Midland Red: BMMO D9 — Miscellaneous Information

Vehicles Converted to Open Top

All of the 345 type D9 double-deck buses built by BMMO operated their entire service with the company in standard form with fixed roofs.  However, after being withdrawn, Prince Marshall (“Obsolete Fleet”) of London acquired seven examples to operate open-top sightseeing tours around London on behalf of London Transport.  These vehicles were converted to open-top and repainted to overall red London Transport livery by LPC Coachworks of Hounslow and entered service with Obsolete Fleet in April and May 1975.  They remained in service in London, along with a small number of standard fixed-roof BMMO D9 double-deck buses that Obsolete Fleet also operated, for about five years before withdrawal.

Details of the seven BMMO D9 double-deck buses converted to open-top as as follows…

4903 (903KHA) — OM1

Example Photograph
Example Photograph

4903 was new in January 1961 at Redditch depot, and later saw service Banbury depot, Nuneaton depot and Wigston depot before being withdrawn in December 1974.  She operated as fleet number OM1 while in service with Obsolete Fleet, and after being withdrawn in December 1983, she was exported to Germany where she operated as a promotional vehicle in overall blue livery until 2001 when she revieved and overhaul and was repainted to overall green livery…  See http://www.mehnert-promotion.de

4917 (917KHA) — OM7

Example Photograph

4917 was new to Worcester depot in April 1974.  It moved to Evesham depot in May 1967, then Hereford depot in January 1973.  She was withdrawn in November 1974 and passed to Obsolete Fleet as fleet number OM7.  She was withdrawn and scrapped in October 1980.

Corgi Classics Limited produced a Limied Edition 1:76 scale diecast model of this vehicle as operated by Price Marshall.  The model is number OM45607 in Corgi's “The Original Omnibus Company” range, and 3100 examples were produced.
 

4959 (2959HA) — OM3

Example Photograph

4959 was new in February 1962 at Dudley depot.  She later saw service at Tamworth depot from July 1969, Leamington Spa depot form May 1971, Southgate Street depot, Leicester form October 1971, and Wigston depot form April 1974, before being withdrawn in August 1974.  She operated as fleet number OM3 while in service with Obsolete Fleet.
 

5016 (3016HA) — OM5

Example Photograph
Example Photograph

5016 entered service at Redditch depot in November 1962.  She moved to Nuneaton depot in March 1969, then Rugby depot in September 1971, before being withdrawn by Midland Red in November 1974.  She operated with fleet number OM5 while in service with Obsolete Fleet until June 1981, and then passed to the BaMMOT in January 1984, where she has been preserved in overall red London Transport livery.
 

5035 (3035HA) — OM6

Example Photograph

5035 was new to Stafford depot in January 1963 and remained in service at that depot until being withdrawn in November 1974.  She passed to Obsolete Fleet as fleet number OM6, and was subsequently used at Duxford Airfield, before passing to the Aston Manor Transport Museum in 1987, where it is now preserved and undergoing restoration.
 

5043 (3043HA) — OM4

Example Photograph

5043 Entered service at Redditch depot in February 1963, before moving to Coalville depot in December 1967, and then Sandacre Street depot, Leicester in December 1971.  She was withdrawn in August 1974 and passed to Obsolete Fleet as fleet number OM4.  This vehicle was scrapped in May 1978.
 

5301 (6301HA) — OM2

Example Photograph
Example Photograph

5301 as new in March 1961 to Stafford depot, moving to Ludlow depot in June 1966, then to Hereford depot in February 1971.  She was withdrawn in October 1974, passing to Obsolete Fleet as fleet number OM2.  She later saw service with Black Country Tours.
 

At some time, presumably while with Prince Marshall (“Obsolete Fleet”), fleet numbers 4903 (OM1) and 5016 (OM5) managed to get their registration plates mixed up.  As a result, fleet number 5016, preserved at the BaMMOT, carried the incorrect registration number 903KHA for a while.  The mistake was only realised and corrected when someone at the museum noticed the chassis number was not what they had expected it to be!