Midland “Red” Motor Services (BMMO & MROC)
“Standard” SOS — Preserved
R/No: HA3501
Preserved by BaMMOT
HA3501 was one of the first vehicles fully built by Birmingham and Midland Motor Omnibus Company Limited (BMMO—Midland “Red” Motor Services) in 1925, the year BMMO started fully building their own vehicles. The vehicle entered service on Friday 1st January 1926, and continued in service with BMMO for about 18-months until June 1927, when it was one of five examples of the type to be withdrawn and sold to Peterborough Electric Traction Company Limited.
The service history of this vehicle is not well documented, but it was still in service when Peterborough Electric Traction Company Limited became part of the newly formed Eastern Counties Omnibus Company Limited on Tuesday 14th July 1931. Eastern Counties modernised the bodywork by fitting curved outer steel panels to the wooden bodywork to give the appearance of the vehicle being lower, and it also had disc wheels fitted at some point. It is believed the vehicle was withdrawn and sold in 1938, becoming a caravan.
In 1974, the vehicle was acquired by the Birmingham Omnibus Preservation Society (“BOPS”) and then became part of the Birmingham and Midland Motor Omnibus Trust (“BaMMOT”) fleet when the trust was formed in November 1977.
Work has been done by the trust to ensure the preservation of the vehicle but it will require a major, and very expensive, restoration before it can be returned to its original condition.