With Birmingham and Midland Motor Omnibus Company Limited (BMMO—Midland “Red” Motor Services) being in the unique position of building their own vehicles, the company operated a wide range of prototype, development and experimental vehicles.
Until 1953/4, all of the companies development work was carried out at Bearwood depot, and such vehicles were tested on services operated from that garage. Following the redevelopment and reopening of their Central Works, BMMO moved the development work to the more modern facilities offered by that site and tested vehicles from a number of depots in the area.
Fleet # | Reg # | Type Code | Built | Vehicle Details | Results of Development | ||||
D | i | 1591 | BHA 1 | S1 1 | 1941 | SOS REC new in 1935, with rear mounted petrol engine. Rebuilt in 1941 with an under-floor mounted horizontal version of BMMO K-type 8.028-litre diesel engine. Bodywork rebuilt and extensively restyled. | |||
i | 1942 | CHA 1 | S2 1 | 1942 | SOS REC new in 1936, with rear mounted petrol engine. Rebuilt in 1942 with an under-floor mounted horizontal version of BMMO K-type 8.028-litre engine. Original body sold and replaced with modified body from CHA2. | ||||
i | 1943 | CHA 2 | S3 1 | 1943 | Chassis and engine as CHA1 but with Wilson preselective gearbox. Original body used on CHA1, and replaced with modified body from CHA3. | ||||
i | 1944 | CHA 3 | S4 1 | 1944 | Mechanically identical to CHA1. Original body used on CHA2, and replaced with new bodywork built at Carlyle Works. | ||||
i | 2541 | HHA 1 | D1 1 | 1944 | Prototype rear entrance double-deck bus with 56 seat four-bay body built by Weymann to BMMO design. To service in 1945. | Production version built from 1949 as the BMMO D5. | |||
i | 2579 | HHA 222 | S5 | 1946 | Prototype integral single-deck bus. | Integral design further developed with the BMMO S14 prototype, and used in production from 1955. | |||
i | 3220 | JHA 820 | S8 | 1960 | Standard production BMMO S8 extended to an overall length of 45′ (13.72m) to demonstrate to the Ministry of Transport the viability of increasing the legal maximum length of single-deck buses. Later rebuilt to standard specification. | In 1961, the law changed to allow a compromise length of 36′ 0″ (10.97m). | |||
D | i | 3441 | LHA 441 | S9 Mk.I | 1950 | Production BMMO S9 fitted with a redesigned square front from new, incorporating electrically operated platform doors, modified grille, bumpers and polished aluminium mouldings. Also known as the “American S9” | |||
D | i | 3694 | NHA 694 | S13 Mk.I | 1950 | Prototype 30′ single-deck bus - entered service 1st June 1950, on the day that 30′ buses became legal. Built to a similar appearance to BMMO S9 Mk.I fleet number number 3441, with polished mouldings and raised “Midland” fleet names. | |||
D | i | 3703 | NHA 703 | S11 | 1950 | BMMO S10 fitted with independent front suspension. Conventional suspension fitted in 1957. | |||
i | 3877 | OHA 877 | S13 Mk.II | 1951 | 2nd Prototype 30′ single-deck bus with 44 seat bodywork built in-house at Carlyle Works. | ||||
i | 3878 | OHA 878 | S13 Mk.II | 1951 | 3rd Prototype 30′ single-deck bus with smaller entrance and 44 seat bodywork built by Willowbrook. | ||||
i | 3879 | OHA 879 | S13 Mk.II | 1951 | 4th Prototype 30' single-deck bus with 40 seat dual-purpose bodywork built in-house at Carlyle Works, and an experimental grill. | ||||
i | 3919 | OHA 919 | S13 Mk.II | Production BMMO S13 rebuilt as B32D with expermental two door layout. Rebuilt as B44F in 1954. | |||||
i | 3977 | OHA 977 | LA | 1951 | Prototype SIngle deck bus based on the BMMO S13, built using Light Alloy materials and new 120bhp 10½-litre engine. | 10½-litre engine later used in all production vehicles. | |||
i | 4178 | THA 778 | S14 | 1954 | Prototype integral single-deck bus built with lightweight materials, continuing development from the BMMO S5 and BMMO LA. Independent front wheel suspension and toggle link rear suspension, disc brakes and fully automatic gearbox. | Production vehicles built from 1955, but with a 4-speed constant mesh manual gearbox. | |||
D | ` | i | 4722 | 722 BHA | C5 | 1958 | Prototype 37-seat coach based on BMMO S14 single-deck bus. | 46 Production examples built from 1958. | |
` | i | 4773 | 773 FHA | D9 | 1958 | Prototype 30′ double-deck bus with 140bhp 10½-litre BMMO KL engine and 4 speed CAV semi-automatic gearbox. | 344 Production examples built from 1960. | ||
` | i | 4801 | 801 HHA | CM5T | 1959 | Turbo-charged version of BMMO C5 coach with toilet and 5 speed overdrive gearbox, for motorway use. | An additional 17 production examples built from 1959. | ||
D | ` | i | 4943 | 943 KHA | D10 Mk.I | 1961 | Prototype double-deck bus with underfloor engine. | ||
D | ` | i | 4944 | 1944 HA | D10 Mk.II | 1961 | Second prototype double-deck bus with underfloor engine. Also built with expermental twin entrance / exit and stair case. | ||
D | ` | i | 5093 | 5093 HA | S19 | 1964 | BMMO S17 with expermental suspension. | ||
D | ` | i | 5722-4 | DHA 722C-4C | S21A | 1966 | Three BMMO S17 single-deck buses with expermental interiors. | ||
` | i | 6391 | YHA 391J | M2 | 1977 | Standard production Ford R192 shortened by removing two bays to make a 27 seat midibus. | After trials an additional eleven vehicles were also converted. |