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 Fleet
number 1406 (R/No: E406HAB) was new
to Redditch depot on 11th November 1987 in ReddiLink
livery. This livery was the branding for the local minibus services
operating in Redditch town at the time and was used on the fleet of
Mercedes-Benz L608D minibuses
that were operated at Redditch depot.
1406 was the only Mercedes-Benz 609D to carry this livery. |
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On 8th March 1986, under the brand name Wyre
Forest Shuttle, Midland Red West started minibus services in
the Kidderminster and Stourport area using a fleet of Mercedes-Benz
L608D minibuses. Vehicles operating these services, fleet
numbers 1362-1386, carried a new “Wyre Forest Shuttle” livery
of yellow, orange and green. “Wyre Forest Shuttle” was shown
on the sides of the vehicles, while on the front of the vehicles, only
“Shuttle” was shown.
On the 24th October 1987, the Wyre Forest Shuttle
services expanded to include Bewdley. Five Mercedes-Benz 609D
minibuses, fleet numbers 1407-1411 (R/Nos: E407-E411HAB),
entered service at Kidderminster
depot (KR) to meet the extra demand.
These five vehicles entered service in yellow, orange and green “Wyre
Forest Shuttle” livery, the same as that carried by the Mercedes-Benz
L608D vehicles, except the words “Wyre Forest” no longer
appeared on the sides.
Midland Red West phased out the Shuttle livery in favour of the red
and cream Midland Red West bus livery, with “Shuttle”
branding, with the first repaints in January 1991.
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Vehicles that were new to Hereford depot in 1988 (F/No: 1412-1437)
carried Yellow, Green and Orange Hereford Hopper
livery which was the brand name for the local minibus services introduced
at that time. Most of these vehicles were also named
Note: For more information on the naming
of the Hereford Hopper minibuses, see the “Mercedes-Benz
609D - Miscellaneous” page. |
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By the end of 1994, all the Mercedes 609D minibuses (except
vehicles with overall advertising) carried
the standard Midland Red West livery of a red body with cream roof
and window frames. These vehicles later had their original Midland
Red West markings and logos replaced when Midland Red West adopted
the trading name First Midland Red in April 1998. |
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The Frank Guy bodied Mercedes 609D minibuses that were bought
second hand from First Eastern Counties and painted before April 2001
feature a slightly different livery. On these vehicles the division
between the red lower section and the cream top is much lower, level
with the headlights. None of the older 1987/8 Reeves Burgess Mercedes 609D
buses have this new style livery. |
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In April 2001, FirstGroup announced a new livery for all “older”
vehicles within the group. At the time First Midland Red were
in the process of repainting their ex-First Eastern Counties, Frank
Guy bodied Mercedes 609D minibuses into the newly revised red
& cream First Midland Red livery. This practise was immediately
stopped and all vehicles painted after this time received the new
“Barbie2” FirstGroup livery. However,
due to a shortage of the pink fade vinyl that is used with the Barbie2
livery an interim livery was created by painting a solid pink stripe
were the fade should be fitted.
F/Nos: 1607 & 1615 were the first two
vehicles to receive this new livery, being delivered to Worcester
depot from the paint shop on 2nd May 2001. |
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By the autumn of 2001 the pink fade vinyl had become widely available
and so First Midland Red started to upgrade their vehicles to the
full Barbie2 livery. |
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| 1435 (R/No: E435KUY)
- “Fersina Glass” & “Walkers
Timber” |
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1435 was new to Midland Red West at Hereford
depot (HD) in the standard yellow,
green and orange Hereford Hopper livery.
In the early 1990s, it recieved full body advertising for Fersina
Glass, then in October 1995, it was reallocated to Kidderminster
depot (KR) where it received full
body advertising for Walkers Timber. In September
2000, it was repainted into Midland Red West livery
with FirstGroup markings. |
| 1436 (R/No: E436KUY)
- “Bartonsham Farm Dairies” |
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1436 has been in service at Hereford depot from new.
It carried full body advertising for Bartonsham Farm Dairies
from January 1991 until it was withdrawn. |
| 1437 (R/No: E437KUY)
- “Wyvern Flooring” |
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1437 which has also been allocated to Hereford depot
from new. This vehicle carried full body advertising for Wyvern
Flooring from November 1990 until sometime around 1993, when
it was repainted to standard Midland Red West livery of Red and Cream.
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| 1438 (R/No: E438KUY)
- “Radio Wyvern” |
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1438 was allocated to Hereford depot from 1988 and
carried full body advertising for Radio Wyvern from
October of that year. It repainted into standard Midland Red
West of Red and Cream in August 1990 and remained in that livery until
it was withdrawn from service in August 2002.
Note: Midland Red West also operated a Mercedes L608D
and a Leyland National
(F/No: 1350
& 546)
from their Worcester depot that also carried full body advertising
for Radio Wyvern. |
| 1439 (R/No: E439KUY)
- “Astraglaze” Double Glazing
& “Safeway” Store |
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1439 was allocated to Hereford depot from August 1988
and carried full body advertising for Astraglaze Double
Glazing from that time. It repainted with all over advertising
for Safeway in July 1990, which in turn was replaced
with standard Midland Red West bus livery of Red & Cream sometime
around 1993. This vehicle was withdrawn from service at Hereford
depot in 2001. |
| 1624 (R/No: N624GAH)
- “Herefordshire Training Group” |
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1624, which was operated by First Midland Red from
Hereford depot between March 2001 and December 2002, received advertising
for Herefordshire Training Group in when it first entered
service. This ex-First Eastern Counties Mercedes 609D only
had advertising from the passenger doors aft with normal red & cream
livery at the front, thus it looked like a normal First Midland Red
bus as it approached bus stops. |
| 1651 (R/No: L251PAH)
- “South Hereford Garage” |
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1651 was allocated to Hereford depot between August
2000 and January 2003 and featured advertising for South Hereford
Garage throughout its service with First Midland Red Buses
Limited. Like 1624, this ex-First Eastern Counties Mercedes 609D
only had advertising from the doors aft. Also the telephone
number quoted in the advert was incorrect!
Note: Midland Red West previously operated a Mercedes-Benz
L608D (F/No: 1490)
from their Hereford depot that also carried full body advertising
for South Hereford Garage. |
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| Full Height Rear Advertising |
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| 1607 &
1654 (R/No: N607GAH & L254PAH)
- “It's time to get cycling” |
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1607 and 1654, which were both
allocated to Hereford depot, carried a full height rear advert, on
behalf of Herefordshire Council and Travelwise, to promote cycling. |
| 1661 (R/No: M361XEX)
- “It's time to get the bus” |
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1661, which was also allocated to Hereford depot,
carried a full height rear advert, on behalf of Herefordshire Council
and Travelwise, to promote bus travel. The advert featured a
photograph of a First Midland Red Dennis
Dart and the slogan “It's time to get the bus.” |
