Last updated 10:16, Friday, 07 March 2008

A PASSION for vintage transport has led the members of the Workington Transport Heritage Trust to formulate ambitious plans for the town.

The group was founded about 10 years ago by Alistair and Denise Grey when they moved here from the Midlands, and it now has about 70 enthusiastic members.

Alistair was a bus driver with Stagecoach for 10 years and now works in the booking office at Workington railway station - where the trust hopes to utilise a room as a mini museum.

Mr Grey said: “Vintage vehicles get in your blood - some people collect stamps or go fishing, but we love vintage transport.”

The group’s aim is to establish a visitor centre to attract tourists to the town but in the meantime it is active in the community and takes part in many high profile activities.

It will be providing vintage single and double decker buses to run the park and ride scheme at Cockermouth’s Georgian Fair on May 3 and will also be taking part in Workington Carnival and in the new Paint The Town Red Festival in August. It also provides a free bus service to the Boxing Day sales.

The group is fast outgrowing its garage building on the old steelworks site. One of its vehicles, a Leyland National bus built at Lillyhall in 1978 is in store in Silloth because there is no room for it there.

The group is buying the last Leyland Lynx, which ran with the old Cumberland Motor Services, from Stagecoach in the North East for just over £2,000.

Mr Grey said: “Eventually , we would like to collect every model built at Lillyhall and put them on display.”

The trust owns 10 buses and is always on the lookout for more.

It also owns two fire engines and an old Tognarelli’s ice cream van, which they plan to restore, plus they have access to an open-topped bus owned by the Cumbria Omnibus Group which is based in Ravenglass.

It also bought the wooden body of the last Carlisle tram at auction and would like to see it restored.

Its ultimate dream is to acquire a building big enough to display everything connected with transport in West Cumbria.

Mr Grey said: “We would love to open a visitor centre with attractions for children; but the big battle is trying to find the money for a bigger building.”