MidlandRed.net

4482 is probably the only complete D7 remaining out of 350 built. This type of bus was mainstay of Midland Red services during the 1950s and early 1960s and could be seen working a variety of routes ranging from short town/city urban runs to long distance journeys like the X35 Shrewsbury to Hereford service (as shown on the destination blinds in the photograph), Worcester's X72 from Birmingham to Gloucester, the X68 from Leicester to Birmingham and the 144 from Birmingham to Malvern Wells for example. Hope I live long enough to see this bus restored and back on the road working the Transport Museum's Class 6 stage carriage services! Anyone with £200K to spare out there?

Very nice to read your comments Tim -- -- I find it deeply saddening that we get hardly any comments and chat from people around the Midland Red territory, on this excellent website !

D7s were crude by modern standards with single skin construction along the upstairs side panels with exposed metal framework. The seats upstairs were covered in a mock leather material which was probably vinyl; legroom upstairs was at a premium to accommodate the 37 seats within the 27 feet overall length. They were a bit noisy which never worried us young bus-spotters. That said, most of these buses had a fair turn of speed on the level, but with only 105 BHP from the BMMO 8 litre KL engine could struggle uphill when fully loaded. At risk of repeating myself, an amusing episode way back in the early 1960s still makes me laugh out loud when I happen to remember it. I was a front seat passenger on a CM5 motorway coach working an X44 between Worcester and Birmingham cruising down the dual carriageway between Northfield and Selly Oak at 42 MPH on the speedo when there was a very loud roaring noise from the offside. I was gobsmacked when D7 4481 came passed us with the driver giving ours a two finger salute as he motored passed at 45 - 50 MPH. The conversation when both drivers next met must have been quite interesting as our driver was a renowned and successful boxer, no doubt the air was filled with a few choice expletives and a lot of laughter!

Thanks Tim !! -- -- I agree about the crudity of the D7s, and the only time they impressed me was when they were freshly repainted. -- -- I took more of an interest in them when, along-with D9s, they started to appear on the W1 (Ombersley Road) in the early '70s, which had previously only used DD12s !

This bus used to belong to my dad Roger Jarvis. As a family we had many a happy trip onboard. We visited the museum 6 years ago and we where able to go onboard despite it not being on show.