Tony Peart- Here we go:
It is with deep sorrow that we report the death of Tony Peart who died on Friday 29th September in Doncaster Royal Infirmary after a long fight against cancer.
Mr Peart, or Tony to all who know him, was an influential character within the bus and rail preservation movements for many years. As far back as the 1950’s, when Tony was leading the Doncaster Grammar School Model Railway Society, he was supporting the bus preservation scene too. Indeed, he was also a staunch supporter of Doncaster’s trolleybus network, which sadly came to an end in 1963, and made many aware of the beauties and benefits of the trolleybus. There are still members at our museum today whose interest in trolleybuses Tony sparked in those early days.
Tony was a prominent figure in the Doncaster bus enthusiast circle and at a time when railway sheds were starting to close and railway enthusiasts were becoming frustrated, a group was formed to organise trips to bus and trolleybus depots in the area. This group became known as the Doncaster Omnibus & Light Railway Society (DO&LRS), a title deliberately designed to encompass all areas of bus, rail and light rail interests. As a co-founder of DO&LRS Tony become the Vice President of the group. With Tony’s involvement DO&LRS preserved five historic Doncaster Motorbuses and Doncaster’s last ever trolleybus, which all live at The Trolleybus Museum. Many members of DO&LRS played an instrumental role in the formation of The Trolleybus Museum and many early members are still involved with us today.
Tony had always had an undying love for vehicles with AEC engines. So much so that Tony’s biggest desire was always to preserve Doncaster Corporation Motorbus number 60, a pre-war example of an AEC bus. Unfortunately this never transpired but Tony was not deterred and he scoured the country looking for a similar example. Eventually finding an example in York, Tony purchased it and slowly and painstakingly restored this bus, number 64, into a pristine condition. Tony also purchased a Doncaster motorbus of his own, number 122, and having been significantly battered and bruised as a driver training bus, it too has been meticulously restored back to working condition. Tony traveled many thousands of miles each year with his buses parading them at bus rallies around the country. His buses are never seen in public if not in perfect condition. The effort he put in was almost always rewarded with a prize or two at each event he attended. Tony set the standard in bus preservation for many years and was a clear role model for anyone preserving a bus. Tony also had the foresight to buy a vast amount of spare parts for his vehicles when many examples were being scrapped in the 1970’s. This prudence not only enabled Tony to keep his two vehicles on the road but also allowed many other preservationists to acquire parts that simply wouldn’t still exist otherwise.
The thousands of miles travelled each year were not simply for self-pleasure. As he traveled, Tony spread the word about both The Trolleybus Museum and DO&LRS. Often carrying posters on his buses for our events he also handed out leaflets and encouraged others to attend our events. Tony also enabled others to travel the country with him to enjoy seeing other fine preserved vehicles, one of his regular passengers for many years being otherwise quite immobile.
As well as preserving his two buses Tony took the unusual step of taking sound recordings of many specific buses and railway locomotives. This has ensured that sounds from the day’s of silent films have not been lost. Some of these recordings have been used by filmmakers to add the correct sounds to silent footage to accurately recreate the scenes of yesteryear for the viewer and to ensure history is not forgotten.
Tony’s knowledge of transport history and the bus preservation scene was unbound. He had regular features in several nationally published transport heritage magazines. Through this work he continued to influence and educate others around the country as he championed the transport preservation movement. Money earnt from this work, and all work throughout his life, had been put back into his preservation work. As well as passionately supporting his own two buses, Tony was a member of many other transport groups and societies, all of whom require financial support.
Tony Peart was a widely renowned and respected authority on bus and railway preservation. He allocated all his life to recording transport history and was instrumental in preserving Doncaster’s transport heritage too. A friendly man who always had time to talk, Tony will forever be remembered for his everlasting and enduring commitment to transport heritage, he will be sorely missed
