02/09/2026
🚌 3943 – NK05 GZR JOINS THE NNRG FLEET! 🚌
We’re extremely pleased to announce that Northern National Restoration Group has officially purchased 3943 – NK05 GZR, a Go North East Volvo B7TL with Wright Eclipse Gemini bodywork, and we’re delighted to welcome it into our preservation fleet!
Built in 2005, 3943 has had a long and varied career with Go North East, becoming a familiar sight across the North East.
During its service life, 3943 has worked a fantastic variety of local routes. It was famously associated with the X10, and later spent time in Red Arrows working the X1 between Newcastle and Easington Lane. It has also appeared on services including the 55 between Sunderland and Wingate, 61 to Murton, 21 between Chester-le-Street and Newcastle, 1A towards Whitley Bay and Sunderland Connect service 701.
That extensive local history is what makes 3943 particularly special to us. It isn’t just an old bus — it’s a vehicle that has been part of everyday life for people across the North East. Thousands of passengers will have travelled on vehicles like 3943, whether heading into Newcastle, travelling across Gateshead, Sunderland and County Durham, or simply making their everyday journeys.
For NNRG, the opportunity to acquire 3943 really was a no-brainer. It is exactly the sort of vehicle we want to see preserved, and it makes an excellent addition to our growing fleet. 3943 also represents the end of an era for reliable, traditionally built buses.
The Volvo B7TL and Wright Gemini combination was built to spend years working hard on everyday services, becoming known as dependable workhorses. After more than 20 years of service, 3943 was finally withdrawn from service by Go North East earlier this year, making its preservation all the more important. Rather than seeing another familiar North East bus disappear from our roads for good, we’re delighted to give 3943 a new lease of life in preservation.
Now that 3943 is officially part of NNRG, our members will have the opportunity to get involved with the vehicle and work on bringing it up to the standard we want for preservation. There will be plenty to do, including mechanical work, general maintenance, interior work, cleaning and preservation, giving our members the chance to gain valuable experience while helping save another important piece of North East transport history.
We’re looking forward to giving 3943 the care and attention it deserves and, in time, getting it back out on the road to rallies and events — hopefully bringing back plenty of memories for those who remember seeing it in service.
Welcome to NNRG, 3943! 🚌❤️
Northern National Restoration Group – preserving the transport heritage of the North East.
