Overview
Neither Midland Red West or First Midland ever purchased any new Mercedes Benz 811D based minibuses. This was mainly due the rather inflexible agreement the Company made when minibuses were introduced in 1985 that meant any vehicle over 22 seats was classified as a big bus and the drivers are paid accordingly. Just after the merging of Midland Red West and Badgerline consideration was given to a follow on order of Optare Star Rider minibuses to the 24 Badgerline purchased (E800-823MOU). However following mechanical problems with the Badgerline examples this idea was soon abandoned. E807MOU latter joined the First Midland Red fleet via the First Western National and was operated from Worcester Garage and briefly from Hereford just before the vehicle was withdrawn. Midland Red West did however operate two demonstrator vehicles from it's Worcester Garage the first being G590PKL, a 24-seat Dormobile vehicle was operated between 18th July and 3rd August 1990 and was given the temporary fleet number 1590. The second vehicle was H389SYG, a 26-seat Optare example which was also used in service at Worcester garage between 20th November and 5th December 1990.
807 E807MOU
Midland
Red West acquired 807 (E807MOU) in February 1997 for use
on the Service C10 School Contract operated from
Worcester depot from from First Western National. The
vehicle was new to Badgerline. The C10 service was at
the time being operated by a 49-seat Leyland Leopard
coaches (either 853 or 854) but following a number of
minor accidents in the narrow lanes around Alfrick the
company decided a smaller vehicle was required. E807MOU
carried a B29F Optare and the engine had to be replaced
before the vehicle could enter service as original unit
had expired during the long journey from Cornwall to
Worcester. The required seatbelts were also fitted at
the same time and 807 finally entered service, still in
Western National livery. It was unpopular with drivers
at Worcester because it was unreliable and the extremely
soft suspension that made passengers feel seasick.
Although 807 was acquired for the C10 schools contract
it was also used on a number of other services such as
the Service 147 between Worcester and Redditch, and the
lunchtime Service 312 & 313 from Worcester to
Clifton-Upon-Teme. First Midland Red has since withdrawn
all of these services, and 807 later found work on the
C8 Droitwich High School contract. In July 2002, she
moved to Hereford depot but only saw about four weeks
service there before final withdrawal.
Registration Number | Fleet Number | Body type | Seating Capacity | Date into Service | Current Allocation | Livery |
E807MOU | 807 | Optare | B29F | Feb-97 | Withdrawn 8/02 - being sold to Erith Commercials in February 2003 - then to Nagington 8/08 via Brown of Congleton | Red and Cream |
51633/725/51636/1289/51790 - N523/5/6REW, P489/90CEG
In
January 2003 three Marshall bodied Mercedes 811D
vehicles were transferred to First Wyvern from sister
Company First Leicester and were placed in store a
Worcester Garage. These vehicle were new to First
Centrewest (now known as First London). P489CEG was
moved to Redditch in late February and entered service
on Monday 3rd March 2003. The vehicle is still painted
in all over red from its days in London. Since the
transfer of the majority of Dennis Darts to other
Garages in January there has been a shortage of vehicles
at Redditch and the use of these former Leicester
minibuses is seen as a short term answer. 729 was
renumbered 1289 to bring it's fleet number into the
minibus numbering scheme. The other two vehicles were
prepared for service at Worcester and are in the non low
floor Barbie livery and have been renumbered 1283 and
1290 respectively. 1290 entered service at Hereford
Garage on Thursday 3rd April 2003 in full Barbie 2
livery.1283 entered service during the 2003 Easter week
at Redditch. During the first week of May 2003 another
two members of the same batch of minibuses N525/6REW
arrived at Worcester Depot. N526NEW has been renumbered
1286 in line with the other vehicles in the same batch
and entered service at Redditch during the week
beginning 23rd June 2003. 1289 is currently withdrawn
with mechanical problems and following storage at
Kidderminster Garage was sold to the bus dealer Ramm, of
Heywood in November 2003. N525REW was sold on during
July 2003 to First Glasgow without use and has been
given the national fleet number 50474.
Registration Number | Fleet Number | Old Fleet Number | Body type | Seating Capacity | Date into Service | Current Allocation | Livery |
N523REW | 51633 | 1283 | Marshall | B28F | April-03 | Withdrawn 4/04 - Sold to James Tamworth 11/06 | Barbie 2 (1/03) |
N525REW | 725 | N/A | Marshall | B28F | N/A | Stored at Worcester and then sold to First Glasgow without use | LT Red with blue roof |
N526REW | 51636 | 1286 | Marshall | B28F | June-03 | Withdrawn 8/05 - Sold to James Tamworth 3/07 | LT Red with blue roof |
P489CEG | 1289 | N/A | Marshall | B28F | 03-Mar-03 | Withdrawn - due to major mechanical failure and sold to Ramm Heywood 11/03 - now with Somerbus 11/09 | LT Red |
P490CEG | 51790 | 1290 | Marshall | B28F | 03-Apr-03 | Withdrawn 8/05 - Sold to James Tamworth 3/07 | Barbie 2 (1/03) |
The five vehicles were part of a batch of ten (721-730 N521-7REW,P488/9/90CEG) which were new to First Centrewest for use on minibus services in the Orpington area in London. All ten were transferred to First Leicester in 1999 to replace the unpopular Renault S75's that had also come from London. |