The End of the Benz (and B10L)

[Ashley]

The last Mk I Metro was 2400 which was withdrawn in January 2003 from PB

I stand to be corrected with more current info but I believe a couple of the H-LOM's are still knocking around in Gloucester. 2453 I believe still lingers on in Leicestershire

[j789]

2400 was also the only MK1 Metrobus repainted into the 'newest' red stripe livery (blue, white, red with the red stripe around the top deck windows). Maybe this was an error of painting though as seemed strange to repaint just the one.

This bus is still going too. My favourite late MK1 Metro was 2039 which was the oldest 'Bok' Metro at PB and seemed to last in service a long time. I haven't seen many photos of 2039 recently so maybe it was a bit elusive!

[Ashley]

2400 was also the only MK1 Metrobus repainted into the 'newest' red stripe livery (blue, white, red with the red stripe around the top deck windows). Maybe this was an error of painting though as seemed strange to repaint just the one.

This bus is still going too. My favourite late MK1 Metro was 2039 which was the oldest 'Bok' Metro at PB and seemed to last in service a long time. I haven't seen many photos of 2039 recently so maybe it was a bit elusive!

Didn't 2335 receive the same livery? They both attended a rally and looked identical in the picture I saw

[j789]

Was 2335 one that went to Decourcey? Maybe it got repainted late in life at WM.

I also remember 2107 being memorable perhaps for a livery, or did it have a 'Marshalled' rear window? Definitely something about that bus.

[Gareth]

2105 was 'marshalled' at the rear end. I'm pretty sure 2107 was normal in all aspects.

[Bob]

I remember seeing the Marshalled one outside the virgin megastore in corporation st late 90s and having to do a double take lol! Was that the only one ever done?  Did the rolls royce Gog-W examples keep their engines to the end or get converted to Gardner?  I never went on one and always wondered if they sounded much different

[Tony]

Was 2335 one that went to Decourcey? Maybe it got repainted late in life at WM.

I also remember 2107 being memorable perhaps for a livery, or did it have a 'Marshalled' rear window? Definitely something about that bus.

Ronnie didn't have a photo of 2335 in that livery. There are two in his collection, one freshly painted in the silver livery and another with 590 route branding added

[Bob]

I remember the 590 ones they use to go from opposite the 951 stop in dale end

[Mike K]

I remember seeing the Marshalled one outside the virgin megastore in corporation st late 90s and having to do a double take lol! Was that the only one ever done?  Did the rolls royce Gog-W examples keep their engines to the end or get converted to Gardner?  I never went on one and always wondered if they sounded much different

The Rolls Royce engined ones certainly sounded different, but not significantly so - they still had the characteristic high pitched Metrobus 'whine'. I used them regularly on the 11 to and from school. I don't recall if they were re-engined though - sure someone can enlighten us on that.

[Tony]

I remember seeing the Marshalled one outside the virgin megastore in corporation st late 90s and having to do a double take lol! Was that the only one ever done?  Did the rolls royce Gog-W examples keep their engines to the end or get converted to Gardner?  I never went on one and always wondered if they sounded much different

The Rolls Royce engined ones certainly sounded different, but not significantly so - they still had the characteristic high pitched Metrobus 'whine'. I used them regularly on the 11 to and from school. I don't recall if they were re-engined though - sure someone can enlighten us on that.

For those that have never come across it, here is a video I filmed from the cab of one of the Rolls Royce ones going over Camp Hill flyover   

[Justin Tyme]

Did the rolls royce Gog-W examples keep their engines to the end or get converted to Gardner?  I never went on one and always wondered if they sounded much different

I have a feeling one may have been converted to Gardner, but otherwise they kept Rolls Royce engines throughout their lives.  They did sound quite different except for the Voith gearbox whine - and they were much livelier than the Gardners.

[tank90]

Meh. I still can't believe people can drive or travel on these 'new' buses and think they're good. I certainly don't. And I'm not being bitter or negative, I'm saying my truth, and that is, when the Fleetlines were new, they were smooth and nice, as was themeMetrobuses, the lynxs were rough but the speed made up for it. I fail to recall the Nationals for an opinion.

I can remember Nationals in Midland Red Wests fleet and I have to say the modern one that I think comes close is a Volvo B7LRE. But I proffered the Lynxs over the Nationals (at the time I was 3-8 years old (I'm now 24)). I never liked the Lances at all even whan it was just Lynx and Lance when I started High School at the age of 13 the Lynxs where and are alot better than anything else in my opinion.  I can't comment on TWM as I only saw Lynxs come into town on the 17x's.

[paulb1973]

On the subject of Marshalled-refurbished WM Mk1 Metrobuses, I have the following list of sixty vehicles as having been treated:

2006, 2039, 2041, 2053, 2057, 2076, 2081, 2083, 2087, 2097, 2099, 2105,
2106, 2107, 2112, 2114, 2118, 2119, 2123, 2127, 2129, 2136, 2142, 2172,
2176, 2205, 2208, 2212, 2216, 2222, 2229, 2232, 2243, 2248, 2251, 2252,
2253, 2278, 2285, 2292, 2308, 2312, 2316, 2328, 2334, 2335, 2336, 2347,
2350, 2354, 2357, 2361, 2369, 2373, 2374, 2376, 2386, 2389, 2400, 2403

No idea if this is actually correct.

[danny]

While talking of the rebuilds, did one of the metrobuses get a titan styled back window, I remember at an early age passing behind what looked like a Leyland in strips livery, but when I did my research years after they had all gone years before I was even conceived.

[winston]

While talking of the rebuilds, did one of the metrobuses get a titan styled back window, I remember at an early age passing behind what looked like a Leyland in strips livery, but when I did my research years after they had all gone years before I was even conceived.

IIRC I think it was 2824