330 vintage vehicles saw transport enthusiasts enter motoring paradise when they parked up at Barry Island for the Festival of Transport on Sunday, June 14.

Hundreds of visitors made their way to the seaside town to check out the event organised by the Cardiff Transport Preservation Group (CTPG) that restores heritage buses at the Broad Street depot in Barry.

Organisers had expected 230 cars when the show guide was printed, but more than 300 vehicles were expected.

The Ford Fanatics Car Club spent the day before pleading to visit adding a further 30 to the collection.

Old magnificent commercial vehicles joined the army with one of their huge eight-wheel recovery vehicles.

Buses from Gloucester, West Midlands and Swansea boosted the Barry heritage bus display.

CTPG chairman, Mike Taylor said: “I can only thank the Classic Car people with their support this year. They almost overwhelmed us coming and with approaching 330 visiting vehicles, we must now be one of the biggest shows of this type in Wales. The Vale of Glamorgan Council staff did a sterling job in helping us on the day. The show guide sold out quickly but this only had 230 cars listed – all the others booked in the last two weeks. This was in spite of many roads closed to traffic due to the Velothon cycle race. Those that came were treated to a much more intensive free heritage bus service with 15 minute frequencies and at one point we even stepped that up with extras.

“Many especially those with young children liked the variety of buses and coaches we operated; from our 51-year-old 1964 open top bus to our just newly restored former Cardiff Bus heritage single decker, a 24-year-old 1991 Leyland Lynx number 267 – one of the last Leyland badged buses ever built.”

Visiting buses included four 1960’s Bristol buses of different types, and one of the original iconic red London AEC Routemasters – RM1357 dating from 1962. The Swansea bus group brought along for the first time their South Wales1203 bus, a newly restored 56-year-old 1959 AEC Bridgemaster. Similar ones were operated by Western Welsh on the long Carmarthen to Cardiff route and Cardiff Corporation ran six in the1960’s. Amongst the cars were a Rolls Royce and a Bentley, but it was the cars that mum, uncle or grandpa had that brought most memories back for visitors, like the original humble Austin Mini, Ford Escort or Morris Minor, although amongst them were lots of other larger cars and a Humberside Police Car – a bit outside its area.

On the heritage bus side the organising group brought out many of its collection.

Among those running for the first time in preservation on the Park & Ride shuttle, was former Cardiff Bus 23, a twenty year old Alexander Dash Dart; and on the show ground now in preservation, was Stagecoach Red & White 792, a seventeen year old 1998 Volvo B10M.

Outside the bus depot was group member Martyn Evans’ 36-year-old 1979

Bedford VAS luxury coach just re-painted into its original Evans of New Tredegar livery after four years of restoration.

For information, visit www.ctpg.co.uk