The Purchase of R139 ABT

It gives us, the Northern National Restoration Group, great excitement as a group that we welcome R139 ABT 7076 Volvo B10M/Plaxton Premiere Expressliner to the Northern National Restoration Group collection. 7076 was purchased by Go-Ahead Northern in 1997 for usage on National Express.

- Fleet Number: 7076

7076 former livery when new in 1997 - Alan Sansbury 

- Registration: R139 ABT

- Type: Volvo B10M

- Bodywork: Plaxton Premiere

YSU 876 was the last manual coach ordered and delivered for National Express before they moved into auto boxes. The first been 7077 which was auto with a ZF HP600 7092 was Volvo I Shift.

The coach was purchased for National Express services where it operated the length and width of the country. It was based out of the former Chetser LE Street depot. The coach was fitted with a toilet and servery and when new carried the National Express Rapid livery.

Driver Training duties - Peter Barclay

The coach carried various National Express livery until it was withdrawn from service but retained by Go Northeast at Riverside Depot and tasked with driver training duties.

Before leaving Go Northeast, the private registration YSU 976 was sold and now resides on a Ferrari. The coach then was registered R139 ABT, the registration it carries today.

It was sold to Nightingale Coaches gaining the new private registration C15 NGC. The toilet and servery were removed, and the coach up seated for scholars work. As the majority of coaches 7076 was unused once the pandemic hit in 2020 and was sold for preservation in August 2021 to James Daglish.

NNRG Open Day 2023 - Alex Willis

Since its purchase for preservation James has done many tasks from new blinds to reinstating cruise control. The Coach was purchased by the Northern National Restoration Group in January 2024.

As a group we hope to restore this fine work horse, R139 ABT, 7076 into its former livery when first purchased by National Express & Go Ahead Group in 1997.