Playing With MCW Buses

[@tomcloy1]

It is lovely to see these two old-timers still alive and kicking! I own ex LT M1100 which followed M1441 around during a lot of its LT career at Brixton, Streatham and Croydon so it is lovely to see a stablemate still alive and well.

[@why0why605]

Would love to own a metrobus. Loved driving them down Finchley road.

[@AJSAN1971]

Glad 1440 is still around. I drove it many times when I was at Sutton garage on the 293s and 420s. It was a bit of a flyer.

[@Free_Ranger_CT110]

The 6 cyl Gardner's are a work of art. Worked on them a long time ago, lots of great features. Able to test each injector using the injector pump was great. Had them in underground locos & on the surface in Smiths excavators. They are like a Swiss watch.

[@mrbigstuff1966]

We had MCW at shepherd's Bush bus garage 1982/83 they took the place of the DM and RM,we had a permanent engineer from Metro at the garage,I remember the air bag shocks use to collapse all the time,I was a trainee bus mechanic at the garage.

[@suzyqualcast6269]

Blimey, I remember DMS 1 parked out the front apron at Shepherds Bush Garage - brand new, in fact I've got a b + w photo, bout 1970, I think.

[@Mr_Bean_Stalk]

The MCW was my favourite OPO as a London bus driver, remember the accelerator was never immediately responsive. That said, anything was better than the DMS with its bouncy leaf spring suspension.

[@andrewdrabble8939]

They had some old MCW's on the South Yorkshire fleet many years ago when I was younger. Always thought they had a personality all their own because they sounded so different from the Leyland Atlantians. The one with the stepped windscreen are the ones that I remember seeing mostly in Sheffield

[@gillyhittamartinez5858]

I’m from Sheffield myself and remember

[@SimonRML2456]

M1440 looked lovely in the London General PH livery, hope to see her one day looking splendid again

[@leemadmax7738]

I remember been in Eldon Square bus station in Newcastle in the 80s with loads of theses pulling in. The smell was crazy as it was a indoor bus station.

[@kenquinn84]

That would have been the PTE ones from Byker and Slatyford

[@JannHofmann]

Thank you again for sharing your nice bus collection with us, and for telling some details about them

[@MH-hy2ot]

The MK I Metro is a beast! Love how smokey it is

[@stevesales4263]

later Gardners had higher compression to reduce cold smoking

[@limeyosu2000]

Love what you are doing with these great buses ! Just subbed

[@michaelstaley2241]

Excellent content lovely buses.

[@user-yf7uw1rj8p]

love buses love see you still doing it good on yer mick

[@redbank542]

Remember the first MCW’s delivered to GMB in the early 80’s. Brilliant kit. Great to drive

[@BITTYBOY121]

The MK1 is on a C plate and the MK2 is on an A plate ?? The A reg was from August 1983 to August 1984 and the C reg was from August 1985 to August 1986 so how did that happen ? ! ....The only logical explanation could be that MCW had both the MK1 and MK2 busses in production before the MK1 was discontinued... or the MK1 you have was built in 1983/84 but not sold/registered until late 1985/early 1986 ?? Great interesting videos ! 👍👍... as I remember these MCW MK1's were running in Hackney/Stoke Newington/Stamford Hill as the number 67 about 1983 but they were on a T plate to W plate at the time in December 1983 when I was only 6 ! and my mum used to take me with her on the buses shopping ! there was also the 149 but they were always good old Route Master busses and very cold in the winter with no back doors !

[@phillynch3819]

Mk1 design continued upto 1440/C registration for London Transport. They (LT) ceased ordering Metrobuses at that point. This added to MCW's demise, 3 years later.

[@BITTYBOY121]

@@phillynch3819 Very interesting... Thanks for the info !

[@AndyPeck-e8k]

LT ordered two Mk2's as a trial. A441UUV and A442UUV. But continued ordering the Mk1 until 1985. A442UUV had a Cummins L10 engine and a Maxwell transmission, and has since been scrapped.

[@BITTYBOY121]

@@AndyPeck-e8k Very interesting ! - Thanks for the info 👍

[@AndyPeck-e8k]

​@BITTYBOY121 I'm pretty sure they continued to order the Mk1 because the drivers view was better, because of the asymmetrical windscreen. They ordered hundreds of A, B and C registered ones.

[@danielrussell446]

Remember them well from years of operation here in the West Midlands metrobus 1 and 2 made here in Birmingham as well

[@davidhope5713]

You should do these up in london transport and west midlands livery

[@seankeane6482]

Thanks again for sharing your fleet and especially the lesser known ones

[@doc1665]

mk1 seems to be slipping in gear in reverse

[@razorheadinjapan73]

Goodness, I remember when these were new and in service (277) Where does the time go!

[@jaggass]

Lots of Metrobuses i rode on with Lincolnshire Roadcar/ Stagecoach Lincs sounded like a box of crickets. The final ones were 26 yrs old when they got withdrawn and some had just been tested before being scrapped. They also hated reversing as well.

[@jamesfrench7299]

I drove MAN SL202s with the same gearbox as these and reversing was "amusing". It was obviously a built in safety feature, only allowing you to move the bus a bit at a time. They never jumped out of gear though.

[@jaggass]

@@jamesfrench7299 Voith probably added that safety feature to minimise the risk of collisions and less damage if one happened. On later Voith's they removed it had a limited speed when reversing like on all autoboxes.

[@jamesfrench7299]

@@jaggass driver feedback must have filtered back to them! Good in principle, but more of a hinderance in practice. I personally liked it, but was a worry up a slope. Secret was squeeze throttle, engine revs then engages the gear, moves a bit then starts to stall, back off repeat.

[@tinalemon3026]

Special lockdown edition. They started well and nice to see.

[@willhorton5991]

love the old metros

[@justineasey1353]

I can remember 141 running around Cambridge on the Cambridge blue routes!!

[@darylb889]

Looks like the mk2 could have been on the Ensign Bus fleet. It has the exact livery.

[@cannadineboxill-harris2983]

Hi Guy's my name is Mr C. T. Boxill-Harris I was wondering, why couldn't you find a nice fresh shiny Leyland Titan B15's and Repaint them to a Grey Green Colour's just like the original Scania Grey Green's which were in the East London bus route's such as 24, 125, 167, 168, 298, 173, 179, 313 and also the bus route 103, if you guys would like to find about 13 Leyland Titan B15's, please could you Repaint them in the Exact Grey Green Bus Colour's for us because it would be a Very Very Very Very Very Very Interesting Buses to see them Repainted to a Grey Green Colour's and I'am a Big Fan of all of the Leyland Titan B15's Please?

[@StBlazeyModelWorld]

Great collection and good to see some Lt M class in there too

[@andybullyuk4831]

Both need restoring to their former glory

[@summertheatrerblx7417]

We still have these for are school buses! At least they are still using the built to last buses!

[@24-ep-69]

Great pair! I hope you can keep them together and return them to red.

[@matthewduffin6348]

The mark two left hand side needs a new tyre as l noticed that their was a problem with it l did not want you to have a blow out on it as the tyre needs changing as their is a sign that the back tyre is due to bust theirs a line a cross the middle the mark two needs to be kept off the roads till you get it changed health and safety risk and it's a health and safety risk at work

[@markwilkinson9522]

Nice

[@jt-bg6ey]

New here love the channel very interesting 👍

[@bazzer606]

I’m sure I drive that bus when I worked for Ensign about 1990 on routes around Romford

[@kevinwoodruff7377]

Looks like 1441 was an old ensign bus until you pulled it out it had imperial on the front of it what was it an old ensign bus or imperial bus as my local operator is ensign bus the Gardner engine sounds sweet. It would be nice to see inside the buses doesn't matter what they look like inside as I,am bus enthusiasts.

[@croydontramcabrides9767]

When 1440 was not on private hires and my DMS trainer {2397} was in on rota, I used 1440 for training. Just put L plates on and away we went. I used to park up my training bus at Sutton garage.

[@repentbeforeitstoolate..8239]

I would like to live in one of those .

[@matthewduffin6348]

The mark two bus came originally from hull from stagecoach

[@davidhope5713]

Why they scrapped all these is beyond me, when they couldve all been saved in a hanger for years and retro fitted into electric motors for the clean air conscious folk of tody

[@kojo8770]

Original Tour retrofitted a few of them with Cummins engines about 15 years ago and a few Olympians , I'm sure Big Bus Tours had some retrofitted Titans aswell around that time .

[@sambee8982]

I've seen an MCW Metrobus driving through Boston back in 2021. It was probably one of the preserved ones going to somewhere in Lincolnshire for a heritage service....

[@歐耀良]

In decades ago, a lot of MCW bus ran on Hong Kong's road

[@johnsutcliffe171]

made my day. many thanks.

[@paulthomas3841]

The Gardner sounds good has new

[@matthewduffin6348]

These buses came from hull stagecoach l recognise them these buses need to have some work done mark one right hand side light Needs replacing

[@GWLAD]

Good old Gardener motor reliable as old British 🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧

[@markgiles6720]

Sad to see classic buses like that

[@Hazel584]

Nice to see 440 again all running nicely, and slowly turning red. Is the route 38 RML a restoration in waiting or for spares?

[@warweezil2802]

Hazel584 1440... that number plate rings a bell... I wonder ... was it ever run out of Sutton (garage code A) ?

[@lucythemoggy1970]

@@warweezil2802 yes it did

[@warweezil2802]

So I’ve obviously seen it on the 154 through Roundshaw or the 157 in the 90s after they cascaded the metros into Sutton to replace the Iveco engined DMS fleet. It probably stayed there till 97 ish when the new Volvo fleet arrived. Looks very different now... but then so does Roundshaw.

[@Ginginmeowcat2019]

Do still have MCW in UK for bus services now?

[@cannadineboxill-harris2983]

Extended Bodies for Most of the Buses Much as I am not comfortable asking the depot why they stopped running the London Suburban Loud 4-Speed Leyland Hydra cyclic Automatic Gearbox Gardner 6LX and Gardner 6LXC Diesel Engine Olympian ECW’s on routes 30, 121, 230, 271, 349, N279 And 158 why can’t we make the same make of the Loud 4-Speed Leyland Hydra cyclic Automatic Gearbox Gardner 6LX and Gardner 6LXC Diesel Engine Olympian ECW Buses but Modernise the insides of these Buses. Also, make it low floor up and down and also extend the middle body part of these vehicles a little bit more so there will be more space for the wheelchair users. By the way, if you could remake and Modernise these vehicles could they also make them into a Loud 4-Speed Leyland Hydra cyclic Automatic Gearbox Gardner 6LX and Gardner 6LXC Diesel Engine Olympian ECW Version’s that if it will be possible to Modernise the insides of these Loud 4-Speed Leyland Hydra cyclic Automatic Gearbox Gardner 6LX and Gardner 6LXC Diesel Engine Olympian ECW’s make it low floor up and down and also extend the middle body part of these vehicles a little bit more so there will be more space and even a London Suburban 4-Speed Leyland Hydra cyclic Automatic Gearbox Scania N230UD Enviro 400 MMCs and 4-Speed Leyland Hydra cyclic Automatic Gearbox Gardner 6LX Diesel engine Enviro 400 MMC’s and also extend the middle the body part of these vehicles a little bit more. Why couldn’t we have those London Suburban Buse's Pale red on the top roof Pale red again on the top middle Milk Chocolate brown on the middle Creamy white on the Bottom Middle and Milk Chocolate Brown again on the Bottom on most of those kinds of those Particular Double Decker Vehicles? Could you put the Loud 4-Speed Leyland Hydra cyclic Automatic Gearbox in the Scania N230UD Enviro 400 MMCs and also put the Loud 3-Speed Voith Diwa Gearbox in the Volvo TD102KF Engine East Lancs Olympus and also extend the the middle body part of these vehicles a little bit more and also turn most of them to a London Suburban Buses. By the way, could you also make the routes 349, 121, N279 and 271 into a London Suburban Buses and have a a mixture of a Loud 4-Speed Leyland Hydra cyclic Automatic Gearbox Scania N230UD Enviro 400 MMC and Loud 4-Speed Leyland Hydra cyclic Automatic Gearbox Gardner 6LX and Gardner 6LXC Diesel Engine Olympian ECW Versions. Could they also transfer the Arriva Bus Depots from Hackney to Stagecoach company so they can replace all the Arriva buses so that all of them can go to Birmingham and Leeds and they can be replaced by Stagecoach Loud 3-Speed Voith Diwa Gearbox Volvo TD102KF Engine East Lancs Olympus and also Extend the Middle body part of these Vehicles and that includes A Mixture of a Stagecoach Loud 3-Speed Voith Diwa Gearbox Volvo TD102KF, Gardner 6LXC and Gardner 6LXCT Engine Northern Counties Palatine One and that Includes a Loud 4-Speed Leyland Hydra cyclic Automatic Gearbox Gardner 6LX Diesel engine Enviro 400 MMC’s and Loud 4-Speed Leyland Hydra cyclic Automatic Gearbox Scania N230UD Enviro 400 MMC Vehicles A Little Bit More? Can Arriva London Bus Company Replace Most of their Wight Buses so they can also transfer them to Birmingham and Also Manchester so they can be replaced by Loud 3-Speed ZF Ecomat Gearboxes Volvo D10A Engine East Lancs Olympus and also Extend the Middle body part of these Vehicles A Little Bit More Thank You Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Much. Oh by the way could the bus Factory Companies also Make More of Those Loud 4-Speed Leyland Hydra cyclic Automatic Gearbox Gardner 6LX and Gardner 6LXC Diesel engine Olympian ECW Vehicles And that also includes Those Loud 4-Speed Leyland Hydra cyclic Automatic Gearbox Cummins L10 Enviro 400 MMC And also Extend the The middle Body part of those Loud 4-Speed Leyland Hydra cyclic Automatic Gearbox Gardner 6LX and Gardner 6LXC Diesel Engine Olympian ECW Vehicles and the Loud 4-Speed Leyland Hydra cyclic Automatic Gearbox Cummins L10 Enviro 400 MMC Vehicles and that also includes The Loud 3-Speed ZF Ecomat Gearboxes Volvo D10A Engine East Lancs Olympus A Little Bit More And Paint Those 4-Speed Leyland Hydra cyclic Automatic Gearbox Cummins L10 Enviro 400 MMC Vehicles and also those Loud 4-Speed Leyland Hydra cyclic Automatic Gearbox Gardner 6LX and Gardner 6LXC Diesel engine Olympian ECW Vehicles and that also includes The Northern Counties Palatine One with a Volvo TD102KF, Gardner 6LXC and Gardner 6LXCT Diesel engines with a Loud 3-Speed Voith Diwa Gearboxes and The Loud 4-Speed Leyland Hydra cyclic Automatic Gearbox Scania N230UD Enviro 400 MMC Vehicles and also The Loud 4-Speed Leyland Hydra cyclic Automatic Gearbox Gardner 6LX Diesel engine Enviro 400 MMC Vehicles to the Grey Green Colours Just Like The Other Original Scania Grey Green on the Bus Route 125, 173, 313 and the 103. If all of the 14 Leyland Titan B15s are Fully Red and even Mostly Red, could they also Repaint All of Those 14 Leyland Titan B15s into Grey Green Colours Just Like The Other Original Scania Grey Green on the Bus Route 313 so they can Reuse them for Only Every 6 and a Half Months and also Reuse them on those Rail Replacement London Bus Routes if that will Be Alright for Only Just Every 6 and a Half Months, starting from the beginning of October and also Reuse Those Buses Only on the London Bus Routes which are The 341, N41, 34, 123, N29, 149, 221, N73, 121, 86, 30, 262, 147, 396, 41, and N26 so Please make sure that the builders can do as they are told!! And please do something about these Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Important Professional Ideas Please Please Prime Minister and also includes the Mayor of London.

[@jamesfrench7299]

Poor Voith box during reverse. Great you appreciate the metros. Do you or will you have a Titan?

[@michaelbiddell8742]

I used to have Titans

[@GhostOfDamned]

If put some scrap armour on it would look like a rolling fortress straight out of mad max

[@cannadineboxill-harris2983]

Hi Guy's my name is Mr Cannadine T. Boxill-Harris I was wondering, why couldn't you Rebuild a nice fresh shiny Volvo D10A Cummins L10 Scania N230UD and Gardner 6LX 4 Speed Leyland Hydra cyclic Automatic Enviro 400 MMC’s and Repaint them to a Grey Green Colour's just like the original Scania Grey Green's which were in the East London bus route's such as 24, 168, 125, 173, 179, 167, 313 and also the bus route 103, if you guys would like to Rebuild about 77 Volvo D10A Cummins L10 Scania N230UD and Gardner 6LX 4 Speed Leyland Hydra cyclic Automatic Enviro 400 MMC’s please could you Repaint them in the Exact Grey Green Bus Colour's and put them on the London Bus Routes witch are the 341, N41, 34, 123, N29, 149, 221, N73, 121, 86, 30, 262, 147, 396, 41 and N26 for us because it would be a Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Interesting Buses to see them Repainted to a Grey Green Colour's and I'am a Big Fan of all of those Volvo D10A Cummins L10 Scania N230UD and Gardner 6LX 4 Speed Leyland Hydra cyclic Automatic Enviro 400 MMC’s Please?

[@SuperAgentman007]

Are they ready to go on the road do they have their MOT’s😂

[@lucythemoggy1970]

good old metros! that 38 route RM. r u restoring it?

[@jaggass]

MCW had to keep building the mk1 Metrobus because London Transport rejected the Mk2 Metrobus

[@justinobrien3593]

I would have thought the A reg was a mk1 but it's a mk2 but yet the C reg is a mk1 confusing lol

[@Barison82]

M1441 & M1442 were delivered out of sequence in 1984 as part of the AVE (Alternate Vehicle Evaluation) Trials (included 4 new types for potential future orders - this, the MkII Metrobus; the Dennis Dominator; the Leyland Olympian & the Volvo Ailsa. The Olympian was the type chosen and was the last mass order placed by the old LT before de-regulation). The earlier batch of LT Mk1 Metrobuses had all their numbers allocated/reserved up to M1440, as this was a huge order for the type, and would take another year or so for deliveries of those to be complete. So, the MkII's had to start at M1441 - onwards. They were both delivered to Stockwell garage in August 1984 and ran on route 170, plus moonlighted on route 44 on Sundays. Great to see both M1440 & M1441 survive; the dream would be to see both restored to original delivery condition (LT red, yellow doors, white roundels etc.)

[@pertoger]

You have to fix the lock on the front cover of that blue bus.

[@MrBob5y]

Funny how the mk2 is an A '84 reg and the MK1 is a C '86

[@Barison82]

M1441 & M1442 were delivered out of sequence in 1984 as part of the AVE (Alternate Vehicle Evaluation) Trials (included 4 new types for potential future orders - this, the MkII Metrobus; the Dennis Dominator; the Leyland Olympian & the Volvo Ailsa. The Olympian was the type chosen and was the last mass order placed by the old LT before de-regulation). The earlier batch of LT Mk1 Metrobuses had all their numbers allocated/reserved up to M1440, as this was a huge order for the type, and would take another year or so for deliveries of those to be complete. So, the MkII's had to start at M1441 - onwards. They were both delivered to Stockwell garage in August 1984 and ran on route 170, plus moonlighted on route 44 on Sundays. Great to see both M1440 & M1441 survive; the dream would be to see both restored to original delivery condition (LT red, yellow doors, white roundels etc.)

[@johno4521]

Wow that's only RMF 254 CLT parked next to them!!

[@pertoger]

When was the first bus built with the engine stern and not beside the driver?

[@thelibrarian46]

Hi, I just wondered what is happening to the RML, in the background?

[@steffanharaldjanzen6600]

Correct me if im wrong that's an ex ensign bus?

[@cannadineboxill-harris2983]

Hi Guy's my name is Mr Cannadine T. Boxill-Harris I was wondering, why couldn't you Rebuild a nice fresh shiny Gardner 6LXCT Gardner 6LXC and Volvo TD102KF 3 speed Voith DIWA Northern Counties Palatine 1’s and Repaint them to a Grey Green Colour's just like the original Scania Grey Green's which were in the East London bus route's such as 168, 125, 173, 179, 167, 313 and also the bus route 103, if you guys would like to Rebuild about 93 Gardner 6LXCT Gardner 6LXC and Volvo TD102KF 3 speed Voith DIWA Northern Counties Palatine 1’s please could you Repaint them in the Exact Grey Green Bus Colour’s and put them on those London Bus Routes witch are the 341, N41, 34, 123, N29, 149, 221, N73, 121, 86, 30, 262, 147, 396, 41, and N26 for us because it would be a Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Interesting Buses to see them Repainted to a Grey Green Colour's and I'am a Big Fan of all of those Gardner 6LXCT Gardner 6LXC and Volvo TD102KF 3 speed Voith DIWA Northern Counties Palatine 1’s Please.

[@johneisen6341]

I'm keen on buying one of these mcw buses

[@leonely4733]

Hi there Micheal is the Allen you talk of from mcv engineering at all

[@alicanharryreilly8353]

M1440 is Now Privately Owned in preservation by Ex London Bus Company Private Hire Manager Michael White

[@pezzermra]

Bloody work horses

[@granvillebloor6569]

Have u still got them

[@davidwebster537]

Hi Michael was wondering are you going to restore RML 884 or is it donating spares for the other buses.

[@michaelbiddell8742]

I have restored some of it currently. And not been using it for spares.

[@davidwebster537]

@@michaelbiddell8742 that is good as long as you are not using as spares for another bus you should feature it in a Video.

[@michaelbiddell8742]

@@davidwebster537 Yes that's not a bad idea!

[@davidwebster537]

@@michaelbiddell8742 just let me know when you are going to feature it as I would like to see it and also how you getting on with RT 2233.

[@michaelbiddell8742]

@@davidwebster537 She is now road worthy. I haven't taken her out yet. I'm still waiting on getting some seats for her.

[@Jack.me.]

Is his account called Alan and his bus

[@davidwebster537]

What is the red RML in the background Michael ?.

[@user-yf7uw1rj8p]

see you kept 1440 then and now got1441 nice

[@MrMrsoggys]

Are you going to restore them?

[@thestandardfour0699]

Not really much cup of tea, I am more into the Northampton busses, particularly number 250 as I have seen that one in person.

[@kmb2e]

Is she still around?

[@keithbillingsley8123]

Mind the tree!

[@johnpiper3416]

What number is the RML beside the digger?

[@michaelmatthews8171]

I noticed cambridge blue on the side, i remember them around cambridge.

[@boyinblue3500]

Just noticed 254 CLT ex Northern

[@johneisen6341]

Hi where are you based?

[@davidlawrence9091]

Harlow Central ? Harlow Bus Station, never saw a bus had Central in Harlow!

[@bonkeydollocks1879]

6lxb

[@michaeltomes2630]

Passed my test in one of these