Bristol RE Buses

Vehicle and Fleet discussions for First Midland Red Buses Limited or its predecessor, Midland Red West Limited.
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Reddibus
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Joined: 18:46 Tuesday 22nd January 2019

Bristol RE Buses

Post by Reddibus » 17:19 Saturday 4th May 2019

During the late 1980’s and early 1990’s Midland Red West had two flat screen Bristol RE buses stored at the rear top end of the Redditch Plymouth Road Bus depot behind the depot building so were not visible from the road. One was definitely UHY634H. Both had been converted into exhibition buses with the seats removed and many of the windows plated over and were used to advertise National Express Coach services in the early 1980’s. I never saw them move and their key role appeared to pen in and protect the S12 3750 that was also parked at the time in that part of the garage. I understand they were owned by Midland Red West, maybe coming with the purchase of the Bristol OC business ? or I had even heard it suggested directly by Ken Mills the then Managing Director of MRW ? Does anyone know what happened to the vehicles ?

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AdamH
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Re: Bristol RE Buses

Post by AdamH » 18:29 Sunday 5th May 2019

I don’t have any information about these vehicles, but I seem to remember seeing a photo of one of them some time ago. Maybe in Chris Sampson’s collection?

ANDREW
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Location: Bromsgrove.

Re: Bristol RE Buses

Post by ANDREW » 18:36 Sunday 5th May 2019

"Busview" has UHY634H as new to Bristol Omnibus in 12/69 , then to City of Oxford in 11/82 , then sold in 4/83 , then to National Travel West [LA] in 8/83. Said to be withdrawn in 12/86 and extinct by 3/90. As always , these dates may not be 100% accurate.

ANDREW
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Re: Bristol RE Buses

Post by ANDREW » 18:53 Sunday 5th May 2019

And a further dig into Busview give similar vehicle HRN255G as being a publicity vehicle with National North West and being allocated fleet number PV2. So, would "UHY" have been PV1 ?? :P

ANDREW
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Re: Bristol RE Buses

Post by ANDREW » 19:03 Sunday 5th May 2019

ANDREW wrote:
18:53 Sunday 5th May 2019
So, would "UHY" have been PV1 ?? :P

Maybe not !! Photo's of the two vehicles mentioned can be found on Flickr and one caption suggests three or more of these vehicles existed . . . . :shock:

ChrisS
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Re: Bristol RE Buses

Post by ChrisS » 19:14 Monday 6th May 2019

UHY634H and HRN255G were the two of them. HRN ended up on the patch at WR during the mid 80s,it then ended up next to 3750 at RH patch,along with UHY..... The Bristol RE badge and ECW badges of HRN live on in further preservation
MRW 174-c-NCN974L-6429-HRN255G 150486 CPS.jpg
:-)
3750-b 031186 cps.jpg

ANDREW
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Re: Bristol RE Buses

Post by ANDREW » 17:53 Tuesday 7th May 2019

DAE509K was another such machine. :)

Reddibus
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Re: Bristol RE Buses

Post by Reddibus » 18:54 Tuesday 7th May 2019

Thanks for the replies

With regards to the pictures the top one is the Worcester patch and the Leyland National is 174 NCN974L the only one actually withdrawn from Redditch when the minibuses were introduced at Worcester - 120-3,250/1 moved from Worcester to Redditch in November 1985 to increase the frequency on what is now the 57/8 to every 6 minutes (many of the newer Nationals were taken out of service but stored in the then closed Bromsgrove Garage as the Worcester, Kidderminster and Redditch minibus networks started and were reinstated on 26th October 1986 with the opening of the Digbeth operation). I would think the picture was taken in late 1985/early 1986.

The second picture is the back of the Plymouth Road bus park at Redditch and is how I remember seeing the two Bristols penning in 3750. Must have been taken in the daytime as the Redditch minibuses were parked across the back of the bus park at night

DD12
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Re: Bristol RE Buses

Post by DD12 » 19:13 Tuesday 7th May 2019

Nice bit of MRW nostalgia thanks Reddibus !

-- -- we don't get enough nostalgia on here from Staffs + Shropshire; Leicestershire + Derbys; Warwickshire + Banbury; and B'ham + the Black Country --
-- there must be so many interesting memories, and you don't have to be a bus enthusiast to share them !!

ChrisS
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Re: Bristol RE Buses

Post by ChrisS » 12:30 Wednesday 8th May 2019

Guy,
15th April 1986 and 3rd November 1986 respectively
Chris

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