History of SYPTE 1206 (KDT206D)

The Transport Department in Doncaster took delivery of six short length (27- foot) Daimler CVG6's in April/May 1966 with front entrance Roe bodies. They were 8-foot wide and had air operated pre-selective gearboxes. Some of them, possibly all of them, had their Gardner 6LW engines replaced by 6LX units. Number 206 certainly did. They were all delivered in the plain livery of red with single white median band.

 

They proved to be handy, general purpose double-deckers that saw extensive use across the Doncaster network before becoming SYPTE property on 1st April 1974. They were repainted into the Executives cream and tan livery and number 206 was renumbered 1206.

 

1206 was the last ‘half cab’ bus to remain in service with the SYPTE, lasting until 1981. Upon withdrawal, number 1206 was placed on permanent loan to DOLRS and was repainted to its original scheme becoming 206 once again.

 

Reliable and economical, it was used very extensively by DOLRS on behalf of The Trolleybus Museum at Sandtoft, as well as being rallied quite frequently. It is by far the easiest vehicle to drive in the DOLRS fleet! Eventually, some deterioration of bodywork led to withdrawal from Museum operations and the rally scene, so number 206 went into storage.

 

In 2005, along with the rest of the DOLRS fleet, the ownership passed outright to DOLRS. Number 206 was removed from storage in 2008 and placed on loan to the South Yorkshire Transport Trust where it is to be restored as SYPTE number 1206. The restoration of the bus is ongoing.


Owner - Doncaster Omnibus & Light Railway Society (On Loan to SYTT)