CTPG News Summer 2002

damage to its roofline in April 1976. The second conversion was
completed by mid June 1976 and both vehicles were proudly
displayed at the Lord Mayors Parade on 26/06/76, their first
official engagement. Shortly after 424+434 entered service on
the new City Tours program for which 7 routes were initially
authorised. 424 received a bright new white livery with orange
relief, but saw service for just 4 summer seasons (1976-1979) by
which time the tours program had expanded to 11 routes, all
operating from Kingsway(opp. CCT information kiosk)
89 Gateways to the Valleys -1 hour
90 City Tour -1 hour
91 Grand Tour - 2 hour 15 min
92 Creigau Pottery - 2 hour 15 min
93 Castell Coch - 2 hour 15 min
94 Pare Cefn Onn • - 2 hour 15 min
95 Sea Breezes - 2 hour 15 min
96 Dyffryii Gardens - 3 hours
97 Castles, Mountains and a Coal Mine - 2 hour 45 min
98 Coastal Scenes -1 hour
99 Mystery Tour - 2 hour 15 min
424 caused such a stir that a photo appeared in the 1976 Buses
of South Wales FLEETBOOK by A.M.Witton, pictured in Cardiff
Central Bus Station.
The beginning of the end was the arrival of two convertible
open-top VRT/Alexander(359/360) which became available for
the 1979 season, effectively downgrading the Arabs to occasional
rather than front-line use. The critical point at which 424's future
fate was sealed came in September 1979 when a FleetlLne(485)
suffered severe accident damage to it roof, and so over the
winter a decision was taken to rebuild the rear-engined bus as
replacement for 424. Officially withdrawn in March 1980, 424
donated many of its specialist open-top body parts (e.g. chrome
safety rails) to the conversion of 485 which was eventually