We had a thorough at the engines look in the depot yesterday and also asked a number of people involved. We have finally reached a conclusion which seems to match all the facts which is as follows.

First of all I took photos of the plates on the engines and will post those on the website later today when I get a chance.

These plates indicate clearly:

1. The engines were remanufactured by gardner
2. The time was 1996/1997

Now we know for a fact that Ulsterbus did not use Gardner remanufactured engines as they would do it themselevs. We also know for a fact that these buses were long gone from Ulsterbus in 1996/1997. Therefore it must have been Bus Eireann.

A soruce in Cork says that he remembers them getting "new" engines around that time and they were apparently installed in Broadstone. What we do not know at this stage is how many of the LA's got these engines. It may well have been the lot and our source thinks so. However it may be like the M's that while it was intended to re-engine them all some slipped through the net such as our M8. Does anyone know?

One thing in favour of them all being done is that they amassed a high mileage in Bus Eireann service which would indicate they all needed engine overhauls at sometime or other.

Anyhow the bottom line is that our LA's have 680 engines remanufactured by Gardner in 1996/1997.

I would note that CFM 156W Leopard also has the same plates on its 680 and Ross confirms that this was what happened that engine.

Michael Grimes