Hinckley depot
Lower Coventry Road, Hinckley
- Red built steel-framed 3-bay garage with offices and workshops, purpose built by BMMO with a capacity for 50 vehicles indoors, and additional parking on a large forecourt.
- Depot opened by Birmingham and Midland Motor Omnibus Company Limited (BMMO—Midland “Red” Motor Services) on Tuesday 1st January 1935, using depot code HY.
- Whole site subject to a Requisition Order by Ministry Of Aircraft Production in December 1940. Following an appeal made by BMMO on Saturday 7th December 1940, only part of the building was turned over to the war effort. A partition wall was built and the building was extended at the rear by Alvis, who used the site to manufacture Merlin engines for Lancaster bombers, under licence from Rolls Royce.
- Small number of producer-gas buses operated from Hinckley depot by 1944. These included three SOS IM6, registration numbers HA8318, HA8319 and HA8320.
- Building extension passed to Birmingham and Midland Motor Omnibus Company Limited (BMMO—Midland “Red” Motor Services) after the end of the Second World War, increasing capacity to 60 vehicles.
- Company renamed to Midland Red Omnibus Company Limited (MROC) on Friday 29th March 1974, with a depot allocation of 38 vehicles and approximately 116 staff at this time.
- Depot closed on Saturday 12th May 1979, with the introduction of the “Hunter” MAP scheme, and the subsequent reorganising of services.
- Saw further use as Gas Board offices.
- Demolished and site is now used for housing.
On Friday 6th April 1990, Midland Fox Limited acquired the business and operations of Powner & Waterfield (trading as “NWP Travel”) of Hinckley. This included a previously unrelated bus garage on Dedwells Bridge Industrial Estate, Hinckley, which was taken over by Midland Fox Limited with depot code HK.
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