Prepared on Notepad by Ian Smith,

This page created 25th March 2012, updated 31st January 2016.

Bus Histories

These histories are incomplete. They are being assembled as I garner information from a variety of sources. Particularly useful have been:

501  P501 OUG   7/96    Optare Excel L1070, Optare 9035
                8/96 MB new to Metrobus for 358 (Green Street Green)
                8/95 MB in service on 355 to Hastings
                7/00 MB
                3/01 CY transfer for 4/5 (Crawley)
                3/01 CY reallocated to 1
                3/02 CY 
                7/02    bought by Birmingham Coach Co, Tividale, West Midlands, #101
               12/05    Birmingham Coach Co now part of Go-Ahead
                8/06    rebranded Diamond (Go West Midlands)
                2/08    in service with Diamond
                3/08    Diamond bought by Rotala Group
                4/08    bought by Trustline, Hunsdon
                7/08    in service, still in red/white/dark blue  
                1/09    sold to Coachlease Ltd (Leicester)
             by 3/09    bought privately: not used
               10/10    G.Norris, Essex
            by 12/11    considered scrapped

502  P502 OUG   7/96    Optare Excel L1070, Optare 9036
                8/96 MB new to Metrobus for 358 (Green Street Green)
                3/00 MB in use on 358
                7/00 MB
                3/01 CY transfer for 4/5 (Crawley) 
                3/01 CY reallocated to 1
                3/02 CY 
                7/02    bought by Birmingham Coach Co, Tividale, West Midlands #102
               12/05    Birmingham Coach Co now part of Go-Ahead
                8/06    rebranded Diamond (Go West Midlands)
                3/08    Diamond bought by Rotala Group
               10/08    withdrawn
             by 2/09    bought by Speedwell bus, Hyde  
                */10    sold to Dawson Rentals
                1/11    bought by M Travel, #502
                3/11    bought by A Line, Pelaw

503  P503 OUG   7/96    Optare Excel L1070, Optare 9037
                8/96 MB new to Metrobus for 358 (Green Street Green)
                7/00 MB
                3/01 CY transfer for 4/5 (Crawley) 
                3/01 CY reallocated to 1
                3/02 CY 
                7/02    bought by Birmingham Coach Co, Tividale, West Midlands #103
               12/05    Birmingham Coach Co now part of Go-Ahead
                8/06    rebranded Diamond (Go West Midlands)
                3/08    Diamond bought by Rotala Group
            by 10/08    sold to Ventura Sales
                        to Stafford Bus Centre
                9/09    bought by Invincible, Tamworth 
                3/10    to Stafford Bus Centre
                3/10    acquired by Tyneside Travel 

504  P504 OUG   7/96    Optare Excel L1070, Optare 9038
                8/96 MB new to Metrobus for 358 (Green Street Green)
                9/96 MB used on 358
                7/00 MB
                3/01 CY transfer for 4/5 (Crawley)
                3/01 CY reallocated to 1
                3/02 CY  
                7/02    bought by Birmingham Coach Co, Tividale, West Midlands #104
               12/05    Birmingham Coach Co now part of Go-Ahead
                8/06    rebranded Diamond (Go West Midlands)
                3/08    Diamond bought by Rotala Group
                4/08    bought by Trustline, Hunsdon, for spares   
                1/09    sold to Coachlease Ltd (Leicester)
             by 8/10    sold to Drew Wilson
            by 12/11    considered scrapped 
 
505  P505 OUG   7/96    Optare Excel L1070, Optare 9039
                8/96 MB new to Metrobus for 358 (Green Street Green)
                6/00 MB unusual on T33
                7/00 MB
                3/01 CY transfer for 4/5 (Crawley)
                3/01 CY reallocated to 1
                3/02 CY  
                7/02    bought by Birmingham Coach Co, Tividale, West Midlands #105
               12/05    Birmingham Coach Co now part of Go-Ahead
                8/06    rebranded Diamond (Go West Midlands)
                3/08    Diamond bought by Rotala Group 
             by 8/08    bought by TM Travel, Halfway
               10/08    withdrawn
                8/09    reinstated 
                7/10    sold to Wellglade 
            by 11/11    scrapped: Looms, Spondon

506  P506 OUG   7/96    Optare Excel L1070, Optare 9040
                8/96 MB new to Metrobus for 358 (Green Street Green)
                7/00 MB
                3/01 CY transfer for 4/5 (Crawley)
                3/01 CY reallocated to 1
                3/02 CY 
                7/02    bought by Birmingham Coach Co, Tividale, West Midlands #106
               12/05    Birmingham Coach Co now part of Go-Ahead
                8/06    rebranded Diamond (Go West Midlands)
                3/08    Diamond bought by Rotala Group
                4/08    bought by Trustline, Hunsdon
               10/08    delicensed 
                1/09    sold to Coachlease Ltd (Leicester)
             by 3/09    bought privately: not used
               10/10 	bought by G Norris, Essex for spares	
                1/11 	sold to Erith Commercials, Kent (for scrap)  

507  P507 OUG   7/96    Optare Excel L1070, Optare 9041
                8/96 MB new to Metrobus for 358 (Green Street Green)
                7/00 MB
                3/01 CY transfer for 4/5 (Crawley)
                3/01 CY reallocated to 1
                4/01 CY unusual on 409
                3/02 CY 
                7/02    bought by Birmingham Coach Co, Tividale, West Midlands #107
                3/04    in service, Diamond Bus: white/black/red $
                6/05    in service, Diamond Bus
               12/05    Birmingham Coach Co now part of Go-Ahead
                8/06    rebranded Diamond (Go West Midlands)
                3/08    Diamond bought by Rotala Group 
                6/08    bought by Grayline Coaches, Bicester
                5/09    in service, Grayline: white $
               12/09    in service, Grayline $ 
               11/10    into store
                3/11    reinstated
                        bought by Filer's, Ilfracombe
               10/12    in service, Filer's: white, blue skirt $
     JFZ 8262           reregistered
                7/13    in service, Filer's $
               11/14    bought by EOS (Swallow Coach Co)
               12/14    in service on 66A, Harlow

508  P508 OUG   7/96    Optare Excel L1070, Optare 9042
                8/96 MB new to Metrobus for 358 (Green Street Green)
                7/00 MB
                3/01 CY transfer for 4/5 (Crawley)
                3/01 CY reallocated to 1
                3/02 CY 
                7/02    bought by Birmingham Coach Co, Tividale, West Midlands #108
               12/05    Birmingham Coach Co now part of Go-Ahead
                8/06    rebranded Diamond (Go West Midlands)
                3/08    Diamond bought by Rotala Group
                4/08    bought by Trustline, Hunsdon
               11/08    delicensed 
                1/09    sold to Coachlease Ltd (Leicester)  
            by 12/11    considered scrapped

509  P509 OUG   7/96    Optare Excel L1070, Optare 9043
                8/96 MB new to Metrobus for 358 (Green Street Green)
                7/00 MB
                3/01 CY transfer for 4/5 (Crawley)
                3/01 CY reallocated to 1
                3/02 CY 
                7/02    transfer to Birmingham Coach Co, Tividale, West Midlands #109
               12/05    Birmingham Coach Co now part of Go-Ahead
                8/06    rebranded Diamond (Go West Midlands)
                3/08    Diamond bought by Rotala Group
             by 9/08    bought by Premiere Travel, Nottingham #828: red
            by 10/09    delicensed 
            by 12/11    considered scrapped

510  P510 OUG   7/96    Optare Excel L1070, Optare 9044
                8/96 MB new to Metrobus for 358 (Green Street Green)
                7/00 MB
               11/00 MB unusual on 353
                3/01 CY transfer for 4/5 (Crawley)
                3/01 CY reallocated to 1
                3/02 CY 
                7/02    transfer to Birmingham Coach Co, Tividale, West Midlands #110
               12/05    Birmingham Coach Co now part of Go-Ahead
                8/06    rebranded Diamond (Go West Midlands)
                3/08    Diamond bought by Rotala Group
             by 9/08    bought by Premiere Travel, Nottingham  
                7/09    sold to Stafford Bus Centre
            by 12/11    considered scrapped

511  V511 KMY  12/99    Optare Excel 2 L1100, Optare 9455, B35F 
                     MB new on loan to Metrobus for 353 (Green Street Green)
                7/00 MB 
               10/00 MB used on 358
               10/08    returned to Optare
                5/02    Port of Dover: courtesy bus
             by 7/08    bought by P&O Ferries, Dover

Metrobus XLs

Photographic references


A key to the references is in the bibliography.

502     P502 OUG  LBic2000p76 2/00    on 358 to Orpington Station, Crystal Palace

504     P504 OUG  LBH97 p114  9/96 MB on 358 to Orpington Station        

507     P507 OUG  LBH98 p103  9/97 MB on 358 to Orpington Station, Bromley 

508     P508 OUG  BSiCLB p67  */97 MB on 358 to Crystal Palace

Ian's Bus Stop Metrobus XLs. XL histories. XL photo refs.