AA0 34B

Former Cumberland Motor Services Fleet No 231, registration number AAO 34B, is a Bristol MW6G with an Eastern Coachworks 45 seat bus body. It was purchased in 1963, entered service at Keswick depot in 1964, and remained there throughout its life until withdrawal in 1980.
CMS ran a total of twenty five MW's between 1958 and 1980. The earliest examples had elegant coach or dual purpose type bodies, but in later life all but two were modified to ordinary bus specification . They were reliable and versatile vehicles, at varying times allocated to all Cumberland depots and they were particularly suited to operating on the many rural routes that existed in the 1960's and 1970's.
No 231 was one of the last few MW's to remain in service with Cumberland and managed to last into early 1980 before being finally withdrawn. Fortunately it was purchased for preservation and caused a bit of media interest when it was handed over to its new owner who at that time was only 15 and still at school. After attending rallies for several years in the 1980's 231 suffered very badly due to a long period in open storage due to a lack of suitable undercover accommodation. The Cumbria Omnibus Group purchased No 231 in 1996 and began an extensive restoration which took until 2004.