Hey Tony anything......

[don]

That's what it was for - I hadn't realised!

Face it LS, you're unlikely to see an LS E200 in BCT livery to resemble one of the old PS2s that used to be there!!!

Come to think of it, an E200 in each of BCT, West Brom, Walsall, Wolverhampton and Midland Red livery (Pensnett for the latter) would be fabulous!! How about the mid to late 60s Midland Red livery??

Pe should carry a Merry Hill livery

I see your point but PE also represents all those closed ex Midland Red garages - Dudley, Harts Hill, Stourbridge and to a lesser extent Oldbury ....... so Midland Red livery on a bus travelling in that area would be very fitting. How long did TMH livery last?

[the trainbasher]

That's what it was for - I hadn't realised!

Face it LS, you're unlikely to see an LS E200 in BCT livery to resemble one of the old PS2s that used to be there!!!

Come to think of it, an E200 in each of BCT, West Brom, Walsall, Wolverhampton and Midland Red livery (Pensnett for the latter) would be fabulous!! How about the mid to late 60s Midland Red livery??

Pe should carry a Merry Hill livery

I see your point but PE also represents all those closed ex Midland Red garages - Dudley, Harts Hill, Stourbridge and to a lesser extent Oldbury ....... so Midland Red livery on a bus travelling in that area would be very fitting. How long did TMH livery last?

Midland Red livery has, with respect, been covered by First with their Worcester reprints.

PE is the direct decscendant of Travel Merry Hill/Merry Hill Minibuses.

I'm surprised nobody has mentioned the idea of painting a decker in WMPTE, one in WMT and one in TWM heritage liveries ;-)

[RW]

It's all gone very quiet!!

[Westy]

I assume you are talking about painting buses in old liveries for anniversary purposes?

Would NX be allowed to paint a bus in Midland Red livery, because surely they wouldn't be the direct successors, as Midland Red continued after 1973?

As the direct successors to the municipals, WMPTE, West Midlands Travel & Travel West Midlands, they could paint vehicles in those liveries.

Surely the only companies that could paint in Midland Red livery would be Arriva, First, Stagecoach, as they were the direct successors to the former MR operations in those areas, & what we knew as 'Midland Red' ceased at that point?

Out of curiosity, taking my point further forward, as National Express is still a current brand, none of the successors to Midland Red could paint their coach vehicles & brand up as 'National Express'!

It's all down to legalities surely?

(I still find it ironic, back in the 70's,National Express was a brand name used by Midland Red, a rival to WMPTE. Fast forward 30 40 odd years & National Express is now what used to be WMPTE!)

[PM]

I assume you are talking about painting buses in old liveries for anniversary purposes?

Would NX be allowed to paint a bus in Midland Red livery, because surely they wouldn't be the direct successors, as Midland Red continued after 1973?

As the direct successors to the municipals, WMPTE, West Midlands Travel & Travel West Midlands, they could paint vehicles in those liveries.

Surely the only companies that could paint in Midland Red livery would be Arriva, First, Stagecoach, as they were the direct successors to the former MR operations in those areas, & what we knew as 'Midland Red' ceased at that point?

Out of curiosity, taking my point further forward, as National Express is still a current brand, none of the successors to Midland Red could paint their coach vehicles & brand up as 'National Express'!

It's all down to legalities surely?

(I still find it ironic, back in the 70's,National Express was a brand name used by Midland Red, a rival to WMPTE. Fast forward 30 40 odd years & National Express is now what used to be WMPTE!)

Diamond surely as well with two ex Midland Red garages...

[Other Walsall Tony]

I assume you are talking about painting buses in old liveries for anniversary purposes?

Would NX be allowed to paint a bus in Midland Red livery, because surely they wouldn't be the direct successors, as Midland Red continued after 1973?

As the direct successors to the municipals, WMPTE, West Midlands Travel & Travel West Midlands, they could paint vehicles in those liveries.

Surely the only companies that could paint in Midland Red livery would be Arriva, First, Stagecoach, as they were the direct successors to the former MR operations in those areas, & what we knew as 'Midland Red' ceased at that point?

Out of curiosity, taking my point further forward, as National Express is still a current brand, none of the successors to Midland Red could paint their coach vehicles & brand up as 'National Express'!

It's all down to legalities surely?

(I still find it ironic, back in the 70's,National Express was a brand name used by Midland Red, a rival to WMPTE. Fast forward 30 40 odd years & National Express is now what used to be WMPTE!)

Diamond surely as well with two ex Midland Red garages...

I believe Midland Classic hold the rights to the Midland Red Coaches name and BaMMOT also has the right to use some Midland Red names etc. As of course do other preservationists.

[don]

Indeed Diamond hit on a great idea with their Red Diamond operation in Redditch - great to see red buses in Redditch again.

As of course, it would be great to see one running in the Black Country - many of the routes around Dudley, Brierley Hill, Cradley Heath, Old Hill, Stourbridge, Warley, Oldbury are direct descendants of Midland Red ones - red buses were synonymous with the Black Country until all the buses got either replaced or repainted in the late 70s.

I can't see what the harm would be in painting a bus in early 60s Midland Red livery with the stylised name Midland on it - it could have NX names as well!

WMPTE took over 413 vehicles - a decent proportion of the Midland Red fleet and operations. It's arguably the main bus heritage of the whole area mentioned above.

[PM]

Indeed Diamond hit on a great idea with their Red Diamond operation in Redditch - great to see red buses in Redditch again.

As of course, it would be great to see one running in the Black Country - many of the routes around Dudley, Brierley Hill, Cradley Heath, Old Hill, Stourbridge, Warley, Oldbury are direct descendants of Midland Red ones - red buses were synonymous with the Black Country until all the buses got either replaced or repainted in the late 70s.

I can't see what the harm would be in painting a bus in early 60s Midland Red livery with the stylised name Midland on it - it could have NX names as well!

WMPTE took over 413 vehicles - a decent proportion of the Midland Red fleet and operations. It's arguably the main bus heritage of the whole area mentioned above.

Liyell limited got away with using Midland as a trading name. I guess it's whether Arriva now "own" that name having acquired the operation and changed the branding?

[RW]

Tomorrow then Tony?

[Tony]

Tomorrow then Tony?

They have decided not to use a real bus now

[RW]

Tomorrow then Tony?

They have decided not to use a real bus now

Hmm, well assuming they're not going to use a 'pretend' bus in place of a real one does that mean the whole things off whatever it was in the first place or is something still scheduled for tomorrow? Nothing like a bit of NX confusion to whet the rumour mill!

[Tony]

Tomorrow then Tony?

They have decided not to use a real bus now

Hmm, well assuming they're not going to use a 'pretend' bus in place of a real one does that mean the whole things off whatever it was in the first place or is something still scheduled for tomorrow? Nothing like a bit of NX confusion to whet the rumour mill!

They are using a Photoshop image. If you click on my name at the bottom of the home page of the main site you will see it

[Stu]

Tomorrow then Tony?

They have decided not to use a real bus now

Hmm, well assuming they're not going to use a 'pretend' bus in place of a real one does that mean the whole things off whatever it was in the first place or is something still scheduled for tomorrow? Nothing like a bit of NX confusion to whet the rumour mill!

They are using a Photoshop image. If you click on my name at the bottom of the home page of the main site you will see it

Is this still top-secret at the moment, can it be shared yet?

[Tony]

Tomorrow then Tony?

They have decided not to use a real bus now

Hmm, well assuming they're not going to use a 'pretend' bus in place of a real one does that mean the whole things off whatever it was in the first place or is something still scheduled for tomorrow? Nothing like a bit of NX confusion to whet the rumour mill!

They are using a Photoshop image. If you click on my name at the bottom of the home page of the main site you will see it

Is this still top-secret at the moment, can it be shared yet?

No, not secret now, company have cleared me to use that image from this morning.
http://wmbusphotos.com/NXWM/fleetlist/new%20livery.jpg

[Oozells]

I think the logo really lets it down now. They need to change that horrible "West Midlands" font and make "national express" more prominent (did NX actually employ anyone with knowledge of design in 2008?!) - maybe just use the same as during the Commonwealth Games.

There could be the "national express" logo on the front and above the door with the name of the city "Birmingham" where they currently have it on the side - like First.

What will happen to Coventry's blue?