Museum Stories:

Peter Greenwell – A Life in the Workshops

In 1959, at just fifteen years old, Peter Greenwell began his career with United. Too young to start an apprenticeship, he first worked as an office boy, taking on one of the most essential daily tasks: checking the diesel and oil levels on every bus in service. These checks were more than routine, as they determined when each vehicle would be scheduled for overhaul.

At sixteen, Peter moved onto the shop floor to begin his apprenticeship as a fitter. The scale of the work was immense. Each week, the team fully overhauled seven buses, alongside intermediate dockings for vehicles showing poor fuel or oil usage, as well as regular PSV 33 inspections.

A full overhaul was a major undertaking. Buses were completely stripped down; bodies removed, engines, gearboxes and axles dismantled, cleaned, rebuilt and tested. Every nut and bolt was removed and replaced. Engines were put through their paces on the test bench to ensure they met performance standards before the rebuilt buses were taken out for road tests and final adjustments.

Once the mechanical work was complete, the bare chassis were transferred to the body shop. There, the buses received new or refurbished bodies, fresh seating, signage and paintwork. Typically, a bus would return for this level of overhaul every five years.

Across depots such as Bishop Auckland, Loftus, Darlington, Ashington and Scarborough, teams carried out minor maintenance, body repairs and monthly inspections. After completing his apprenticeship, Peter worked at the Bishop Auckland depot, which housed 87 buses. His duties included recovering broken down vehicles, either repairing them on the spot or towing them back to the depot for attention.

From his first oil checks at fifteen to the skilled recoveries at Bishop Auckland, Peter’s experience captures the dedication, craftsmanship and pride that kept United’s fleet running smoothly for generations.