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Today's Guardian... https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/nov/20/country-diary-lost-village-derwent-rises-from-mud-ladybower-derbyshire

Whilst upgrading my knowledge about Wroughton Museum online (I made a speculative unsuccessful call there some years ago whilst in the area), I came across this:- https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-wiltshire-42456778 If you scroll down the article there is a glimpse of RCT Crossley 213 in an unfriendly photographic environment between two fellow prisoners! The local Swindon paper has run encouraging columns over the past couple of years though the lack of funding will no doubt continue to stall any progress on this Museum.

Having not so far been reprimanded for straying over the boundary into Rotherham I will tempt fate by adding an updated list of all known survivors of Rotherham Corporation Transport (RCT) motorbuses, trolleybuses and support vehicles in Great Britain, three in each category. Actually a very small number when compared with other municipal operations of a similar size. Of particular note is FET 218 the Austin K8 Welders Truck dating back to 1949. Although sold into preservation by SYPTE in 1977 it had been presumed the lack of any reports in recent years were an indication that it no longer survived. That however was not the case and in the last couple of months ownership has changed and it has returned to South Yorkshire. Despite being stored in the open for over twenty years it is in reasonable condition with a full restoration expected to get underway shortly No photographs of FET 218 in service have yet emerged so if anyone has any please make contact. It now has a pick-up style of back which during its later days had a frame with canvas cover. Whether this was how it was originally configured is not known for sure as a previous owner recalls that it may have originally had a conventional van body that was cut down by RCT at some point. Thus the appeal for photographs. Although a number of Austin K8's have been restored, pictures of which can be found on the net, none have a similar pick up style back which does suggest that the one on FET 218 may be a product of the Rawmarsh Road body shop.

Thought this would be quite easy to answer until I spotted a glaring omission in the published Rotherham Corporation Transport Fleet Histories I consulted. All these omitted the 1952 batch of Crossley Double Deckers! Perhaps the reason for the question? Anyhow, further delving reveals these to be 209 - 214 HET 209-214. However, the chassis numbers are not in numerical sequence when it comes to road registrations and quoted delivery months. 95903 HET 509 209 5/52 95904 HET 510 210 6/52 95905 HET 511 211 6/52 95906 HET 512 212 7/52 95907 HET 514 214 9/52 95908 HET 513 213 8/52 Thus, although 213 was the last Crossley built for Rotherham it was not the last delivered. . As far as I am aware 213 is still tucked away in a bomb proof hanger at the Science Museum store at Wroughton Airfield near Swindon. Public Access is now very restricted if permitted at all. Can't say too much on a public forum other than to say an approach was made about displaying 213 at the Midland Road Open Day in 2014. Unfortunately the hoops were set too high for it to have been practical. The hope had been to display all two and a half surviving RCT Motor buses together but in the event only 135 made it, With so few RCT motor buses surviving it is to be hoped that 213 can return home at some point in the future. The South Yorkshire Transport Museum being an ideal home especially since 220 has departed for Beamish. Hope this digression into Rotherham is within the permitted boundaries of this forum.