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Ring us on: 02476 633624
or 077 3388 4914
email us at: buses@wheels.co.uk
Welcome to The Friendly Midland Red.
It goes without saying that you will find a unique collection of vehicles at Wheels / Midland Red Coaches. The seasons will bring a suitable range of Vintage Buses Classic and more modern coaches out to play! Most of our work is very enjoyable and each vehicle fitting for our diverse range of work. You will not see all the Wheels/Midland Red Coaches fleet operating at any one time, and we do limit the mileages on some vehicles due to their rarity. If you have any special occasion where you need a particular vehicle we can often, with sufficient notice, bring a particular vehicle (which may be in store) into the operational fleet. Overhauls, restorations, painting etc, are carried out when the vehicles are non operational and during winter seasons. Our interesting operation is operated by a charitable project The Wheels Museum of Transport Heritage, which aims to preserve and promote the memories of Midland Red for future generations. Using the classic and vintage buses provides funds for continued restoration of existing and future vehicles in our collection.
WHEELS / Midland Red Coaches has a wheelchair accessible coach which has special features for the less mobile and disabled passengers including wheelchair lift facilities. This traditional British coach operates some Holidays, Daytrips, Mystery Tours or Shopping trips on a Private Hire basis. There are also slightly more modern coaches, in fact, examples of the very last Leyland model - the Leyland Royal Tiger Doyen. They almost look too modern for a heritage fleet, but the design is thirty years old! Do please ask us for details if you require any further information about which vehicle is suitable for the journey you are planning.
All our fleet are of British design and manufacture - not may companies
can say that today ! And most are from an era
when we had a forward looking and exciting vehicle manufacturing industry which
was highly motivated, extremely innovative, and where the products were in the
majority of cases over-engineered by today's standards, making them long lasting
and reliable. One of this country's main commercial manufacturers was
Leyland who since the 1920's had bus and coach models identified by names - mainly
of large cats. Here are a few examples: Leyland Lion, Leyland Tiger, Leyland
Cheetah, Leyland Cub, Leyland Lioness, Leyland Panther, Leyland Leopard, and
Leyland Royal Tiger. We have examples of Leyland Leopard and Tiger models, and we have decided to take the animal theme a little further. We have
large model animals which often accompany our passengers when traveling on our Leopard
and Tiger vehicles. They are our vehicle mascots.
You will find them securely chained when they travel on our coaches and they
don't mind being stroked!
We are also very proud to have in our fleet a number of vehicles which operated for Midland Red - a genuine BMMO D9 double decker and the unique Charabanc 25 seater which previously operated with Midland Red North from Wellington Depot. These vehicles hold special places in our collection and are available for special hire duties, and fit perfectly with our slogan "Special Buses for Special Passengers". If you are celebrating something special like a Wedding or Civil Partnership, a Birthday or Anniversary, or just want a pleasant day re-creating Midland bus memories - then these are the finest you can get. They bring back many memories to everyone who comes into contact with them, and they are sure to attract attention from passers-by, and often make nostalgic conversation and often lots of photographs taken too.
We can even personalise the front destination blinds on the bus to show your names or the name of your group - great if you include the bus in any special photographs.
Enjoy looking through our fleet list and we welcome the opportunity in the future to organise a special day out for you, then you can enjoy the nostalgia and the sense of occasion when you travel in style with WHEELS on our Midland Red Coaches.
We welcome your enquiries for hiring our vehicles - Here are some important tips:
When you email us with your enquiry, please give us as much detailed
information as you can. At this stage your enquiry is just that, and we do not
act upon any information at this stage - apart from accurately costing your
requirements. For your particular hire to be smooth-running and planned
using our best experience we do need all the information available. Its
rather like a Jigsaw - we need to know all the peices so that we know where we
fit in !
Please give us the following information as a minimum - it helps us to get costings and details worked out accurately for you without having to get back to you for more information.
Remember at this stage there is no obligation, but we do carefully schedule
our vehicles on busy days. When we have the full details of your special day, we will then
send to you our Email of Costing document, this will detail your requirements,
show costings for each vehicle available at the time, and give you information
on How to Make a Reservation. If you decide to go ahead with your
exciting plans, you return the documents signed, along with a vehicle holding
deposit, and then when your booking is accepted, your chosen vehicle is held
against your booking date and times. A straightforward, easy, and
fail-safe system.
Before you email us with an enquiry or
booking, please check our fleet below and always
have a couple of choices of vehicle in mind. email:
buses@wheels.co.uk
Midland Red Charabanc
Fleet number 147 - Seats up to 25 passengers
The ultimate in unusual vintage coach transport - This is the vehicle that makes your special occasion outstanding !
There is only one of these
full-size Charabancs in the UK which is licenced to
carry passengers. This is truly different!
If you are looking for something unique and special - TV, Films, or for Wedding or Civil Partnership ceremony transport, a special trip out, an anniversary or a Mystery tour - this charabanc is ideal for the most special of occasions.
Our vehicle has an interesting history. The body is thought to date from 1929 - it was heavily refurbished and fitted onto a slightly more modern chassis back in the 1970's. This makes it possible for it to be operational for many years in modern traffic conditions.
Midland Red operated this vehicle in the Ironbridge Gorge, linking the heritage sites for a number of years.
This vehicle is available for hire for special occasions and is a very 1920's travel experience, well before the delights of air suspension and double glazing. We suggest that your guests wear suitable clothing as this vehicle has open sides ! We also suggest that journeys of an hour or so are best for both the bus and its passengers.
Enter the spirit of a bygone time and enjoy your Charabanc ride !
Leyland
Titan PD2 Open rear platform Double Decker.
FDB 340C - Named "Wheels Trundler" - fleet number 3340
Seats up to 50 passengers.
The Leyland Titan design was produced for many years and by the time our vehicle was built in 1965 it was rare to see exposed radiators on new buses. Looking a lot older than it really is, makes it good to help create scenes from the 1940's to the 1970's. It was supplied new to "Stockport Corporation Transport" and operated their town services in and around the North West area. In 1979 it was withdrawn from everyday service and entered the workshops. It was then used for driver training and worked on by Trainee Engineers, and for this reason it lasted longer than many of its sister vehicles. It was sold to a local preservationists and was advertised for sale in 2002. It is now finished in the livery of Stratford Blue Motor Services which was a wholly owned subsidiary of Midland Red since 1935. It carries the WHEELS fleetname on its sides in the style of the "winged oval" Midland Red logo used from the 1950's era.
An ideal bus for special occasions - our "Wheels Trundler" can trundle anywhere around the Midlands area.
Hiring this piece of traditional British transport history brings you a Driver and Bus Conductor too.
BMMO D9 Double Decker EHA 415D - fleet number 5415. Seats up to 50 passengers
A
RED DOUBLE DECKER BUS FOR HIRE IN THE MIDLANDS
This bus is very special to us. This much-loved Midland Red D9 bus, fleet number 5415, first joined our fleet nearly twenty years ago and we are very pleased and proud to have it in our fleet. The D9 type operated throughout the Midland Red area and is the most popular post-war design, Interestingly, we have operated this bus longer than the original Midland Red company when it was in regular everyday service on its bus routes.
HIRING OF THE D9 RED BUS COMES WITH BUS CONDUCTOR TOO !
Now you can enjoy our D9 for your special occasion in much of the Midlands area.
We do limit the mileage we operate with our D9, but it's ideal in the general areas of Leicester, Hinckley, Nuneaton, Coventry, Leamington
Spa, Stratford Upon Avon, Tamworth and the Birmingham area. We do make some
exceptions, especially for certain Weddings, TV and Film work, etc. The
seating capacities shown - are absolute maximum numbers of passengers on board
(including all children).
Midland Red designed and built their own buses from 1923 to 1970. In post-war times they were produced under the makers name of "BMMO" which was of course Midland Red's formal company name - the Birmingham and Midland Motor Omnibus Company. Although the D9 first appeared in 1958, our D9 is from the last batch of 345, built in 1966. The D9 is 30 feet long and 8 feet wide it has many highly advanced features including independently sprung front wheels, integral construction, rubber suspension, semi automatic gearbox, Midland Red's own design of 10.5 litre engine, and advanced fibreglass/plastics including a one-piece roof. The front wheels are unusually set back giving excellent engine access and a good turning circle. The D9 is to the people of the Midlands what the Routemaster is to the people of London and holds a special place in many people's thoughts and memories.
5415 operated at garages including Kidderminster and Tamworth, and it was two Tamworth based Midland Red drivers who played a part in its preservation prior to our ownership. It was later sold to a Lutterworth enthusiast the late Derek Raye who set about properly restoring the bus - and he did some great work over a number of years. He stored his D9 for a time in Nuneaton where we caught up with Derek who was in bad health and looking for a good home for this rare bus. We were successful in buying it, and set about 5415, gaining full PSV status once again. Due to time delays in its use as a bus no records remained of it being a bus, so it had to be recertified which involved its axles being seperately weighed etc. Ironically it was the man who originally did the initial Certification of our D9 that was in charge of the test station and he had great pleasure in showing some of the unusual engineering features of the D9 type to his colleagues.
5415 happily enjoyed semi retirement on light duties including some local rail replacement duties, a peak local bus service and occasionally making an early morning works run to the Rolls Royce plant in Coventry, and of course some private hire work. Three years later when we moved to a depot with no double deck accommodation, a low railway bridge on one access road and a severe hump back bridge on another meant that we weren't able to keep 5415, so it was sold to a Birmingham enthusiast who was fortunate in finding some ex Midland Red staff to maintain and drive it. He also gained some much valued spare parts. We negotiated the return of 5415 to our fleet for nearly five years, and were extremely pleased to see its return to our fleet in Midland Red's 100th birthday year, and once again we can offer it for special private hire work. Nowadays, every passenger enjoys a special experience and if you can remember them from their earlier operating days, then you'll have an even more nostalgic journey.
This bus participated in the wonderful Midland Red 3-day 100th Birthday Party at The Black Country Museum in November 2004, making journeys over the museum's road network with other buses from the Midland Red stable.
Bristol RELH Coach. OTA 645G - Named "Wheels Pioneer", fleet number 4645 - Seats up to 34 passengers
This coach has a special place in our fleet. It was the first operational coach we bought back in 1991, and has a very interesting history. It was built in 1968 and is a Bristol RELH (rear engine long high) chassis, and has an Eastern Coachworks 45 seat body. It was new to the Royal Blue fleet and operated their prestigious services between London and the South West of England ("The English Riviera"). In 1975 it was parked in Bournemouth coach station and was damaged when fire broke out in another nearby bus. Fortunately it was fully rebuilt and re-entered service later in 1976.
This vehicle is ideal for most occasions where a classic 'older' looking coach is needed. For weddings we decorate it with white ribbons, bouquets and flowers. It's also ideal for resurrecting those old fashioned Mystery Tours - with its large windows you have no trouble seeing over the hedge rows. Newly retrimmed in luxurious style it is now downseated to just 38 passengers. 24 people sit at tables for 4, with others in forward facing seats. This bus featured in an episode of BBC's "Priceless Antiques", a spinoff of the Antiques Roadshow originally broadcast in January 2010.
Leyland Leopard - Named "WHEELS
Challenger", fleet number 6222
Seats 43 with no wheelchairs, or combinations e.g. 2 wheelchairs and
39 seats
This
Leyland coach first started life as a famous Green Line Coach operating in the
capitals
suburbs on coach type services. Leyland have had a long tradition of
naming many of their models after large 'cats' - this example is a Leyland
Leopard. When it was just five years old it
was sent to a dealer for refurbishing before being sold to southern operator - Hatts
where it was professionally converted to have wheelchair lift facilities
installed. In 2001 it was sold to an East Yorkshire taxi firm in who sold it on to Wheels in 2003. It saw further refurbishment
and repaint before entering service in August 2003. Its centre lift and
full tracking facilities make it a most versatile coach for the carriage of the
less mobile passenger. It's a good all-rounder, go-anywhere coach with
comfortable seats with a bright and vibrant interior.
This model of coach is now fast becoming a classic British Coach design.
This Leyland Leopard coach often carries our five feet long Leopard mascot on board. If you want the Leopard mascot to accompany your group - just ask when making the booking.
Leyland Royal Tiger Doyen - Named "Royal
Tiger Class", fleet number
6100 & 6150
Seating for up to 49 Passengers
These are the ultimate Modern Classic - but now certainly a rare breed !
Imagine this coach appearing in the very early 1980's, its design was a
radical change from the coaches on the roads of Britain at that time.
The Leyland Royal Tiger Doyens in our fleet are ideal for something different for your Private Hire, Day Trip, or Extended Coach Holiday Tour. They have reclining seats, generous leg room, double glazing, tinted windows, curtains, an advanced ventilation system, and PA System, with Radio and CD facilities. Read below for more detailed history and how their design evolved
Production of the Leyland Tiger followed on from the Leyland Leopard. They were both still underfloor engined designs, but in an attempt to fight off competition from foreign vehicle manufacturers which were taking a bigger market share in the UK in the 1980's, Leyland resurrected another great name from the past - the Leyland Royal Tiger. These, like many foreign imports was rear engined and had Leyland's horizontal TL11 turbocharged engine, and they were built to a new "space-cage" design to give massive storage capacity on an underfloor level for suitcases and luggage.
Riding on air suspension and using common parts to other Leyland bus products of the time, it was a stunning looking coach. Cast your mind back to 1981 when this type was designed - there was nothing looking quite as good ! Time has shown that it is one of those 'dateless' designs and standing the Royal Tiger Doyen coach next to a modern day coach, the Royal Tiger doesn't look at all out of place, yet it is over a quarter of a century since the type first appeared. The design was in-build when Volvo bought out Leyland Bus in 1988 and production was stopped prematurely - no one knows exactly how many were completed. The bodywork was built at two other Leyland owned plants, firstly at Charles H. Roe, where production was not successful, and later at Leyland's Workington (Lancashire) bus plant. At the time of writing approximately a dozen remain out of the 100 or so produced between 1982 to 1988, but only literally a handful - remain in service. The Leyland Royal Tiger Doyen is the last of a Great British breed
We have a documented story of
these special coaches in our Preservabus Pages
which will no doubt be of interest to enthusiasts. It gives some details of the
history of both the design and type, and of our particular vehicles. This will be
updated as new details become available.
These Leyland Royal Tiger coaches often carries our five feet long Tiger mascots on board. If you want the Tiger mascot to accompany your group - just ask when making the booking. Adorned with its Crown, the Royal Tiger is securely chained on board and doesn't bite!
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