Click link for more information.';
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var bmmo='Birmingham and Midland Motor Omnibus Company Ltd (BMMO — Midland “Red”)';
var sb="Stratford-on-Avon Blue Motors Limited";
var wmpte="West Midlands Passenger Transport Executive (WMPTE)";
var wmptenote='Note: It is not intended for this website to chart the history of the '+wmpte+', however a small part of that companies history has been included on this page to illustrate how it affected the history of the '+bmmo+'.
'; var mroc="Midland Red Omnibus Company Limited (MROC)"; var mrn="Midland Red North Limited"; var mrs="Midland Red (South) Limited"; var mre="Midland Red (East) Limited"; var mrw="Midland Red (West) Limited"; var mf="Midland Fox Limited"; var fmr="First Midland Red Buses Limited"; var title=new Array(); var story=new Array(); title [0]=bmmo; story [0]=""; title [1]=bmmo+": Registered"; story [1]='On 26th November 1904, the Birmingham Motor Express Company Limited registered the name “Birmingham and Midland Motor Omnibus Company Limited”.
(Abbreviated to “B. & M.M.O. Co. Limited” or simply “BMMO” as used elsewhere on this website).
The '+bmmo+' commenced operations on 1st August 1905, with 19 double-deck motor omnibuses and around 100 horse buses.
'; title[3]=bmmo+": Motor Omnibuses Withdrawn"; story[3]='In October 1907, the '+bmmo+' withdrew all of their motor omnibuses due to unreliabity, using only horse buses until 1912.
'; title[4]=bmmo+': Motor Omnibuses Reinstated'; story[4]='On 25th May 1912, the '+bmmo+' reintroduced motor omnibuses. Despite the comapny name, only horse buses had been used from October 1907, due to the usual unreliability of the early motor vehicles.
'; title[5]='Acquisition of '+sb+''; story[5]='On 28th June 1935, '+bmmo+' purchased the whole of the issued share capital of the '+sb+' for Ł15,000. Stratford blue then became a subsidiary of Midland Red, but continued to operate independently with its own identity until the end of 1970.
'; title[6]="BMMO D9 Prototype Unveiled"; story[6]='In 1958, the '+bmmo+' unveiled the prototype of an advanced 30ft long, high capacity double-decker bus, the BMMO D9.
The type D9 entered production at BMMO’s Central Works two years later in early 1960, and continued in production until late 1966, with a total of 345 vehicles being built. Today the BMMO D9 is regarded as one of BMMO’s greatest designs.
On 22nd November 1959, the M1 Motorway opened between Birmingham and London. The "+bmmo+" immediately took advantage of this by operating new high‐speed “Motorway Express” services between London and Birmingham. With inspired foresight, BMMO re‐engineered the BMMO C5 coach with a turbocharged engine, overdrive gearbox and rear toilet for these new services, producing Britain’s first purpose built motorway coach — the BMMO CM5T.
In September 1960, the '+bmmo+' produced the prototype of an highly advanced high capacity double-decked bus with the engine mounted under the floor, the BMMO D10.
A second prototype was built a few months later, but unfortunately the type D10 never entered production.
In June 1970, due to the economical problems of vehicle production, '+bmmo+' closed the production lines at their “Central Works,” Carlyle Road, Birmingham. This ended production of their own vehicles, bringing to an end a proud and unique tradition that had started in 1923 with the production of the first SOS buses. The last batch of vehicles built by BMMO were 76 single-deck buses, classed as the BMMO S23.
The National Bus Company (NBC) felt that small operations, such as '+sb+', did not fit their corporate identity and such companies would better serve their interests as part of large operations. Because of this policy, full control of all “Stratford Blue” services and operations passed to their parent, '+bmmo+', on 1st January 1971. All Stratford Blue staff, vehicles and depots at Stratford and Kineton were absorbed by BMMO, with vehicles being repainted to overall red livery.
BMMO retained the operating name “Stratford Blue” until 13th December 1977, and then the company was struck off the register and dissolved. The company passed to '+mrs+', Rugby, on 16th January 1986, in order to protect any future use of the name. '+mrs+' later used tha name for branding on vehicles based at Stratford depot. The name later passed to Ensignbus, who continue to use it as a trading name in Stratford.'; title[11]=bmmo+" during World War II"; story[11]='
Production of BMMO vehicles, which carried to name “SOS” until this time, was stopped shortly after the outbreak of the Second World War, and didn’t resume until again 1946. During the war, the Ministry of War Transport took strict control of all bus production and allocations, and BMMO took delivery of a number of AEC, Daimler, Guy and Leyland built vehicles.' title[12]=wmpte+": Acquisition of Services and Assets"; story[12]=''; title[13]=bmmo+": Name Change"; story[13]='
On the 29th March 1974, in recognition of the fact that all of BMMO’s Birmingham services had transferred to the '+wmpte+', the '+bmmo+' removed the word “Birmingham” from the company title, changing the official company name to “Midland Red Omnibus Company Limited”, abbreviated to MROC.'; title[14]=mroc+": Market Analysis Projects"; story[14]=""; title[15]=mroc+": Broken up"; story[15]='
At close of operations on Saturday 5th September 1981, '+mroc+' ceased traing as an operating company. Five new smaller companies were created in its place all of which started trading on the morning of Sunday 6th September 1981.
Five operating companies formed were:
'+mroc+' continued to operate at Central Works, Carlyle Road in Edgbastion to provide engineering support and to be a property holding company.
'; title[16]="Stratford-on-Avon Motor Services: Trading Starts"; story[16]='In 1927 a new company formed, trading as the “Stratford-on-Avon Motor Services,” operating bus services between Stratford and Leamington in direct competition with the tramway operations of the Leamington and Warwick Electrical Company Limited.
'; title[17]=sb+": registered"; story[17]='In May 1931, Stratford-on-Avon Motor Services was registered as a limited company under the name “'+sb+'.”
At this time, links with the parent company, the Leamington and Warwick Electrical Company, were severed and Stratford Blue began operations in its own right.
'; title[18]=sb+": Acquisition of Kineton Green Bus Services"; story[18]='On 1st January 1937, '+sb+' acquired the operations of the Kineton Green Bus Services. The newly built depot at Kineton was also acquired, but none of the 11 vehicles operated by Kineton.
'; title[19]=sb+": New depot at Kineton"; story[19]='In 1954, a new depot at Kineton is opened by the '+sb+', replacing the existing depot, which Stratford Blue acquired in 1937 with the business of Kineton Green Bus Services.
On 1st October 1969, the '+wmpte+' was formed by merging the municipal transport undertakings of Birmingham City Transport, Walsall Corporation Transport, West Bromwich Corporation Transport and Wolverhampton Corporation Transport.
'+wmpte+' acquired 1310 vehicles from Birmingham, 278 from Walsall, 120 from West Bromwich and 288 from Wolverhampton. A common livery of dark blue and cream was adopted and the “West Midlands” fleetname was applied.
'+wmptenote; title[24]="Midland Red (North) Limited"; story[24]=""; title[25]=mrs; story[25]=""; title[26]=mre; story[26]=""; title[27]=mf; story[27]=""; title[28]=mrw; story[28]=""; title[29]=mre+": Name Change"; story[29]="On 24th January 1984, "+mre+" changed its name to “Midland Fox Limited”. Shortly afterwards they began a program of repainted their fleet into a new livery of yellow front with red back, seperated diagonally, and renumbering their fleet.
"; title[30]="Midland Red West Limited";; story[30]=""; title[31]=fmr; story[31]=""; title[32]="Midland Red (North) Limited: Ludlow Depot Closed"; story[32]='On 20th May 1983, Midland Red (North) Limited closed Ludlow depot
'; title[33]=mrn+": Privatisation"; story[33]="On 27th January 1988, "+mrn+" was privatised when it was sold to Drawlane Transport Group plc."; title[34]=mrn+": Stafford Depot Destroyed By Fire"; story[34]='On 2nd February 1992, the Midland Red North depot at Newport Road in Stafford was destroyed by fire. Twenty vehicles were also lost to the fire.
The building was later demolished and the land sold for redevelopment. A new depot at Silkmore Lane, Stafford was open in the following year as a replacement.
'; title[35]=mrn; story[35]=""; title[36]=mrw+": Bromsgrove Depot Closed"; story[36]='On Friday 16th September 1983, '+mrw+' closed Bromsgrove depot. Services and vehicles were shared out to other depots.
The 20 vehicles operated at Bromsgrove were re-allocated as follows:
On 23rd November 1985, “Citibus” services started in Worcester using a fleet of 60 new Mercedes-Benz L608D minibuses.
'; title[38]="Midland Red West Limited: Name Change"; story[38]="In April 1998, Midland Red West Limited, now part of FirstGroup plc., started trading under the name “First Midland Red,” with the official company name changing to “First Midland Red Buses Limited” on 26th March 1999.
"; title[39]=fmr+": Fleet repaint"; story[39]="In May 2001, "+fmr+" began a program repainted their fleet into FirstGroup livery.
"; title[40]=fmr+": Worcester Depot Fire"; story[40]='
On 17th March 2004, fire broke out in the engineering section of the First Midland Red depot at Padmore Street, Worcester, while welding work was being carried out underneath a bus. Two vehicles were destroyed and four others damaged.
Work started to rebuild the damaged section of the building in July 2004, and the building was fully operational again from January 2005.
Due to the extensive interworking of National Express operations with other companies, particularly National Travel West, Midland Red (Express) Ltd renumbered their fleet into the 500-599 series on 1st January 1983 to aviod clashes.
"; title[42]="Midland Red (Express) Limited: Name Change"; story[42]="In early May 1985, Midland Red (Express) Limited renamed to Midland Red Coaches Limited in an attempt by the company to drop the image of being an express only operator, and to overcome the confusion between themselves and the “Midland Express” brand that had been launched by the other four Midland Red companies in March 1983.
"; title[43]="Midland Red (West) Limited and Midland Red Coaches Limited: Privatised and Merged"; story[43]='On 22nd December 1986, the businesses of Midland Red (West) Limited and Midland Red Coaches Limited were privatised and merged when they were purchased from the National Bus Company by a management / employee consortium lead by the late Mr Ken Mills, who had been Managing Director of Midland Red (West) Limited since its formation in September 1981. A separate non-operating company, Midland Red West Holdings Limited, was registered to perform the buyout, in what became the 10th National Bus Company subsidiary to be sold.
For operational reasons all Midland Red Coaches Limited staff and vehicles transferred to Midland Red (West) Limited, which renamed to Midland Red West Limited at this time (without the brackets around the word “West”). The transfer enabled the amalgamation of the coaching activities from the two companies, and subsequently the phasing out of the Midwest brand name in favour of Midland Red Coaches. The operators licence for Midland Red Coaches Limited, number PD477, was surrendered in July 1987 with all vehicles transferring to the Midland Red West Limited operators licence, number PD480.
In the late 1990s, the trading name “Midland Red Coaches” was sold to Wheels of Coventry. This company operate a number of private hire vehicles, included some former BMMO vehicles, with a “Midland Red” theme.
'; title[44]="Midland Red (Express) Limited"; story[44]=""; title[45]="Midland Red Coaches Limited"; story[45]=""; title[46]="First World War: 14th August 1914 - 11th November 1918."; story[46]=""; title[47]="Second World War: 3rd September 1939 - 14th August 1945."; story[47]=""; title[48]="Stagecoach Midland Red"; story[48]=""; title[49]="Midland Red (South) Limited sold to Western Travel Limited"; story[49]="On 10th December 1987, Midland Red (South) Limited was sold to Western Travel Limited. Western Travel was also the holding company of the Cheltenham and Gloucester Omnibus Company Limited."; title[50]="Midland Red (South) Limited acquired by Stagecoach"; story[50]="In 1993, the Midland Red (South) parent company, Western Travel Group, was purchased by Stagecoach Holdings plc. Midland Red (South) Limited later became known as Stagecoach Midland Red."; title[51]="Stagecoach Midland Red: Banbury depot transfered"; story[51]="On 1st July 2002, control of Banbury depot (BY) was transfered to Thames Transit Limited (Stagecoach Oxford)"; title[52]="ARRIVA Midlands formed."; story[52]="In 2003 ARRIVA Fox County, ARRIVA Derby and ARRIVA Midlands North merged to form ARRIVA Midlands.