The 3238 (P238 MKN) Preservation Group came about when four friends (Darren, Graham, Keith & Richard) in the pub one evening, decided to try and save ex Maidstone & District, Dennis Dart, Plaxton Pointer, P238 MKN, which was coming to the end of its career with Arriva at Northfleet. The vehicle was withdrawn from service on 12 May 2015 and a bid was submitted for it's purchase, which was quickly accepted. We thus took ownership on 1 June 2015. By September, the same year, we had restored the exterior of the vehicle to it's original Maidstone & District livery.

 

Not content with one vehicle, we had been after an ex 'Roundabout' Carlyle bodied Dennis Dart, as all of us either travelled on, or lived near the 'R' network of routes centred on the Orpington area, or in my case (Richard) had been a Roundabout driver.  Indeed before we had even purchased 3238, we had been up to Wolverhampton (Travel Express) to view former 'Roundabout' DT37. We decided against it's acquisition, and so set our sights on former 'Roundabout' DT29 which was still in use with YMS Travel. When it was offered for sale in December 2016, we submitted a bid which was accepted and DT29 became our second vehicle on 16 December.   

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Our intention is not to preserve any further vehicles but to concentrate our efforts on this pair. Our main aim for 2017 is to get DT29 to the condition where the vehicle can attend rallies and complete the transition from YMS powder blue to ROUNDABOUT red. Looking further ahead, we would like to return the interior of 3238 to the original Maidstone & District specification when new. Perhaps that's something for 2018!