Mercedes-Benz L508D  

1405 A669XDA 

A669XDA was a Mercedes-Benz L508D mini-coach with a DP19F Reeves Burgess body and was new to Midland Red Coaches in 1984. It was acquired by Midland Red West Limited on 23rd December 1986 when the two companies were jointly privatised. Like a number of vehicles acquired with the Midland Red Coaches business the vehicle was actually in store at the time of purchase. However the vehicle was soon sent to Carlyle Works to be converted for bus work. A destination blind, one-man operation equipment and a power operated door were fitted which required two seats to be removed making it DP17F by February 1987. The vehicle was repainted into yellow, red and orange Reddilink livery, re-licensed and entered service at Redditch depot as 1405 on Tuesday 7th April 1987. Redditch Garage was regularly short of minibuses as the there was a requirement for 16 out of the 18 Mercedes 608D to be in service at any one time 1405 was unpopular with drivers, and having only 17 seats made it a poor substitute for a Mercedes Benz 608D. It was later moved to Digbeth depot as a spare vehicle and driver trainer in 1989 and then finally to Kidderminster depot where it was used on the local Kidderminster Service 7 to Green Hill and for driver training in February 1995. 1405 survived long enough with Midland Red West to be repainted into the standard bus livery of red and cream, and was finally withdrawn in November 1995, being store at Worcester depot for a short time before being scrapped.