1963 AEC Reliance XSA620
Year
1963
Registration
XSA620
Chassis
AEC Reliance
Fleet number(s)
7, NAC145
Engine
AEC470 diesel
Body
Plaxton "Highway"
Previous owner(s)
Burnett Motors, W. Alexander & Sons (Northern)
Current owner(s)
XSA620 Preservation Group
Current livery
Burnett Motors
Further information
New to Burnett of Mintlaw as their No7 in April 1963, this bus operated from their depot at Mintlaw and outstation at Ellon throughout its life. No7 has the rather attractive Plaxton Highway body; unusually this was fitted with bus seats presumably for capacity reasons. The chassis is powered by a 7.7litre AH470 engine with a 5 speed synchromesh gearbox.
In 1967 Burnett were absorbed by W. Alexander & Sons (Northern) Limited and Mintlaw became an outstation of Peterhead. At this time No7 became fleet number NAC 145. Running almost entirely from Mintlaw for its career, NAC145 was briefly allocated to Stonehaven prior to withdrawal and subsequent preservation in 1979.
It was bought by a member of the Mersey bus club and taken to their premises at Burscough. After being rallied for a few years in out of service Northern livery, in the 80’s the bus was painted in an approximation of Burnetts livery. Around this time the vehicle went into storage until 1994 when it was sold to members of the Angus Transport Group and brought back to Scotland on the back of a flatbed.
After some minor work on the clutch system and a repaint into Northern livery NAC 145 took to the roads of Angus and was rallied for many years until bodywork repairs were necessary. During this time attention was given to the engine and the fuel pump and injectors were refurbished. At the same time the decision was taken to repaint the vehicle into Burnetts livery for its 50th Birthday in 2013. In 2015 some further engine work was required and the decision was taken to rebuild the engine, using new bearings, pistons and liners. It is hoped to finish off the livery and complete full running in of the engine in time for the vehicle’s 60th Birthday in 2023.