News | WYPTE Vehicles | Group History, Contacting Us and Supporting Us | Links News | WYPTE Vehicles | Group History, Contacting Us and Supporting Us | Links 1705 was one of fifteen Freight Rover Sherpa minibuses ordered by West Yorkshire PTE, all of which had an Optare body which used where possible the confines of the Freight Rover van shape, indeed everything up-to the bottom edge of the windows is standard Freight Rover parts. This is the complete opposite of Dormobile, who used the Freight Rover (and Ford Transit) chassis cowl onto which was grafted a custom built body, being wider than the van body and featuring Dormobile's own windscreen. This is shown to advantage in 1751 which is also part of our collection.
All fifteen Sherpas were originally delivered with C---KBT registration plates on, however (due to a trade union dispute) only 1701 was actually registered and taxed before the 1st August 1986 registration plate change, it being C701KBT, the other fourteen were registered and taxed in August/September 1986 as D702-715HUA, 1705 being registered on 8th September.
To start with (for the last several weeks of the West Yorkshire PTE) the Sherpa's in Leeds were used on duplicates of big bus routes, mainly with new drivers, favourite routes for this seem to have been the 19, 41 but I expect other routes were worked also. Come Deregulation day, Sunday 26th October 1986, there was a new name for West Yorkshire's bus operations: Yorkshire Rider Ltd which was (initially) a subsidiary of Metro. Yorkshire Rider quickly instigated a network of minibus routes, including the 6, the 42 and the CB1-CB6 set of routes, all of which were worked by the Sherpa's together with the legions of Dormobile/Carlyle examples that were arriving at this time, soon to be joined by Star Riders, City Pacers, Ford Transits, MCW MetroRiders as well as Ivecos with the takeover of West Yorkshire Road Car Company. The last installment in the West Yorkshire breadvan story were the Mercedes 709D minibuses with the Plaxton Beaver body delivered to Rider Halifax, Rider Huddersfield, Rider Leeds, Quickstep, Bradford Traveller and Calderline in the 1990s, before the return to another Optare product, the Solo.
All the Optares were delivered in MetroMini livery, which used the MetroCoach colours of Saddle (dark brown), Buttermilk (cream) Cinammon (Orange) and Poppy (red) with Gold fleetnumbers and standard (gold) MetroCoach logo on the bonnet. 1705 retained this livery until its disposal, however 1706 & 1712 at least received the new Yorkshire Rider "Micro Rider" livery at some point during 1986/early 1987.
On 15th June 1987 it was acquired by Mosley Group PSV Ltd of Crossroads, Anston, Sheffield. They sold it on 1st September 1987 to Shamrock & Rambler Coaches Ltd of Bournemouth. 25th November 1989 saw another change of keeper, to Mr. George Roberts of Parkstone, Poole, then on 26th October 1993 he sold it to Mr. George Pearson of Ferndown. 8th December 1997 saw a move to Whippet Coaches (G & C Brough) of Wimborne, Bournemouth followed on 8th December 2000 to Dorset Travel Services Ltd also of Bournemouth. 1st April 2001 saw a move to Bournemouth Transport Ltd (Yellow Buses) from whom it was preserved by Mr. Chris Drew and Mr. James Prince of Poole, Dorset on 2nd July 2001. The vehicles' present owner purchased the vehicle from those gentlemen, and on 26th October 2004 it returned home to Yorkshire for the first time since 1987.
Initial efforts were to assess the condition of the vehicle, as a result of which it was decided to contract-out its restoration to MTC Commercials of Sheffield, who will carry out mechanical and electrical work to the vehicle, weld in several new panels and give the vehicle a full repaint into MetroMini livery.
It is hoped that 1705 will appear on the rally scene later this year, all being well it is planned to send 1705 and 1751 to Showbus in September 2006 but this will be subject to funds.
QUIZ
Identify the other three former WYPTE (Leeds area) vehicles in the above picture!!
POSTSCRIPT
Since our preservation of 1705, we have become aware that 1707 D707HUA is still extant, and indeed is taxed to this very day (as of September 2005) if anyone knows anything at all of this vehicle, your contact would be appreciated. If you are the owner, reading this, then if nothing else we would like to invite you to an up-coming open day in Yorkshire so that both vehicles can be reunited (irrespective of what its current condition or use is, you will be made very welcome).