MidlandRed.net

Curious now as for whether this was being employed on a seasonal service to the Three Counties Showground, hence the ever informative 'Midland Red West' being displayed, or whether somebody was just having a play with the blinds. Could also be standing between an X43/4 and suffering from a loose number track, though unlikely. I am however aware, that a National would occasionally clock some motorway mileage!

For a time around 1985/86, a National was booked on the Saturday 18-05 X44 from Worcester to Birmingham, which nearly always upset the passengers. I used to say "have a go at me if we are late into Birmingham!" Of course it was a matter of keeping going as fast as possible on the A roads to Wychbold and thence from Lydiate Ash into The Bull Ring bus station. On the motorway a National was much better on the uphill sections and not much slower on the level than a Leopard when going North against the grade. I had 545 which would show 55 MPH on the speedo (probably only 50 MPH), 126 and 546, probably more than that to work this service. 546 was a slow bus and only showed about 43 MPH on the tacho, but even so with relatively light traffic you could be a couple of minutes early into B'ham, and not a whisper from the passengers! Strangely you could push a National flat out nearly all the way without the overheating tantrums that occurred on the 144 at Rubery; was it the constant stop start on stage carriage that made them boil over? It still happens with modern rear engined buses - so often not helped by clogged up radiators and intercooler rads so I'm told.