Prepared on Notepad by Ian Smith,
This page created 8th May 2000, updated 19th October 2005
Metrobuses as Trainers
Trainers were not governed by the 80% red rule, so some sported overall advertisements
or other eye-catching devices for their London training excursions.
Left: M282 enters the hurly-burly around Trafalgar Square
in December 1998, its outlandish advertising scheme giving no clue that this is a trainer for Arriva London North.
Right: More restrained is M1389 for London General, seen on the Chelsea Embankment.
This bus has since been repainted in red/blue trainer livery, as below.
Several companies have dedicated training buses in distinctive livery,
prefering to advertise their own need for drivers rather than commercial ads.
Centrewest has a bold red and yellow scheme. It is not unknown for these buses to be used in service!
London General has also opted for the bold approach,
with a cheap red and cheap blue scheme redolent of the Go-Ahead group's North-East connections.
Arriva London has gone for a more conservative overall white with grey skirt.
Perhaps someone unconsciously associated training with school uniform?
Arriva training school livery (white top, grey skirt) on M1000 at Showbus, Duxford, October 2005..
London United adopted a variation of its excellent standard livery: onto the red base with pale grey top,
dark grey skirt and white lining it has superimposed large segments in orange or yellow.
London United's M722 shows the training livery as it squeezes through the heavy
bus traffic outside Cobham Bus Museum in April 2002.
Thames Valley Training
TVT has some Metrobuses, repainted by Blackpool Transport in green and cream
(yes, Blackpool Transport colours),
for its driver training activities.
Preservation
Several Metrobuses have gone into preservation, including:
M6, | Cobham |
M14, | P.West, Barnet |
M59, | M.Ricketts, Andover |
M67, | Burns & Carter, Worcester |
M278, | Hendon |
M394, | Mr.Brown |
M789, | R.Cade, London |
M1001, | D.Colin, Chesterfield |
M1443, | SELNEC Preservation Group |
M67 made an appearance at Cobham Bus Museum's Open Day in April 2002.
M789 went to Showbus 2005 at Duxford.
M14 and M394 looked very smart at Cobham Open Day in 2003.
Bus Stop
Index.
Part 3.
bus histories.
photo refs.
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