MidlandRed.net

Apologies if I’ve posted this before, but I don’t think I have. Found this on my hard-drive the other day, 42353 was the first of the ex-park and ride Darts to be withdrawn but is seen here some 10 months before that happened.


27th December 2013.

I only drove one of those once - on a couple of 30s when I was still learning. The blue dash was a bit of a shock but I do regret not making a note of which one it was as they are now gone.

MattW wrote: ↑

22:44 Monday 4th July 2016

...as they are now gone.

But then so are you!

I never really liked the Park+Ride Darts. Even when new I was not fond of them, and by the time they were retired they were bloody terrible!

The "Jersey" Darts were better. Their small size made them superb around the housing estates in and out of the parked cars, and also down narrow rural lanes. However, they always seemed twitchy and nervous at speed so could be interesting on the open road.

I was hoping to drive one at the Hereford Closure day but unfortunaly or fortunaly depending on your point of view, I didn't lol

Matt560Breese wrote: ↑

21:08 Tuesday 5th July 2016

I was hoping to drive one at the Hereford Closure day but unfortunaly or fortunaly depending on your point of view, I didn't lol

Shame you didn't get a chance to drive one as you would have realised just how good everything else is!

quite could be as bad though as my dart lol that is totally Brocken

Ah, 42353 was the only example from this batch I never drove.

I did have the privilege of driving my old favourite 42354 on a full Service 420 from Hereford to Worcester one Saturday afternoon; substituting for an Enviro that expired at the Country Bus Station.

As we're in the mood for reminiscing, here's 42352 at Belmont West in Hereford whilst I was over there on loan last July.

Red Midland wrote: ↑

17:27 Sunday 10th July 2016

...I did have the privilege of driving my old favourite 42354 on a full Service 420 from Hereford to Worcester one Saturday afternoon...

A few shorts of your old favourite from the inside. All taken on 3rd August 2015 while parked in Tesco Bus Station... Probably killing time before having to endure yet another 75!

AdamH wrote: ↑

18:15 Sunday 10th July 2016

A few shorts of your old favourite from the inside.

Thanks, Adam!
That's really thoughtful.
You had to include the original fleet number still adorning the cab. I'd almost forgotten just how busy that moquette was, too.
Oddly enough, I photographed 42352 as a means of killing time on a 75...

As I suspected, it was the 75... Just found these in a collection taken on a different camera but with the same date.