Before a couple of days ago this was the last time I went to Wednesbury Bus Station in 1990. Now like others places in the West Midlands it has a more health and safety conscious semi-circular arena type bus station with lots of metal and glass and little else to please the senses. The buses too have changed and even though I have nothing against modern double-deckers they don't have quite the appeal of the Metrobus and Fleetline and as for the modern livery it's more like a billboard to add advertising than a distinguished colour scheme. Of the two seen here I think I slightly prefer the first one based on the old Birmingham colours but with a lighter shade of blue. The grey version looks smart enough but too many dirty grey buses for me make the streets look depressingly drab.
Unless I'm much mistaken, that Metrobox is one of those bought for WMPTE's "Tracline" guided busway experiment in Birmingham (65 service, along Short Heath Road) - I'm pretty sure it was only those vehicles which had that particular style of electronic display.
ReplyDeleteLoved the BCT livery. I can remember the original Daimler Fleetline demonstrator, in BCT colors, visiting my home town of Great Yarmouth.
ReplyDeleteVery few current livery schemes do anything for me, a colored fleetname on pure white is so, well, so crass!
As for the infantile current West Midlands scheme (it would be an insult to call it a livery), it's just dreadful.
Mick C (a grumpy old ex-pat living in North Carolina - where bus liveries are not any better)
Thanks for your comments I do much appreciate them. The buses use on the 'guided bs' scheme were given special numbers 8101-8114, A114 WVP. As for the current West Midlands scheme it employs a colour similar to the old NBC poppy red which quickly fades and looks even more horrid. The former Widnes Corporation traditional red and cream colours in a brighter style introduced in the Sixties still being used by Halton today makes a refreshing reminder of how it should be and Lothian buses always look stunning. Sadly even most of the more classy Independents who took a pride in their fleet have gone too so we can no longer enjoy the likes of OK of Bishops Auckland.
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