Alcester Road, Hollywood - heritage bus from Wythall Transport Museum on the 48 - 322

Alcester Road, Hollywood - heritage bus from Wythall Transport Museum on the 48.

This was the bus timetabled to go leave Wythall Transport Museum at 11:45am and get to the Maypole at around 11:55am. It was a little bit late.

I walked about half way down the Alcester Road in Hollywood before heading back up to the Maypole and Kings Heath.

Seen here on Alcester Road heading towards the Maypole.

322

Midland General FRB 211 H
Bristol Rear-Engined Double-Decker Bus

Reg No: FRB 211H - new 1970
Operator: Midland General
Chassis: Bristol VRT/SL2
Engine: Gardner 6LX 10.45 litre diesel
Gearbox: Semi-automatic
Body: Eastern Coach Works 70 seats

The Bristol VR (Vertical Rear, referring to the engine location) was originally intended to have its engine positioned longitudinally on the offside, behind the rear axle. This concept would have allowed a chassis suitable for single- and double-deckers with the fullest flexibility to operators for entrance and exit positions. The introduction of a new bus grant which insisted on double-decker buses having the rear engine mounted across the rear, as on the well established Leyland Atlantean and Daimler Fleetline, killed the original concept and the production VRT (T for Transverse engine) was much more orthodox, as seen here.

The Bristol VRT, almost inevitably paired with ECW bodywork, became the standard double-decker for the National Bus Company. This VRT, early enough to have flat screens rather than the more common curved type, was one of the last delivered to Midland General before the company was required to replace its distinctive traditional blue and cream with National Bus Company corporate layout. This bus briefly carried the very rare NBC dark blue before receiving the more usual poppy red. Around the same time Midland General was absorbed into the Trent company.

It returned to its original colours to celebrate a company anniversary in 1985. It arrived at Wythall in 1990 and, after body rectification, was repainted again in its attractive original colours.
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Was hoping to see other heritage buses down here this time, but I got back to the Maypole around 12pm, and continued walking up towards Kings Heath. The one I expected from Birmingham was late (it was being towed through Kings Heath around 12:35pm when I saw it).

And saw another old bus heading south from Birmingham (a green bus).

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Taken in: United Kingdom / England / West Midlands / Maypole (show map)

Taken on: May 28, 2017

Tags:

Hollywood

Hollywood, Worcestershire

england

united kingdom

great britain

Wythall

tree

trees

Alcester Rd

Alcester Rd, Hollywood

bus

heritage bus

vintage bus

Wythall Transport Museum

Maypole

Midland General

Bristol Rear-Engined Double-Decker Bus

Bristol VR

Vertical Rear

Leyland Atlantean

Daimler Fleetline

ECW

National Bus Company

Late May Bank Holiday Weekend « less

Sets appears in: • Transport Museum Wythall • Hollywood, Worcestershire more » • Heritage Buses « less

Groups appears in: • The Midlands • Buses more » • Buses UK • Birmingham Post and Mail • Bus UK: Buses, Coaches and Trams of The South and West Midlands « less

Camera: Panasonic DMC-FZ72, f/5.5, 1/200 sec, 49.1mm, ISO 100 (more info) (hide info)

Camera:	Panasonic DMC-FZ72
Aperture:	f/5.5
Exposure Time:	0.005 sec (1/200)
Focal Length:	49.1mm
ISO:	100
Exposure Bias:	-0.33 EV
Flash:	Off, Did not fire
Exposure Program:	Program AE
Exposure Mode:	Auto
Metering Mode:	Multi-segment
White Balance:	Auto
Color Space:	sRGB
Software:	Adobe Photoshop Elements 10.0 Windows
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