Midland “Red”
BMMO and MROC
Midland “Red” Motor Services (BMMO & MROC) SOS “SON” - Preserved

Midland “Red” Motor Services (BMMO & MROC)
SOS “SON” — Preserved

2418 (R/No: GHA337)

Preserved by BaMMOT

Photograph
Photograph

GHA337 was part of the last batch of fifty vehicles built by Birmingham and Midland Motor Omnibus Company Limited (BMMO—Midland “Red” Motor Services) before the Second World War stopped production. She entered service in June 1940, and initial allocation is unknown but by January 1942 was at Hinckley depot and later saw service at Birmingham (Digbeth) depot. She was given the fleet number 2418 in March 1944, and by August 1946 had returned to Hinckley depot. She was one of many pre-war buses that had bodywork rebuilt by Nudd Brothers & Lockyer Limited, Kegworth, between 1949 and 1951, and after work was finished re-entered service Leamington Spa depot in April 1950, where she remainied until being withdrawn in March 1958.

During the late 1950s many ex-BMMO buses passed to Showman and it is believed GHA337 was one of these. By the early 1980s she was derelict and was acquired by Birmingham and Midland Motor Omnibus Trust (The Transport Museum, Wythal — BaMMOT) for preservation. Over many years she has been slowly restored and returned to post-war condition, as operated by BMMO during the early 1950s at Leamington Spa depot. The vehicle is now fully restored and is often used on passenger carring duties on the museum running days.

On Wednesday 15th October 2014, this vehicle was on hire to First Midland Red Buses Limited who used it during a Heritage Day press event, “Celebrating 100 Years of Midland Red in Worcester and Service 144”. The vehicle was driven James Munro from The Transport Museum, and ran on a short Service 144 between Worcester and Droitwich Spa in convoy with the two vehicles that First Midland Red had painted into Heritage livery.