THE SHOWBUS LONDON & HOME COUNTIES BUS IMAGE GALLERY
Red Rover Leyland National
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 Here was 138 as 723 (FAU723L) at work when new in Nottingham on one of the two Central Area Free Services, 88. Behind another of the Nationals, 726 (GAU726L), working on the yellow topped 77,
with another 88 behind. Picture ref H842 |
 The bus was displayed at SHOWBUS 79, at the Hillingdon Show. |
 The three Nationals below are unidentified, they may or may not be 138 (FAU723L), former Nottingham 723, but as there are no pictures of the bus in Red Rover colours the pictures have been included here. First up is another Red Rover enterprise, the 517 Market Day service from Aylesbury to Milton Keynes via Swanbourne, Mursley, Drayton Parslow and Newton Longville. The bus ended up in the little used "white elephant" Milton Keynes Bus Station. It was decades before there was anything nearby other than the Railway Station. Though the Station was nearby it was not exactly close! Now there is more activity in the area buses ignore the Bus Station - it is now an open air car park - and serve new stops immediately outside the railway station. Urban planners in ivory towers have much to answer for! The 517 was very successful and led to another MK Market Day service, the 515, from Gt Missenden via Wendover, Weston Turville and Leighton Buzzard.
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 In the distance in front of this National on LINKLINE at Stoke Mandeville Hospital can be seen a pair of visiting 11.3m single door dual purpose National from West Midlands PTE in an attractive livery..
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 Around 1980 Red Rover participated in the annual Bus Driver of the Year competition and an initial round was held jointly with United Counties in the Red Rover yard, which was more spacious than United Counties town centre depot. The buses used in the driving tests were mainly Leyland Nationals, common to both companies, though ex London DMS 140 (MLK419L) was used too. Ex Nottingham Nationals are dotted around the yard and the one with its back to us is part of the proceedings. The Routemaster at the back of the yard with a Nottingham AEC Renown is an RMA used for staff transport to Aldenham Works and garaged at Red Rover. Red Rover was successful on the day with driver Bob Pinnels going through to the national finals in Blackpool where he went on to win national success.
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