Growing up in Wolverhampton (still there now) in 90's just all the double deckers was Metrobuses and odd Fleetlines, then just metrobuses, Mk1's gone in around 1998 which left mk2's and mk2A's and final lot was withdrawn in 2009. Always remember the odd differences between the mk1, mk2 (even the mk2 had their own differences with old WMT time saver versions having coach sttle seats instead of bench seats and different destination blinds compared to the standard mk2's) & Mk2A's They was such the work horse of the West Midlands really.
I always use to love sitting at the back downstairs on a metrobus as a kid flying down the Uxbridge road or when I visited my grandparents near Hampton Court and getting one of the ex airbus examples on the 267! .... that whine of the retarder is a noise I'll never forget
In your video you state that the MCW works were at Washwood Heath,near Birminghm. As a Brummie who lived in Washwood Heath for years I can tell you Washwood Heath is in Birmingham being an inner City district of Birmingham since at least the 1900's being in the postal disrict of Birmingham B8 and the picture of the China Motor Bus MCW Metrobus at 2.23, this livery was a copy of the then West Midlands PTE livery but a lighter blue
Great video here! The Metrobus was THE bus of my childhood- they flooded the network here in the west midlands in the 80s and 90s. There is no comparable bus imo. I never did discover how many full rotations the steering wheel completed before locking?? All the best.
@@robertcaulfield5233 Hi Robert. Glad you liked it. I don't remember how many rotations of the wheel lock to lock, but I do remember how the wheel snatched when you drove over potholes 😱
Hi i'm viatron from Sheffield once again, I remember the M.C.W. METROBUS Mk.l & Mk.ll versions were a very great success thoughout the late-70s & the early to mid-80s. But one forgotten double deck bus which was built by a world known truck firm such as Foden & the double deck bus body built by Northern Counties of Wigan known as the Foden NC via being built in the late-70s with a Gardner 6LXB diesel engine mounted transversed at the rear & a very unusual Maxwell 5-speed fully automatic gearbox what had been used on the Dennis Domino midibus version. Well Foden did built both single & double deck bus & coach bodies onto both PVD & PVS plus the PVR chassises & with a choice of diesel engines such as the standard Gardner 6LW & 5LW & the very unusual FODEN EF6 6-cylinder two Stroke diesel engine which sounded like a motorcycle but on a larger scale & you should make a video of the rise & fall of the Foden NC & it's past vintage buses & coaches in your next British Bus Histories coming soon. Thank you for your co-operation on this very special vintage Foden NC bus subject from David Viatron Esquire of crookes in Sheffield.
@@ViatronTumpington Hi David. Thank you for your comments. I might have to do an episode on that one.... I remember seeing the pictures. Impressive looking bus.
@@discogareth He's my pet. Although he's a bit indisposed due to water in the gearbox. I hope to sort him out this winter. I also have a couple of Hooper Metrocabs too.
The Metrobus was integral to my growing up, taking over my two local London Bus routes, the 292 and 107 when I was 11 and 12 respectively, so going anywhere on my own without my parents usually involved one, as they became ubiquitous in and around north west London. When I worked indirectly for London Buses in the early 2000s there were still some strongholds like the 29, but by then low floor buses were dominant, so I never got to drive one, sadly.
Took my test on a DMS but went to Potters Bazaar so drove London MK1’s MK1’s M2’s and Alexander bodied ones , you forgot to mention the London MK 1’s where built with hydraulic brakes like a RM and Titan later converted to air , a lot of that was done by Dennis at Guildford, also reversing a Metro I was told by the late Harry Lansdown who ran the engineering training school at PB and who had been responsible for the original trail metros at LT that they were restricted in reverse as a safety feature
They were a part of Sydney's streetscape for over 10 years in the form of ex Hong Kong 12m super metrobuses with the latest Cummins Euro 5 compliant engines. Very high revving turbos unlike the loping Gardner 6LXB engines. ML1 which you pictured is part of the Sydney Bus Museum collection and it has it's Gardner 6LXBT. I've had one ride in it and it sounds just as amazing slowing down as driving off. It was my first ride in a metro in 19 years since my London visit, so you can imagine my buzz. Ex Arriva M450 made it down this way. I used to see it going in Woy Woy an hour north of Sydney before it went to the Blue Mountains 2 hours west doing sightseeing work (unchopped) painted back into LT roundel livery before ending up in Tasmania. PS I finally found out why the same Voith gearbox gives a much higher pitch in it's trademark whine in the Metrobus over others. It's use of input angle drive as opposed to output angle drive in other transverse rear engine buses. The driveshaft going into the gearbox is spinning it faster for the same road speed.
@@jamesfrench7299 very interesting James. I should have put in about the ones that were exported second hand. They're everywhere now. I have to confess, I don't know a massive amount mechanically about the Metros. It's the one make of bus I've not got down and dirty with.
To me, the best type I have ever driven. I'm a huge fan of the MCW product. Driven many hundreds over the years. Great videos of an era defining vehicle. Top scores from this judge.
@@brianwood9913 I was a South London bod, being at Stockwell. The Metro was, and still is, iconic to my mind. Yes I had mechs in them, but nothing like the amount that I had in other types, including the famous rear platformed type. To drive an M, is to drive happy.
@@AaronOxfordExmouth1989 Meh! Can't beat a well maintained Routemaster. It will run rings around any bus. When I say we'll maintained, pre bus-deregulation before they ran them into the ground and didn't care about them. Spotless in my garage Westbourne Park (X)
We only had Metros & Titans on one route 18s when I was at Westbourne Park (X) in 84-86 still with a conductor. I didn't like the brake retarder, approaching a set of traffic lights about to change & nothing happening for a split second. Can't remember which was which but on one the handbrake sprung on & the other it sprung off. I was going along one day about 15mph, flicked the handbrake & it sprung on and we came up in a heap 😱 😳 I revved the engine for a minute or so as if something was wrong with the bus 😁 Give me a Routemaster ❤ any day 🥰
@@kristinajendesen7111 Metros could sometimes give a hop, skip and a jump stop sometimes! We used to say at East Kent the Metrobuses were the only vehicle you make everyone sit down and then stand up by a twitch of your ankle!
Hi Jake At The GVVT Today Sunday 13/10/24 How Different Our Buses Were In Local Authority Area's In Their Day You Could Tell By The Number Plate Who It Belonged To Now Most Are Either S- Or Y- Registered ADL's
Grew up with them needed up Driving them in their later days. First experiences with Metros was garage jolly to the Seaside from Hanwell and Southall Garages
Never driven a mk2 only mk1s,passed my test with London United M30 was my training bus in cream and red it’s band 3 LT radio was still fitted so we done radio too , Graham Madge was my instructor he and Ray southall lovely blokes ,yes to me the whine of a metro is music ,I too drove the same buses on the 220 I went to school on in Fulham when they replaced B20 fleetlines in 84 I drove the 220 in 96/97,jake before I fall off my perch I would love one more drive of my office on wheels the mighty metro ,thank you so much for this video mate I’m proud to have driven them All the best to you Mark 😊😊
@@marksinthehouse1968 Hi Mark. Good to hear from you. I'd love to have a drive of a Metro too - an East Kent Mk 2 (not sure if any survive?) or a London one. Never driven an Airbus, that would be nice. We'll have to make friends with a Metrobus owner!
@@JakeSCOCthere’s M6 at brooklands the first production London metro M1-5 we’re trial buses so as a certain mr Daniel’s who parked his RT on our bus deck at Westbourne Park I think we should drop him a line say you have two experienced metro drivers here 😂😂can we have a drive around the site please 😊
@@fulwell1hi mate ray was a laugh Graham was a great instructor I passed first time in 96 I may know you I worked at V and S and knew cyclops Kelly. He was forward allocation at the brook then fulwell
@marksinthehouse1968 I was a bit later than you in 99 - originally due to go to S but was flipped to FW at the last minute, and loved it... another one that was going to do to it for a year and never left. I've been round the block as a Controller, was an allocator before that and now I am in schedules
Hi Jake , Dad said "he always thought the Metrobus looked highly attractive and suited very well to the London General livery (the small General logo applied by the exit door)". Great video
@@jadeboswell-rz2ly Hi Jade. I do agree there. When I worked at London Central, I loved their livery that was based on the General livery. Thanks for watching
The operator I work for had some ex Stagecoach P_EFL Olympians with Voith gearboxes and they needed a load of welly to move anywhere in reverse, must be a trait of those gearboxes
O absolutely loved these buses. Greater manchester,tameside, Oldham areas. I thought they where so modern looking. Always made my day when one turned up instead of the only other buses atlanteen all thought the 80s. They where so much quicker when the driver put his foot day. But what I miss is the unique sound it made, usually when the driver was slowing down or just easing off or coasting along . I no there gears are what ever, automatic, or semi auto gear boxes,as iv never driver a bus,and once again setting off building up to speed quickly, sounded like an ultra modern big posh car with that was fast with a smooth auto box fitted. They did get thrashed about ,. I just to always sit downstairs right at the back next to the emergency door, and the loud rattle and banging you got going over a big pot holes sounded bad like the suspension and axel where going to come off. Sometimes the drivers little door which had the ticket machine and cash draw would fly open. But the back lights,... wow. The individual 4 red lights where soo cool. I thought lol😅😊
Hi jake the last West Midlands metro buses were taken off the road in 2010 the last metro bus made was 3124 and was for travel West Midlands the oldest metro in service was a mark 2 2462 that was a x reg
I worked for travel West Midlands as well and drove many a mark 1 and and mark 2 metro bus also we had a lot of mark2 a metro bus they were e reg to g reg and also had db metro buses and with 4 speed gear boxes and in the 80 there a fleet of trackline metros as well
I Jake when the metro bus came out wmpte had 5 mark one 6830 to 6835 and 5 leyland titans to try out at the time they ordered more titans to metro buses but because of issues at leyland and delays they decided to order more metro buses also they had some fitted with rolls-Royce engines because there was a shortage of Gardner engines and they fired two mark 2 metro buses with Cummins engines both were done in house
My first job driving buses was with the MK2 Metrobus. Mcall's of Dumbarton bought a job lot of them and used them on local Dumbarton/Alexandria services. The livery was rather bright lets just say,
Interestingly, you mentioned the flowery laminates on the East Kent Metrobuses. I wonder if they’re same ones as all the WMT examples. Did MCW raid the parts bin for these?
@@JakeSCOC as far as I’m aware, the only diverted WMT bus was demonstrator F181YDA which was to full WM spec including the 4 track number blinds. It was pulled off the production line in the middle of their last order of 150. Where that bus was replaced, only 149 entered WM service as G107FJW was sent to Optare and never came back to the West Mids.
I was a Stacker/ fueler at a depo completely agree about the slow reversing feature on the metrobuses although I think it was a safety feature as our Dennis dominators were the same
It's the Voith gearbox doing that. I drove MAN SL202s built in 1989 that had the same Voith DIWA 851.2 as much of the MCWs had, and it stuff the same thing. I found key was to lift off the throttle as soon as the engine started bogging down and repeat then you could make better progress.
@jamesfrench7299 ..we learned a lot of things as stackers trust me lol, even getting a bus started back up that had died at the fueling pumps by using the oil dip stick to touch the solenoid to turn the engine over 😅
Laird management warned , any member of staff was found to be organising a management buy out would be terminated immediately, MCW was deemed a loss maker yet MC railway had not delivered a train for 2years yet amazingly was sold making a profit, all this was because of Lairds problems with the channel tunnel finances, the LDV and MCW site is now part of the HS2 project repair and marshalling yard, i spent my best working years at MCW working in development on bus , coach and taxi
@@colineccles6113 very interesting Colin. Thank you for commenting. As an owner of a genuine MCW Metrocab and hopefully soon a Metroliner it's sad to hear about the politics behind the sale
@@JakeSCOC i also have a Metrocab TTT 2002 , i have seen your posts on enthusiasts of Metrocab, which i also comment on, on closure of Metrocab in 2003 myself and a partner set up a taxi repair shop in Coventry until 2017 when emisson’s ended there service which was a good time to retire
@@colineccles6113 Ah yes. I thought I recognised your name. Things certainly have changed over the last few years with all the emissions. Taken the fun out of working with vehicles now in my opinion.
Yep, very personal and very gushy! When the law is changed to allow blokes to marry buses, I know who is going to be first down to the registry office with his MCW Metrobus!
![Dennis Loline Story: The Elusive Lowest Bus at the Highest Price [UK Bus History]](/img/n.gif)
One of the Best in the World!
Legend ❤
@@ansoncheng5039 Glad you enjoyed it
Growing up in Wolverhampton (still there now) in 90's just all the double deckers was Metrobuses and odd Fleetlines, then just metrobuses, Mk1's gone in around 1998 which left mk2's and mk2A's and final lot was withdrawn in 2009.
Always remember the odd differences between the mk1, mk2 (even the mk2 had their own differences with old WMT time saver versions having coach sttle seats instead of bench seats and different destination blinds compared to the standard mk2's) & Mk2A's
They was such the work horse of the West Midlands really.
@@Mikekay1992 That must have been a lovely sound track to grow up to Mike?
I always use to love sitting at the back downstairs on a metrobus as a kid flying down the Uxbridge road or when I visited my grandparents near Hampton Court and getting one of the ex airbus examples on the 267! .... that whine of the retarder is a noise I'll never forget
@@tarondenby Aww I'm envious. I've never been on an Airbus one.
In your video you state that the MCW works were at Washwood Heath,near Birminghm. As a Brummie who lived in Washwood Heath for years I can tell you Washwood Heath is in Birmingham being an inner City district of Birmingham since at least the 1900's being in the postal disrict of Birmingham B8 and the picture of the China Motor Bus MCW Metrobus at 2.23, this livery was a copy of the then West Midlands PTE livery but a lighter blue
@@peterwilliamallen1063 You'll have to forgive me. I've only been to Birmingham once on a coach job. Spent most of that in a hotel room.
I hadn’t noticed that about the livery, thanks for pointing it out.
@@leylandlynxvlog No worries
Great video here! The Metrobus was THE bus of my childhood- they flooded the network here in the west midlands in the 80s and 90s. There is no comparable bus imo. I never did discover how many full rotations the steering wheel completed before locking?? All the best.
@@robertcaulfield5233 Hi Robert. Glad you liked it. I don't remember how many rotations of the wheel lock to lock, but I do remember how the wheel snatched when you drove over potholes 😱
I used to Drive Metro's on The 94's & 27's some of those were ex,Airbus&Wow, they were quick! Fantastic Bus to Drive!
Quick and smooth eh?
@@JakeSCOC especially when heading back to the Shed!
Hi i'm viatron from Sheffield once again, I remember the M.C.W. METROBUS Mk.l & Mk.ll versions were a very great success thoughout the late-70s & the early to mid-80s. But one forgotten double deck bus which was built by a world known truck firm such as Foden & the double deck bus body built by Northern Counties of Wigan known as the Foden NC via being built in the late-70s with a Gardner 6LXB diesel engine mounted transversed at the rear & a very unusual Maxwell 5-speed fully automatic gearbox what had been used on the Dennis Domino midibus version. Well Foden did built both single & double deck bus & coach bodies onto both PVD & PVS plus the PVR chassises & with a choice of diesel engines such as the standard Gardner 6LW & 5LW & the very unusual FODEN EF6 6-cylinder two Stroke diesel engine which sounded like a motorcycle but on a larger scale & you should make a video of the rise & fall of the Foden NC & it's past vintage buses & coaches in your next British Bus Histories coming soon. Thank you for your co-operation on this very special vintage Foden NC bus subject from David Viatron Esquire of crookes in Sheffield.
@@ViatronTumpington Hi David. Thank you for your comments. I might have to do an episode on that one.... I remember seeing the pictures. Impressive looking bus.
And I’m very jealous you have an MCW Metrocab! I’ll never be able to own my own bus, but an original Metro Cammell Metrocab is a close second want!
@@discogareth He's my pet. Although he's a bit indisposed due to water in the gearbox. I hope to sort him out this winter. I also have a couple of Hooper Metrocabs too.
The Metrobus was integral to my growing up, taking over my two local London Bus routes, the 292 and 107 when I was 11 and 12 respectively, so going anywhere on my own without my parents usually involved one, as they became ubiquitous in and around north west London. When I worked indirectly for London Buses in the early 2000s there were still some strongholds like the 29, but by then low floor buses were dominant, so I never got to drive one, sadly.
@@Flipper-1201 Sometimes riding them was better as you heard the sounds clearer!
@@JakeSCOC good point. They sound very different at the front.
He was very lucky to get to experience them all the time.
Took my test on a DMS but went to Potters Bazaar so drove London MK1’s MK1’s M2’s and Alexander bodied ones , you forgot to mention the London MK 1’s where built with hydraulic brakes like a RM and Titan later converted to air , a lot of that was done by Dennis at Guildford, also reversing a Metro I was told by the late Harry Lansdown who ran the engineering training school at PB and who had been responsible for the original trail metros at LT that they were restricted in reverse as a safety feature
@@BerlietGBC I didn't realise it was a safety feature. Thank you for adding that.
Excellent history of the Metrobus in these two episodes - thanks for posting them and reigniting lots of memories!
@@micks61 Glad you enjoyed the videos Mick
Great follow up to part 1. Agree the Metro is very musical, love the sounds.
@@DarrenSaw Thanks Darren
They were a loud bus but I did like the sound of them tbf.
Like you, the metrobus II was my childhood transport to school, as was the Metrobus I as well.
Really liking these bus history videos. Thank you,
@@unclenolly3207 Thanks for your comments. Glad you liked the video.
They were a part of Sydney's streetscape for over 10 years in the form of ex Hong Kong 12m super metrobuses with the latest Cummins Euro 5 compliant engines. Very high revving turbos unlike the loping Gardner 6LXB engines.
ML1 which you pictured is part of the Sydney Bus Museum collection and it has it's Gardner 6LXBT.
I've had one ride in it and it sounds just as amazing slowing down as driving off. It was my first ride in a metro in 19 years since my London visit, so you can imagine my buzz.
Ex Arriva M450 made it down this way. I used to see it going in Woy Woy an hour north of Sydney before it went to the Blue Mountains 2 hours west doing sightseeing work (unchopped) painted back into LT roundel livery before ending up in Tasmania.
PS I finally found out why the same Voith gearbox gives a much higher pitch in it's trademark whine in the Metrobus over others. It's use of input angle drive as opposed to output angle drive in other transverse rear engine buses. The driveshaft going into the gearbox is spinning it faster for the same road speed.
@@jamesfrench7299 very interesting James. I should have put in about the ones that were exported second hand. They're everywhere now.
I have to confess, I don't know a massive amount mechanically about the Metros. It's the one make of bus I've not got down and dirty with.
@@JakeSCOC I'd be dying to get my hands dirty (but hopefully not grazed) under a Metrobus as long as it's a Gardner.
To me, the best type I have ever driven. I'm a huge fan of the MCW product. Driven many hundreds over the years. Great videos of an era defining vehicle. Top scores from this judge.
@@AaronOxfordExmouth1989 Many thanks 👍🏼
Agree, spent most of my time at Potters Bar garage behind the wheel of a Metro my only breakdowns were in other makes - Volvo /Scania.
@@brianwood9913 I was a South London bod, being at Stockwell. The Metro was, and still is, iconic to my mind. Yes I had mechs in them, but nothing like the amount that I had in other types, including the famous rear platformed type. To drive an M, is to drive happy.
@@AaronOxfordExmouth1989 Meh! Can't beat a well maintained Routemaster. It will run rings around any bus. When I say we'll maintained, pre bus-deregulation before they ran them into the ground and didn't care about them. Spotless in my garage Westbourne Park (X)
We only had Metros & Titans on one route 18s when I was at Westbourne Park (X) in 84-86 still with a conductor. I didn't like the brake retarder, approaching a set of traffic lights about to change & nothing happening for a split second. Can't remember which was which but on one the handbrake sprung on & the other it sprung off. I was going along one day about 15mph, flicked the handbrake & it sprung on and we came up in a heap 😱 😳 I revved the engine for a minute or so as if something was wrong with the bus 😁
Give me a Routemaster ❤ any day 🥰
@@kristinajendesen7111 Metros could sometimes give a hop, skip and a jump stop sometimes! We used to say at East Kent the Metrobuses were the only vehicle you make everyone sit down and then stand up by a twitch of your ankle!
Hi Jake At The GVVT Today Sunday 13/10/24 How Different Our Buses Were In Local Authority Area's In Their Day You Could Tell By The Number Plate Who It Belonged To Now Most Are Either S- Or Y- Registered ADL's
@@carabara3947 Hi yes I totally agree. Also all the individual liveries too!
Ive heard about the build quality of the last vehicles, i gather a lot of the production staff went on to work at the LDV site nearby
@@BAGGIES6677 That makes sense. Similar line of work.
Grew up with them needed up Driving them in their later days. First experiences with Metros was garage jolly to the Seaside from Hanwell and Southall Garages
@@johnrafferty8087 I suspect the Metrobus sound was the soundtrack to a lot of childhoods.
Never driven a mk2 only mk1s,passed my test with London United M30 was my training bus in cream and red it’s band 3 LT radio was still fitted so we done radio too , Graham Madge was my instructor he and Ray southall lovely blokes ,yes to me the whine of a metro is music ,I too drove the same buses on the 220 I went to school on in Fulham when they replaced B20 fleetlines in 84 I drove the 220 in 96/97,jake before I fall off my perch I would love one more drive of my office on wheels the mighty metro ,thank you so much for this video mate I’m proud to have driven them
All the best to you
Mark 😊😊
@@marksinthehouse1968 Hi Mark. Good to hear from you. I'd love to have a drive of a Metro too - an East Kent Mk 2 (not sure if any survive?) or a London one. Never driven an Airbus, that would be nice. We'll have to make friends with a Metrobus owner!
@@JakeSCOCthere’s M6 at brooklands the first production London metro M1-5 we’re trial buses so as a certain mr Daniel’s who parked his RT on our bus deck at Westbourne Park I think we should drop him a line say you have two experienced metro drivers here 😂😂can we have a drive around the site please 😊
Ray is still around, but Graham moved on to pastures new around ten years or so ago - Lyn Marriott also moved on around the same time.
@@fulwell1hi mate ray was a laugh Graham was a great instructor I passed first time in 96 I may know you I worked at V and S and knew cyclops Kelly. He was forward allocation at the brook then fulwell
@marksinthehouse1968 I was a bit later than you in 99 - originally due to go to S but was flipped to FW at the last minute, and loved it... another one that was going to do to it for a year and never left.
I've been round the block as a Controller, was an allocator before that and now I am in schedules
Love the quick recap 😂
@@jonmilligan8069 Thanks. I'm never one to go on 😂
Great video, I tried a Cummins engined Metrobus in OMSI 2 and I see what you mean about speed!
@@leylandlynxvlog Thanks. Glad you liked the video. Oh yes, great buses. They fly!
Hi Jake , Dad said "he always thought the Metrobus looked highly attractive and suited very well to the London General livery (the small General logo applied by the exit door)". Great video
@@jadeboswell-rz2ly Hi Jade. I do agree there. When I worked at London Central, I loved their livery that was based on the General livery. Thanks for watching
@@JakeSCOC I'll pass that on dad tomorrow. Many thanks
I particularity like the front in profile the way the lower panels are designed.
The operator I work for had some ex Stagecoach P_EFL Olympians with Voith gearboxes and they needed a load of welly to move anywhere in reverse, must be a trait of those gearboxes
@@sameyers2670 You saying that I remember some of earlier Gardner engined Stagecoach Olys were same.
O absolutely loved these buses. Greater manchester,tameside, Oldham areas. I thought they where so modern looking. Always made my day when one turned up instead of the only other buses atlanteen all thought the 80s. They where so much quicker when the driver put his foot day. But what I miss is the unique sound it made, usually when the driver was slowing down or just easing off or coasting along . I no there gears are what ever, automatic, or semi auto gear boxes,as iv never driver a bus,and once again setting off building up to speed quickly, sounded like an ultra modern big posh car with that was fast with a smooth auto box fitted. They did get thrashed about ,. I just to always sit downstairs right at the back next to the emergency door, and the loud rattle and banging you got going over a big pot holes sounded bad like the suspension and axel where going to come off. Sometimes the drivers little door which had the ticket machine and cash draw would fly open. But the back lights,... wow. The individual 4 red lights where soo cool. I thought lol😅😊
@@lloydpancott4987 Brilliant memories Lloyd.
Hi jake the last West Midlands metro buses were taken off the road in 2010 the last metro bus made was 3124 and was for travel West Midlands the oldest metro in service was a mark 2 2462 that was a x reg
@@simonflynn168 Thanks Simon 👍🏼
I worked for travel West Midlands as well and drove many a mark 1 and and mark 2 metro bus also we had a lot of mark2 a metro bus they were e reg to g reg and also had db metro buses and with 4 speed gear boxes and in the 80 there a fleet of trackline metros as well
I Jake when the metro bus came out wmpte had 5 mark one 6830 to 6835 and 5 leyland titans to try out at the time they ordered more titans to metro buses but because of issues at leyland and delays they decided to order more metro buses also they had some fitted with rolls-Royce engines because there was a shortage of Gardner engines and they fired two mark 2 metro buses with Cummins engines both were done in house
My first job driving buses was with the MK2 Metrobus. Mcall's of Dumbarton bought a job lot of them and used them on local Dumbarton/Alexandria services. The livery was rather bright lets just say,
@@DavidPeacock1972 Sunglasses job eh? 😎
Interestingly, you mentioned the flowery laminates on the East Kent Metrobuses. I wonder if they’re same ones as all the WMT examples. Did MCW raid the parts bin for these?
@@discogareth Might have been a standard laminate. Or. More likely, the East Kent ones were a diverted or cancelled WMT order?
@@JakeSCOC as far as I’m aware, the only diverted WMT bus was demonstrator F181YDA which was to full WM spec including the 4 track number blinds. It was pulled off the production line in the middle of their last order of 150. Where that bus was replaced, only 149 entered WM service as G107FJW was sent to Optare and never came back to the West Mids.
Nice part 2 👍👍👍
@@craigsibley8161 Thanks Craig. Glad you liked it.
I was a Stacker/ fueler at a depo completely agree about the slow reversing feature on the metrobuses although I think it was a safety feature as our Dennis dominators were the same
It's the Voith gearbox doing that. I drove MAN SL202s built in 1989 that had the same Voith DIWA 851.2 as much of the MCWs had, and it stuff the same thing. I found key was to lift off the throttle as soon as the engine started bogging down and repeat then you could make better progress.
@jamesfrench7299 ..we learned a lot of things as stackers trust me lol, even getting a bus started back up that had died at the fueling pumps by using the oil dip stick to touch the solenoid to turn the engine over 😅
@@stevedickson5853 I could have done with that trick on my car recently when the ignition switch was playing up. Car built the same year as the MAN.
Nice way to recap part 1.
@@neiloflongbeck5705 Thanks.
We had them at Go Ahead Northern back in the '80s and '90s but I much preferred driving the Cummins/Voith Olympians.
@@WOLFIE-96B-UK What a brilliant choice to have eh?
Laird management warned , any member of staff was found to be organising a management buy out would be terminated immediately, MCW was deemed a loss maker yet MC railway had not delivered a train for 2years yet amazingly was sold making a profit, all this was because of Lairds problems with the channel tunnel finances, the LDV and MCW site is now part of the HS2 project repair and marshalling yard, i spent my best working years at MCW working in development on bus , coach and taxi
@@colineccles6113 very interesting Colin. Thank you for commenting. As an owner of a genuine MCW Metrocab and hopefully soon a Metroliner it's sad to hear about the politics behind the sale
@@JakeSCOC i also have a Metrocab TTT 2002 , i have seen your posts on enthusiasts of Metrocab, which i also comment on, on closure of Metrocab in 2003 myself and a partner set up a taxi repair shop in Coventry until 2017 when emisson’s ended there service which was a good time to retire
@@colineccles6113 Ah yes. I thought I recognised your name. Things certainly have changed over the last few years with all the emissions. Taken the fun out of working with vehicles now in my opinion.
when is the next a-z of NBC?
@@andrewbeadle9168 week after next. Will be East Kent.
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Yep, very personal and very gushy! When the law is changed to allow blokes to marry buses, I know who is going to be first down to the registry office with his MCW Metrobus!
@@MelanieRuck-dq5uo Nah I'll stick to me Bristol VR 😉😂
@@JakeSCOC Yes, but is that a 1, 2 or 3?! You see, for a girl, I know my buses!
@@MelanieRuck-dq5uo You certainly do Melanie. I'm spoilt for choice. Two 2s and three 3s
@@JakeSCOC Wow! That is impressive!
Still say a Leyland Titan B15 is a superior vehicle
@@mrdream69uk I can't argue with that.