Remember when flaming red Ribble buses were commonplace? They were once as familiar a sight on our roads as the blue buses of Preston and the Fishwick khaki greens are today.

Now the Ribble Vehicle Preservation Trust (RVPT) is appealing for people to donate Ribble memorabila such as timetables, badges, tickets, for its archive at its Freckleton headquarters, near Preston. It also hopes to create a sound archive with help from former Ribble employees.

From its inception in the 1930s the Ribble company was one of the UK's leading bus companies covering at its peak an area from Carlisle to Merseyside.

It was run for five decades from its art-deco style headquarters in Frenchwood Avenue, now home to Telewest Broadband, off London Road, Preston.

At its height the bus company was one of the area's major employers, with about 5,500 staff.

In 1956 there were 215 million passenger journeys on Ribble's buses.

In 1969 the company was nationalised but it was privatised in 1988, following a management buyout.

A year later Ribble was bought by Stagecoach. The history of the bus company survives through the RVPT collection of more than 30 Ribble buses including the 1954 Leyland Tiger Cub and the only surviving pre-war double decker built in the late 1930s.

Bill Robinson, trustee and treasurer of the RVPT, said: "We're looking for anything related to Ribble Buses. Timetables, badges, tickets, uniforms, anything. People might have things in their loft."

Bill also wants to get in touch with former Ribble employees in order to build up a sound archive.

In celebration of the 50th anniversary of Britain's first motorway, in Preston, in 2008, the RVPT is also applying to the Heritage Lottery Fund for a grant to restore a Ribble Gay Hostess double decker which was one of the first public transport vehicles on the new carriageways, complete with reclining seats, toilet and hostess.

Ribble enthusiasts or people with artefacts can call Bill on 01772 748557.