Double Deck Vehicle Overview
Double deck vehicles have never really featured in any great numbers in either the Midland Red West or First Midland Red/Wyvern fleets. On formation in 1981 Midland Red West was the only one of the four new bus companies formed out of Midland Red not to have any double deck vehicles. Within months three ten year old Daimler Fleetlines joined the Midland Red West fleet from Trent. They were used at Evesham and Hereford garages but had all gone by 1984. Whilst Redditch Garage did not have an allocation of its own double deck buses it did operate a Midland Red South vehicle each day on the then joint 229 service from Redditch to Stratford. The vehicle was required for Alcester schools and for operational reasons a Redditch driver drove it - To balance the working a Redditch Leyland National was parked at Stratford on Avon Garage each night. This arrangement ended in April 1986 when each National Bus Company had to operate as an independent unit ready for deregulation in October 1986. With the purchase of Midland Red Coaches in December 1986 Midland Red West ended up with seven MCW Expressliner double deck coaches. These unpopular and unreliable vehicles were used on National Express contract work with last being withdrawn in October 1990. To combat the competition from first of all Redline and then Kingfisher in Redditch Midland Red West operated a total of 4 (though not at the same time) Bristol VR double deck buses from Redditch Garage between 24th October 1987 and August 1990. Between 1990 and 2002 the company did not operate any double deck vehicles being one of the largest bus operators in the country without such vehicles until the arrival of K123URP from First Northampton in August 2002.
2541/5/7 DRC541/5/7J
Registration Number |
Fleet Number |
Vehicle Type |
Seating Capacity |
Date into Service |
Current Allocation |
DRC541J |
2541 |
Daimler Fleetline Alexander bodywork |
H44/33F |
September 1981 |
Withdrawn - October 1983 and sold to MRN |
DRC545J |
2545 |
Daimler Fleetline Alexander bodywork |
H44/33F |
September 1981 | Withdrawn - January 1983 and sold to MRS |
DRC547J | 2547 | Daimler Fleetline Alexander bodywork | H44/33F | September 1981 | Withdrawn - May 1984 and sold to MRS |
5031/2/9/50 JOU161P/JHW106/13P/LEU258P
Registration Number |
Fleet Number |
Vehicle Type |
Body type |
Seating Capacity |
Date into Service |
Current Allocation |
JOU161P |
5031 |
Bristol VR |
ECW |
H43/27D |
19th December 1987 |
Withdrawn - 8/90 |
JHW106P |
5032 |
Bristol VR |
ECW |
H43/27D |
26th October 1987 | Withdrawn - 8/90 |
JHW113P |
5039 |
Bristol VR |
ECW |
H43/27D |
27th October 1987 |
Withdrawn - 2/90 |
LEU258P |
5050 |
Bristol VR |
ECW |
H43/27D |
January 1988 |
Withdrawn 2/88 - sold to Badgerline |
6043 JHA43E
Registration Number |
Fleet Number |
Vehicle Type |
Body type |
Seating Capacity |
Date into Service |
Current Allocation |
JHA43E | 6043 | Daimler Fleetline | Alexander | H44/33F | October 1981 | Withdrawn - 12/82 |
"2611" or "30524" - A80RRP
Registration Number |
Fleet Number |
Vehicle Type |
Body type |
Seating Capacity |
Date into Service |
Current Allocation |
A80RRP |
2611 |
Leyland Olympian |
East Lancs |
H47/32F |
Never Entered Service |
N/A |
31378-80 L166-8UNS
Registration Number |
Fleet Number |
Vehicle Type |
Body type |
Seating Capacity |
Date into Service |
Current Allocation |
L166UNS |
31378 |
Leyland Olympian |
Alexander RL 67/4692/17 |
H47/31F |
June-04 |
Withdrawn - sold for scrap 6/09 |
L167UNS |
31379 |
Leyland Olympian |
Alexander RL 67/4692/18 |
H47/31F |
7-June-04 |
Withdrawn- sold for scrap 6/09 |
L168UNS |
31380 |
Leyland Olympian |
Alexander RL 67/4692/19 |
H47/31F |
September-04 |
Withdrawn 7/08 - sold for scrap 6/09 |
31451/2/3/4/5 N963/4/5/6SOS
Registration Number |
Fleet Number |
Vehicle Type |
Seating Capacity |
Date into Service |
Current Allocation |
Livery |
N962SOS |
31451 |
Volvo Olympian Alexander RL 9529/19 |
H47/32F |
N/A |
Not used Sold to First Northampton 1/06 - sold to PVS Charlton for scrap 4/11 |
Barbie3 |
N963SOS |
31452 |
Volvo Olympian Alexander RL 9529/20 |
H47/32F |
Sept 06 |
Not used Sold to First Northampton 1/06 - re-acquired in 8/06 - withdrawn 2/3/13 sold to Diamond |
Barbie2 |
N964SOS |
31453 |
Volvo Olympian Alexander RL 9529/21 |
H47/32F |
N/A |
Not used Sold to First Northampton 1/06 - sold to PVS Charlton for scrap 4/11 |
Barbie3 |
N965SOS |
31454 |
Volvo Olympian Alexander RL 9529/22 |
H47/32F |
Nov-05 |
Withdrawn 8/07 Sold to First Northampton 8/07 - sold to PVS Charlton for scrap 4/11 |
Barbie3 |
N966SOS |
31455 |
Volvo Olympian Alexander RL 9529/23 |
H47/32F |
Nov-05 |
withdrawn - Sold to First Northampton 6/06 - reacquired in 8/06 - allocated to Worcester then Northampton 4/08 re-acquired in 8/08 - sold for scrap 8/09 |
Barbie3 |
31553 E127DRS
Registration Number |
Fleet Number |
Vehicle Type |
Seating Capacity |
Date into Service |
Current Allocation |
Livery |
E127DRS |
31553 |
Volvo Olympian Alexander RH54/4387/3 |
H49/29D |
Oct-08 |
Withdrawn October 10 - Sold to PVS Charlton on 23rd November 2011 for scrap |
Barbie2 |
34123/4/5/6 - K123/4/5/6URP
In
early August 2002 Volvo double deck bus number 123
K123URP arrived at Redditch Garage from sister Company
First Northampton. The plan was to use this and a number
of other vehicles from First Northampton on the A1 and
A2 Alcester Grammar School services, which required
duplication when the current Leyland Lynx vehicles were
used. Driver training took place at Redditch throughout
August with a view to introducing the vehicles when the
school re-opened in September. Unfortunately during the
testing of the vehicle it was found that a number of
trees on the routes that were to be used needed cutting
back and the Company failed to get the County Council to
carry out the work. First Northampton were short of
double deck vehicles for their own school commitments
and the vehicle returned south without being used in
service by First Wyvern. The A1 and A2 services
continued to be operated by Leyland Lynx vehicles and as
part of a general review of school services in January
2003 they have become County Council school contracts
rather than operating as normal local bus services.
Interestingly as some of the tallest vehicles to be
built as they have under floor engines it was even
impossible to use them on the 57/8/9 group of services
where double deck buses were in regular use 10-years ago
again because of low trees. In November 2005 the vehicle
arrived back with First Wyvern and is currently
allocated to Kidderminster Garage for use on school
services operated by that garage. Both vehicles are used
on the "Green School Bus Services" which are contract
school services for King Edwards VI High School, Five
Ways at Bartley Green in South Birmingham. For this
contract both vehicles were repainted into the Green
School Bus livery during April 2005. In preparation for
the start of the new school term in September 2006
K126KRP arrived from Northampton. 34123 returned to
First Northampton in September 2008. Following the
withdrawal of
34289 from Redditch in January
2010 34123 moved back to Redditch garage in February
2010.
Registration Number |
Fleet Number |
Vehicle Type |
Seating Capacity |
Date into Service |
Current Allocation |
Livery |
K123URP |
34123 |
Volvo B10M Alexander |
CH47/35F |
Nov-05 |
Withdrawn - Moved back to First Northampton 9/08 - return to Redditch 2/10 - withdrawn 2/3/13 sold to Diamond |
GBS (4/06) |
K124URP |
34124 |
Volvo B10M Alexander
|
CH47/35F |
Feb-06 |
Withdrawn - Moved back to First Northampton 9/08 sold 5/11 for scrap ? |
GBS (4/06) |
K125URP |
34125 |
Volvo B10M Alexander |
CH47/35F |
March-06 |
In Store 9/10 - Sold to First PMT at Crewe from 9/10. Following withdrawal of 32854 vehicle back at Worcester 12/9/14 |
Barbie 2 |
K126URP |
34126 |
Volvo B10M Alexander
|
CH47/35F |
September-06 |
withdrawn 2/3/13 sold to Diamond |
Barbie 2 |
L
ivery Key : Barbie 2 - Non low floor corporate Firstgroup livery known as "Barbie2" All three vehicles arrived with First Wyvern in Barbie2 livery. Note 34125 lacked the pink fading on the lower deck. GBS - Green School Bus livery34285/7/8/9 P185/7/8/9TGD
Registration Number |
Fleet Number |
Vehicle Type |
Seating Capacity |
Date into Service |
Current Allocation |
Livery |
P185TGD |
34285 |
Volvo Olympian Alexander 9529/42 |
H47/32F |
31st October 2011 |
Withdrawn 10/12 - transferred to First Potteries 10/12 |
Barbie3 |
P187TGD |
34287 |
Volvo Olympian Alexander 9529/44 |
H47/32F |
April-05 |
Withdrawn 8/07 Sold to First Northampton 8/07 - sold to PVS Charlton for scrap 4/11 |
Barbie2 |
P188TGD |
34288 |
Volvo Olympian Alexander 9529/45 |
H47/32F |
10th October 2011 |
Withdrawn - sold to First Potteries 8/12 |
Barbie3 |
P189TGD |
34289 |
Volvo Olympian Alexander 9529/46 |
H47/32F |
April-05 |
Withdrawn - sold to PVS Charlton for scrap 4/11 |
Barbie2 |
34302 L302PWR
Double
Decker L302PWR arrived at Worcester from First Essex on
4th October 2011. It is the first vehicle to be operated
by FMR with a Northern Counties bodywork and was new to
Yorkshire Rider in Halifax in 1994 and was part of a 15
vehicle batch register L301-15PWR. The whole batch was
transferred to the Eastern National operation. The
vehicle entered service at Redditch on Monday 31st
October 2011. Following the expiry of the vehicle's MOT
it was withdrawn in July 2012.
Registration Number |
Fleet Number |
Vehicle Type |
Body type |
Seating Capacity |
Date into Service |
Current Allocation |
Livery |
L302PWR |
34302 |
Leyland Olympian |
Northern Counties 4750 |
H47/29F |
31st October 2011 |
Withdrawn July 2012 - sold for scrap with PVS Carlton 8/12 |
Barbie 3 |
34808 - C408HJN
C408NJN
was collected by a driver from First Wyvern's Worcester
Garage from the Chelmsford deport of First Essex Buses.
The vehicle was new to Eastern National in January 1986
and was a member of a 13 vehicle batch with the fleet
numbers C407-19HJN all of which were coached seated.
C408NJN arrived in First Eastern National green and
yellow livery and was hand painted by had into Barbie3
at Worcester Garage before it entered service with First
Wyvern as the "spare" double deck vehicle at Evesham for
use on their various Warwickshire and Worcestershire
County Council contracts. One closure of Evesham Garage
it moved to Redditch Garage. During in the early part of
July 2007 the vehicle was operating a school service at
Shipston in Warwickshire. The vehicle was hit head on by
a Parcel Force van. It appears the bus driver
realized
the van was going to hit him as he was stationary at the
time of the impact. The vehicle was towed to Worcester
Garage on 5th July and following an assessment the
vehicle was withdrawn and sold for scrap in August 2007.
Registration Number |
Fleet Number |
Vehicle Type |
Body type |
Seating Capacity |
Date into Service |
Current Allocation |
Livery |
C408HJN |
34808 |
Leyland Olympian |
Eastern Coach Works 26278 |
CH42/30F |
Oct-05 |
Withdrawn 7/07 - sold to PVS Carlton 8/07 for scrap |
Barbie 3 (9/05) |
38083/5/97 - F83/5XBD/J297GNV
In
early October 2002 First Wyvern was experiencing
overloading problems on the school service S40 which
operates from Worcester Bus Station to Dyson Perrins
High School and so vehicle 283 F83XBD a Volvo B10M
double deck vehicle similar to 123 was transferred from
First Northampton to Worcester. Following a period of
storage and driver training the vehicle entered service
at Worcester Garage after the half-term school holidays
on Monday 4th November 2002. The vehicle kept its First
Northampton fleet number of 283 and became the first
Volvo vehicle ether Wyvern West or First Wyvern had ever
operated in service. In March 2004 the vehicle was given
the national fleet number 30083. F83XBD is actually only
on loan to First Wyvern from First Northampton. 30083
was withdrawn by First Wyvern after service on Friday
28th May 2004 and the vehicle returned to Northampton.
During August 2007 38085 and 38097 were acquired for use
on school work for the start of the Autumn 2007 term.
Registration Number |
Fleet Number |
Old Fleet Number |
Vehicle Type |
Seating Capacity |
Date into Service |
Current Allocation |
F83XBD |
38083 |
283 |
Volvo B10M Alexander |
CH47/35F |
04-Nov-02 |
Vehicle was withdrawn after service 28-5-04 - transferred to Northampton - sold to PVS Carlton for scrap April 2011 |
F85XBD |
38085 |
N/A |
Volvo B10M Alexander |
CH47/35F |
Sept 07 |
Withdrawn 7/09 -due a sized engine and sold to PVS Charlton for scrap 8/09 |
J297GNV |
38097 |
N/A |
Volvo B10M Alexander |
CH47/35F |
Sept 07 |
Withdrawn and transferred back to First Northampton 10/08 where it reentered service and was withdrawn 10/10 |