4482

[bmmoboy]

Taken from the BaMMoT Facebook page, are a couple of pics showing the repaint of 4482

59918698-0459-48DE-88FE-C228F855B962.jpeg

[bmmoboy]

A couple more pics of 4482, from the same source, showing that this will be a truly sensational vehicle when finished.

[TimBrown]

A couple more pics of 4482, from the same source, showing that this will be a truly sensational vehicle when finished.

I am really glad that a D7 in form of 4482 is likely to be back on the road this year after extensive restoration work. For someone of my age in their late seventies early eighties, D7's were everywhere on the Midland Red network in 1950's and 1960's - a 'maid of all work' for double-deckers. Whilst they were, and still are, one of my favourite old buses please be aware that being of lightweight construction they are very basic inside, all side cladding panels downstairs below the windows are plain aluminium painted chestnut brown. Upstairs, there are no cladding panels below the windows meaning all the framework is exposed with only the outer panelling (painted chestnut brown on the inside) to protect passengers from the elements. Seating is brown/fawn moquette downstairs and brown leather-like material upstairs. With seating for 37 passengers upstairs within a 27 feet 6 inch body, legroom is somewhat tight - if you sit in the top deck front row of seats your nose is more or less up against the front window.

Suspension was hard when the bus lightly loaded, but D7's rode well with a full compliment of passengers with very little body roll unlike GD6's, D5B's and LD8's. D7's were sound mechanically, generally very reliable, noisy at speed but I am told the only routine maintenance, other than checking water levels and refuelling, was clutch and brake adjustment. Performance was adequate, bus stops at the bottom of steep inclines meant a struggling slog in a low gear because of the slow constant mesh gearbox (waiting for the revs to drop!), but most examples had a good turn of speed once opened up on level main roads. That David Brown four speed gearbox was silent on second, third and top but gave a distinctive growl in first which was rarely used, except on steep hill starts, as second gear was the usual choice of most drivers when pulling away from bus stops.

D7's worked a multitude of local services around Birmingham, the Black Country, Leicestershire, Staffordshire, Shropshire, Evesham and Hereford, with Worcester and Malvern's allocation being used on longer trunk routes.

From memory here are some of the long runs;
X34/35 Shrewsbury-Ludlow-Hereford, X68 Birmingham-Coventry-Leicester,
X72 Birmingham-Worcester-Gloucester, 144 Birmingham-Worcester-Malvern Wells,
148 Birmingham-Redditch-Evesham, 192 Birmingham-Kidderminster-Ludlow,
196 Birmingham-Wolverhampton-Stafford, 315/6 Worcester-Kidderminster-Stourbridge, 662 Leicester-Melton Mowbray-Grantham.

[bmmoboy]

My memory on D7s is not as intensive as yours, particularly about the lack of an inner skin on the upstairs cladding. I didn't travel on many D7s, as I usually preferred the more attractive (in my opinion) D9s or even a D12, whilst coming back from Brum on the 144.
I am hoping that 4482 will be ready this year, even though there is no day dedicated to Midland Red.

[TimBrown]

A few D7's were used by BMMO for experimental purposes including;

4368, VHA 368 which received a Self Changing Gears semi-automatic gearbox in 1958, I wasn't fortunate to ride in this bus but reckon it may have been quicker away on hill starts.
4433, VHA 433 was used by Central Works in 1957/1958 for trials of an air-cooled version of BMMO 8 litre engine; at the time rumours in Buses Illustrated magazine were quite strong about the forthcoming production D9's having an air-cooled engine, which didn't happen of course.

In December 1963 the following buses were fitted with turbocharged 8 litre engines which they retained until the end of 1967 when most were withdrawn;
4084, THA 84; 4099, THA 99; 4103 THA103; 4162, THA 162; 4169, THA 169;
4369, VHA 369 & 4539, XHA 539.

Incidentally D5B 3839, NHA 839 and prototype D9 4773, 773 FHA were also fitted with turbo-charged 8 litre engines, the latter reverting to the 'standard' 10.5 litre engine after a few years service.

I managed a trip on 4103 working a 315/6 from Worcester to Stourbridge and it pulled up Castle Street in top gear with a full seated load, where a normally aspirated D7 would need to drop into third gear at the bottom of the hill when rounding the corner from Croft Road into Castle Street. Does anyone know the thinking behind the fitment of turbo's to the above buses; was there a plan to convert many more, or was it to try and give more power for hilly Black-Country routes?

[Fred]

I will be delighted to see 4482 on the road again, and hopefully have a ride, as the D7 was my favourite when travelling to 'big' school in Redditch. However that only lasted one term due to the arrival of five D12s which resulted in all but 4767 being transferred. I can't help thinking however that the last of the excellent photos above bears an uncanny similarity to the D5B. If only!!!

[DD12]

I can't help thinking however that the last of the excellent photos above bears an uncanny similarity to the D5B. If only!!!

I thought exactly the same Fred !

[bmmoboy]

The latest photos from BaMMoT's facebook page showing some of the windows refitted, and lining and transfers applied. It is going to be a fantastic vehicle when it is finished.