Ltd. (488, 503, 506 & 508 from this batch all survive in preservation).

A strike at the Weyman factory delayed delivery of the last 28, (503-530) until late 1964 and early 1965. Together with 503, 504 and 505, 506 was delivered to Woking garage from Weyman's Addlestone factory just before Christmas 1964. It should have received the registration 506 KOT. However, Hampshire County Council had not up until that time issued 'A' or 'B' suffix registration numbers but were instructed by the then Ministry of Transport to begin issuing the new style registrations from 1st January 1965. They were therefore allocated the new 1965 'C' suffix registrations.

All four entered service on 1st January 1965. 503 and 504 were quickly transferred to Guildford garage while 505 and 506 remained at Woking garage where they were the only two Weyman bodied Lolines. Thereafter, 506 spent most of its' working life on service 34's.
On 1st January 1972 it became number 833 in the Alder Valley fleet and was among the first vehicles to receive the original Alder Valley deep red scheme. It was later repainted in NBC Poppy Red. 506 was transferred to Aldershot garage in 1979, where it became one of the last eight Loline III's to remain in service.

It was withdrawn from service on 31st August 1980 when it was bought by the late Norman Powell who restored it over three years back to A & D livery. It has had only one other owner before being acquired by the present owner in July 2001. Some mechanical work was necessary to get 506 back on the road and it re-appeared on the rally scene in May 2002.

General restoration work and maintenance has continued.
In June 2003, number two big-end bearing had to be replaced. Between February and May 2004 the entire front nearside wing, engine side panels and frames right back to the bulkhead were removed due to extensive rust. New sections were welded into the bulkhead and wing. New support frames and engine side panels were fabricated and fitted. 506 passed its annual test on 26th May just in time for the Aldershot & District Bus Interest Group's, (ADBIG), bi-annual running day at Guildford on 30th May 2004.

On the 1st January 2005 and for the first time in many years, 506 appeared at the FoKAB Winchester bus running day with 503. 40 years to the day since they first entered service.

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