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Possibly the prize acquisition from Motts Yellow Bus operations in 1995 was 5108 (F506OYW). Known as "The Blunderbus", the vehicle was new to the London Borough of Lambeth as a playbus. Motts acquired it with virtually no mileage on the clock when it was about 5 years old. Motts fitted it out themselves with parts from Northern Counties as the interior did not even have a staircase. It was one of the last bodies built by NCME in the Manchester style, the Olympian chassis also had an unusual engine gearbox combination. It is thought Lambeth paid over list price for not having the usual internal fixtures, sometimes you can just see them coming! The bus passed to Arriva with most of the Yellow Bus fleet and was one of the last buses painted from Shires to Arriva livery as it was also one of the last to be painted in Shires blue and yellow. Unusually, at the time, it retained Lambeth's white whilst in the Yellow Bus fleet and saw more use on hire and contract work than their bus services.
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Sister vehicle 5139 (N39JPP) still going strong six years later is seen arriving at SHOWBUS 2014.
Picture ref 14-0420 |
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