A reconstruction of a classic 1950 Leyland Titan double-decker will head a line-up of a planned 12 King Alfred buses for the next Original King Alfred Buses Running Day in Winchester on 6 May.
The vintage vehicles from the former operator and other PSVs will be on display for the Bank Holiday occasion and offering free rides around the city, Friends of King Alfred Buses (FoKAB) has announced.
The Titan is an almost exact replica of those which were operated by King Alfred Buses before it closed down in 1973.
Free services will operate based on Winchester Broadway and the St Catherine’s Park and Ride car park between approximately 0900hrs and 1630hrs, riding most of the traditional King Alfred routes plus those of neighbouring historic companies such as Aldershot and District and Hants and Dorset.
A King Alfred sales stand will also be open.
FoKAB’s Founder and Chairman, James Freeman, says: “It’s time once again to give our many friends and supporters a chance to relive the best years of the King Alfred buses and coaches.
“Come with us to experience what it was like to ride on them and their contemporaries. In 2024, we plan to offer something very special with the return of a bus once very characteristic of Winchester – a 1950 Leyland Titan.
“On 6 May it will be almost 51 years to the day since the last King Alfred bus ran into the depot. Who would have believed then that so many buses would have been rescued and brought back to the city to remind us all of their past service?”
FoKAB’s most recent running day on 1 January carried nearly 3,500 passengers as the preservation group began recovery from a fire at a storage unit which destroyed one of its vehicles and seven others last month.
