This is a Northern Counties bodied DAF DB250RS which was new to Harris Bus for use on London Transport contract routes 128 Romford-Ilford, 129 Becontree Heath – Claybury Broadway & 150 Ilford-Chigwell
Harris Bus had 5 of these dual door DAF’s and they were used on Harris’s local network in Essex just as much as on the London Contracts they were bought for – reason being they were not so popular with the London drivers due to having no assault screens fitted.
Harris Bus collapsed following financial difficulties in 2000 and P337 ROO was passed onto East Thames Buses, a company created by London Buses to operate Harris’s London Contract routes, along with the rest of the Harris fleet. East Thames moved the operation North of the Thames from West Thurrock to Ash Grove.
The vehicle originally was built with a centre door, these were removed in 2003.
It was then put up for sale after been used by Dawson Rentals for a short period, it was purchased by TM Travel in Sheffield in 2005. At the time there it was used on a large selection of public & school services, it coped very well with the challenging terrain of Yorkshire’s hills.
In March 2014 it was withdrawn by TM Travel & sold to preservation back in it’s original area, painted in a “what could have been” livery of Thurrock link.
In August 2017 it was decided that the group preserving it was to sell the bus off due to them needing to downsize their collection. It was then purchased by it’s current owner and returned up north for a second time for continued preservation in it’s original state and joined the Town & District Transport Trust.
