Hino 2011 - PNR'S LAST BUS
Manila Railroad, and subsequently, the Philippine National Railways, once had a large fleet of buses to supplement their railway operations and serving areas without a railway station.
By August 1988 the fleet had reduced to:
First Class A/C Deluxe
7 (Non Operational)
8 (Dilapidated/Derelict)
Hino Tourist
12 (Dilapidated/Derelict)
Third Class Economy
5 (non Operational)
2 (On Service)
17 (Dilapidated/Derelict)
Toyota Mini Bus
2 (Dilapidated / In Storage)
Eleven years later, it seems that all but one had been disposed of, presumably by scrapping rather than onselling to other companies.
In August 1988, bus #2011 was listed as being in Naga and missing it's engine, battery, starter and right hand wiper. It was, however, considered to be still in fair condition.
Despite this gloomy report, in 1999 I was to find her sitting in Caloocan workshops, still looking in a relatively good condition and possibly operational.
In 2004, a workshop inspection found her moved off into a grassed area nearer the smaller workshop building.
However, she was yet to have a greater claim to fame than being the last bus of the 'Philippine National Railways'. Local television company ABS-CBN used her in part of one of their action series.
Alas, this television appearance did little to help her condition and, by the time I was to return in 2007, she had passed the point where preserving this hugely important part of history would likely be feasible.
My next return was to be 2009 in what was thought to be the turning point for railway preservation in the country. We had set up a group there and museum locations were being discussed.
Again, thoughts turned to the possible saving of the historic 2011 as a long term restoration project.
Just in case though, I thought it would be a good idea to give it more photographic coverage than previously.
She was quite a mess, but I have seen worse restored and, as such, I included her in my recommendations for important railway items to be preserved.
Given the important part that the MRR/PNR bus fleet played in the nations transport operations, and that she was the last of these, it was only natural that she be included in the planned museum.
Sadly it was not to be.
A mass scrapping in 2010 saw many classes of rollingstock rendered extinct, including some I had identified for preservation, and poor old 2011 found herself included.
I finally accepted that preservation of PNR's last bus was now well beyond possible, the steering wheel being the only recognisable part of it still left on site.
RIP - Philippine National Railways
Bus Fleet.
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Below is a photo of similar 2005 (SCB986) from an unknown photographer.
Please let me know if it is your shot.
