Badgerline at Worcester !

[DD12]

Two Badgerline SteetDecks are parked in the rear corner of the patch at WR.

I have no doubt that they are not staying, but it's nice to see them -- a long time ago Midland Red West became part of the Badgerline group, but it was very rare to see that livery in Worcester -- although did we have one of their Leyland National 2s operate from Worcester in those colours ?

[Reddibus]

The 2 Mark II Nationals were BOU5V and BOU8V which took the MRW fleet numbers 905 and 908 respectively. Both arrived via First Cymru who had operated them for a few months after transfer from Badgerline. Both did arrive in Badgerline Green and yellow livery but 905 was repainted red and cream straight away with 908 running for a around a month in Green and yellow livery but with the front painted red and cream . Both were acquired to operate Worcester Schools and lasted until May 2002 when they were sold for scrap

BOU5V.jpg

[DD12]

Thanks Reddibus !

[TimBrown]

In confirmation to the above information, my records show the following:

Leyland National NL116L/11 chassis with Leyland 680 11.1 litre engine and integral Leyland 49 seat single deck body B49F.

Fleet no. 905, Reg No: BOU 5V, Body: Leyland.

Bristol (3530) new 09/80 with B52F layout, South Wales (798) 07/98, First Cymru (798) 03/99, First Midland Red (905) U 08/99, re-seated B49F 11/99, WR 11/99, WDN 05/02. Ripley (d), Carlton 03/03.

Fleet no. 908, Reg No: BOU 8V, Body: Leyland.

Bristol (3533) new 09/80 with B52F layout, South Wales (799) 08/98, re-seated B49F by 03/99, First Cymru (799) 03/99, First Midland Red (908) U 08/99, WR 09/99, WDN 05/02.
Ripley (d), Carlton 03/03.

[DD12]

There's now 4 Badgerline StreetDecks on the patch ! -- I wouldn't have thought "we" had got that much spare space !

[AdamH]

The 2 Mark II Nationals were BOU5V and BOU8V which took the MRW fleet numbers 905 and 908 respectively. Both arrived via First Cymru who had operated them for a few months after transfer from Badgerline. Both did arrive in Badgerline Green and yellow livery but 905 was repainted red and cream straight away with 908 running for a around a month in Green and yellow livery but with the front painted red and cream . Both were acquired to operate Worcester Schools and lasted until May 2002 when they were sold for scrapBOU5V.jpg

The front of 908 was painted red and cream quite quickly, but the rest of the bus took way more than a month to see the inside of a paintshop. I think it was just over a year before it was done, meanwhile several replacement panels were painted leaving it looking like at patchwork quilt!

I hated driving it. The engine was so loud it always gave me a headache, and round the housing estates it would set off car alarms.

Example photograph... https://midlandred.net/vehicles/photogr ... 08&image=6

[TimBrown]

[/quote]
The front of 908 was painted red and cream quite quickly, but the rest of the bus took way more than a month to see the inside of a paintshop. I think it was just over a year before it was done, meanwhile several replacement panels were painted leaving it looking like at patchwork quilt!

I hated driving it. The engine was so loud it always gave me a headache, and round the housing estates it would set off car alarms.

[/quote]
I didn't drive any of the Midland Red West / First Bus Mk II Leyland O680 engined Nationals, but managed numerous turns in ex-West Midlands DOC **V Mk II Nationals around the Black Country for Metrowest. Thought I was the only one to be irked by the roar of the Leyland O680 or DAF versions of this engine which sounded good from outside, but there was, surprisingly, a particular resonance and drumming noise in the cab which was never present with the earlier 510 engined Mk I versions despite the fixed head engine sounding rattley and raucous from the outside. The front radiator of Mk II s gave better cooling for the engine and made for a warm cab in the winter but something akin to a sauna on hot summer days. The MK I ex-West Midland Nationals with the DAF conversion engine made a nice noise but had reasonable sound levels in the cab. Perhaps surprisingly, I preferred most of the fleet of Metrowest second-hand 510 engined Mk I Nationals around the very hilly Black Country routes; best of all were the ex-West Midland 1800 series DP Nationals, with uprated 510 engine, which had a fine turn of speed (70 + MPH) and strong hill climbing abilities, allegedly at expense of fuel economy - but that's another story!

[TimBrown]

With kind permission of Bob Hemming here are photographs of the Badgerline Streetdecks parked on Padmore Street 'patch'. They have Wright H45/26F bodywork.

35683, MF22SYU; 35684, MF22 SYV; & 35686, MF22 SYX new 03/2022
and 35692, MF22 SZG new 04/2022.

The following taken from Pheasant Street gate on Thursday 20 March 2025;

badger 1.jpg

badger 2.jpg

And these photographs from ASDA multi-storey carpark on Friday 21 March 2025;

badger 3.jpg

badger 5.jpg

Can anyone explain why they are at Worcester please?

[DD12]

Thanks Tim for your frequent supply of photos and detailed information.

According to posts on the internet they are only here because the space was needed at Weston for the new battery electrics that have displaced them, and that they will go for repaint, then Norwich and "Up North".

[TimBrown]

Thanks Tim for your frequent supply of photos and detailed information.

According to posts on the internet they are only here because the space was needed at Weston for the new battery electrics that have displaced them, and that they will go for repaint, then Norwich and "Up North".

Thanks for the update, thought it was too good to be true that Worcester looked to be in for some modern buses! Just when will the Worcester City and Worcs. County Councillors 'wake up and smell the coffee' rather than diesel fumes in Worcester and set up a Clean Air Zone?

I find it kind of sad that Weston - Super - Mare is cascading three year old Euro 6 exhaust Streetdecks and getting clean, at point of use, electric buses whilst 'Worn-out Worcester' had clapped out aged, battered ADL vehicles dumped on us in exchange for what was a well looked after fleet of mainly Euro 6 buses. I was sitting on a bench at the top of Crowngate Bus station this morning and left wondering if the E400 deckers and some of the E200 relics have any suspension left, the rattle of shock absorbers, or is it anti-rollbars, is a terrible clatter over the uneven block paving. By contrast a 66 reg Diamond Solo working the 296 negotiated this section silently!

Any news on the defunct bus wash situation, judged by the state of some buses it still hasn't been fixed or replaced yet? Are we in a "Nothing left in this year's budget situation", or waiting for the City Council to show their hand over the exact line of the new footpath proposed alongside the existing wash?