RLH Bus Information Centre

In 1950, Midland General was owned by the British Transport Commission. An order for 30 lowbridge AEC/Weymann double deckers was outstanding but only 10 of these were required and delivered (the remaining 20 were offered to London Transport, thus forming the first batch of RLHs). These became UK Registration Numbers ONU 630-639, delivered in 1950.

It is known that these lowbridge buses ran on at least the following routes:

• B8 - Mansfield - Rainworth - Blidworth - Newstead Abbey Gates - Papplewick - Linby - Hucknall - Papplewick - Bestwood - Nottingham
• B9 - Mansfield - Rainworth - Blidworth - Newstead Abbey Gates - Papplewick - Bestwood - Nottingham (infrequent service)
• C3 - Mansfield - Clay Cross
• D1 - Mansfield - Chesterfield
• D4 - Ripley - Chesterfield
• D5 - Sutton - Chesterfield
• D6 - Alfreton - Clay Cross

The buses also ran on other routes, but these were also served by highbridge vehicles.

The ONUs were generally garaged at Mansfield (Sutton Road), which was extended in 1952. On occasion, they visited Langley Mill garage (Station Road) for repairs. However, it is thought that 421 to 426 were the only vehicles allocated to Mansfield initially, with the remaining vehicles 427 to 430 coming later.

The bridge that necessitated use of lowbridge vehicles was just south of Bestwood village. It carried a railway branch line, from Nottingham (Midland) to Mansfield and Worksop line, into Bestwood colliery (grid reference SK549472).

The ONUs were withdrawn in 1968, probably being replaced by Bristol Lodekkas.

Unidentified ONU in service with Midland General on route B8 (Mansfield to Nottingham)

Differences to RLHs:

From recollections, interior differences of the 'ONU's compared to the first batch RLHs were:

• Seat cushions finished in fluted blue leather, except for the downstairs squabs (vertical cushions) which were covered with blue and grey moquette, edged with blue leather trim. (RLHs used the same mainly brown moquette on all cushions as other contemporary London buses RT, RF, GS etc)
• Backs of seat squabs finished in blue vinyl (instead of green)
• Side walls and staircase area painted blue (instead of mainly brown)

.. and from photographs and recollections, exterior differences were:

• Additional air vent grilles on exterior: one above each upper deck front window
• 3 piece front destination blind display (route number, via points, ultimate destination) instead of single blind display
• No nearside destination blind display (instead of one positioned above the platform), but instead a 2 piece rear display (where the RLHs had none)
• Both front sidelights were of a different, smaller type. Also, the offside light was positioned on a small bracket on the side of the bus, facing forward, rather than being on the front facing panel work.
• Access panels on the lower exterior, behind the front wheels (nearside for the batteries and offside for the air tank), were hinged upwards (instead of being removable panels kept in place with T key locks)
• Access hole on offside lower panel work just behind fuel filler, presumably for a fuel tank gauge (RLHs had none)
• No beading fitted along body sides between decks (the RLHs had beading which formed the 'cant rail' area, painted with a cream band)

The following exterior changes were made after a few years service to some (if not all) vehicles:

• Different 'rear view mirror' design and positioning on both sides
• Front registration number plates were changed to square types fitted under windscreen (instead of under radiator)
• At least by 1963, orange plastic lens type fixed indicator lights had been retro-fitted on both sides, quite far back from the front, behind the cab (instead of LT's retro-fitted hinged 'ears' at the front corners)
• Re-styling of the rear, replacing curved inwards bottom panels with squared types (in order to simplify future accident damage repairs) and introducing a 'bumper'
• Front destination blind windows replaced and moved further apart, entailing removal of beading underneath the ultimate display (this created a rather more ugly arrangement since the white painted area was interrupted)

Fleet History and Current Status List

Fleet Identification List:

Other Weymann bodied Regents supplied new to the Midland General group:

These were both highbridge and lowbridge types. There were various other Regents acquired from independent companies, but they did not have Weymann bodies.

AEC Chassis No.	UK Reg No.	Seating config	Operator and fleet no	New
9612E3705-24	JVO 931-50	H30/26R	Mansfield & District 135-154
9612E3725-39	MRB 29-43	H30/26R	Midland General 27,28,86-91,108,109,116-120	1948
9612E3747-48	JVO 951-52	H30/26R	Mansfield & District 155/56

A 1946/7 Regent II 0661 type, was also fitted with Weymann bodies as follows:

AEC Chassis No.	UK Reg No.	Seating config	Operator and fleet no	New
0661.7451-60	GRR 337-46	H30/26R	Mansfield & District 115-24
0661.7593-607	GRR 347-61	H30/26R	Mansfield & District 61-75
0661.7733-40	KNU 602/1/5/8/6/5/7/3	H30/26R	Midland General 63/0, 70/7/5/1/6, 64	1946
0661.7994-8008	HVO 931-45	H30/26R	Mansfield & District 120-34
0661.8009-13	KRB 81-5	L27/26R	Midland General 416-20 Lowbridge (smaller cab window than RLH)	1947
0661.8014-23	KRB 71-80	H30/26R	Midland General 121-25, 157/9, 160/2/8	1947

History of the Midland General Group:

The Midland General Omnibus Company (MGOC) was formed in 1920 as a subsidiary of the Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Tramway Co., and began operating bus services two years later. It operated in an area within and surrounding Derbyshire. Within 7 years, it had become the largest operator within the Midland General Group, after which it continued to expand.

The Midland General Group was owned by the Balfour Beatty group (an important member of the electricity supply industry). The Group composed of three operators:

• MGOC (probably at Langley Mill near Ripley, Derbyshire),
• Notts and Derby (N&D, at the same location), and
• Mansfield and District (M&D, at Mansfield, Nottinghamshire)

MGOC and N&D buses were liveried in blue and cream whilst M&D buses wore green and white.

When the electricity industry was mostly nationalised in 1948, Balfour Beatty sold the Midland General Group also, to the British Transport Commission. The ONU buses were in fact the last buses ordered by Balfour Beatty, although they were not delivered until 1950 when the BTC was in charge. The three operators then became known as part of the Tilling group. There were no more new buses delivered to MGOC or N&D until 1953.

After the formation of the National Bus Company the Group was split up between Trent Motor Services (taking N&D) and East Midland Motor Services (taking M&D) at the start of 1969. However, the Midland General fleet were allowed to continue to run in their blue colour scheme, which was unusual as most NBC companies took the corporate livery.

Soon afterwards, at the end of 1971, MGOC was also absorbed: this time into Trent Motor Services.

The trading name Midland General lives on today still.

Web Links:

• Heanor and District Local History Society (link added 2004-10-21)
• There is a message board on the history of the Langley Mill and Heanor areas, and one of the previous topics is to list the MGO bus routes: click here (link checked 2004-10-21)
• Notts+Derby Bus Page... MGO (link checked 2004-10-21)
• Notts+Derby Home Page (warning: link not working 2006-07)
• Lincolnshire & East Yorkshire Transport Review... MGO Route Map (link updated 2004-10-21)
• Preserved Buses of Midland General and Notts+Derby (linked added 2008-01-06)

Acknowledgements:

• Mr Tony Powell (B8 and B9 routing, depot allocation, low bridge allocation 2005-08)
• Mr Paul Chambers (who trawled through hundreds of his photographs, and provided recollections)