GHD 215 is a Ford Thames Trader 570E with Duple Yeoman body.

 

Launched in the late 1950s, the 570E chassis was Ford's attempt to get part of the light-weight coach market, of which the Bedford SB was its main rival.  The body fitted to GHD 215 is that of the more common Duple Yeoman 41 seat coach.

 

GHD 215 was one of six Ford 570Es new to Yorkshire Woollen District Transport in 1961, and being given fleet number 871.  It remained in service until its sale to North's (dealer) at Sherburn-in-Elmet who in turn sold it to Hedon Motors in Hedon, North Humberside.

 

In the early 1980s, it was owned by the Yorkshire Woollen District Transport Preservation Society and stored in the old Ravensthorpe depot and looked after by "Yorkshire Eddie" Roberts.

 

GHD 215 was outside a breaker's yard awaiting its fate when it was spotted by Dewsbury Bus Museum member Tony Hanson, rescued for preservation and returned to the road in the late 1980s.  Later, it was donated to the ill-fated Transperience Museum in Bradford, where it was last on public view in 1997, before the Transperience collection was sold off.

 

GHD 215 went to a Mr M Munday of Huddersfield, then in 2005 went to Dewsbury Bus Museum member Simon Turner, who owns another former Yorkshire Woollen bus, AEC Regent V DHD 177.

 

GHD returned to the road in July 2012, and once again features at our open days..