Bendi-Bus

2001-5 DAK301-4V, CLM 346T .

During the late 1970’s M.A.N (Maschinenfabrik Augsburg Nurnberg) vehicles were keen to capture a share of the British bus market. In 1978 a single vehicle was imported which took the registration mark CLM346T to gain type approval for the operation of articulated buses in this country. Following the approval M.A.N. produced 4 further vehicles that were registered DAK301-304V. These joined 5 similar vehicles built by D.A.B. (now D.A.F.) and the 10 buses entered service in 1979 with South Yorkshire PTE in Sheffield. The trials of these buses resulted in the PTE purchasing 13 D.A.F. based vehicles. The M.A.N. vehicles then found some use in Oxford and at the National Exhibition Centre as car park shuttle buses for the motor show. During 1983 the 5 M.A.N. Buses were loaned to the National Bus Company who decided to trial them with their Midland Red West subsidiary at Redditch. The Company used them on the new town circular route (Then known at the R8 and R9) which is now the First Wyvern Redline routes 57, 58. In 1983 the route had reached a 10-minute frequency. The route had evolved with the construction of the new town and makes use of the extensive bus only roads in Redditch. The vehicles retained their South Yorkshire PTE livery and fleet numbers with Reddibus trade names added. Much more work had to be done on the Plymouth Road bus park to accommodate these long vehicles on the fuel pumps and inspection pit in the small workshop had to be lengthened. On entry into service the vehicles did spend most of the time on the R8 and R9 though the buses did stray even getting into Birmingham on occasions. Operation of the buses was not helped in Redditch as during their stay the Bus Station was being rebuilt (this became the second bus station on the site). During this rebuilding temporary stands were used in Station Way and some routes required the bus to turn round via reversing manoeuvre which can be difficult with an articulated vehicle. Also during the time at Redditch Garage the services were revised with an R7 being introduced so that clockwise journeys round the new town ran as R7 and R9 as journeys were extended to Crabbs Cross via what is now the 55 and 56 routes. When the were split the new town routes retained the R7 and R8 numbers (now 57 and 58) the Crabbs Cross Circular became R5 and R6. Midland Red West found the buses were popular with the passengers but vehicle reliability a problem. Spares for the M.A.N. engines were a particular problem, which led to 2004 (DAK304V) spending the last few months at Redditch out of service to provide parts to keep the other 4 buses, on the road. At the end of the experiment MRW decided bendi-buses weren’t for them. During November 1985 the frequency of the R7 and R8 routes was increased to every 6 minutes instead of using larger vehicles. M.A.N. were keen to off load the buses as they were now virtually five years old and the technology for these types of buses had moved on making the design obsolete. Midland Red North purchased all five and put them into service from their Cannock garage as 1801-1805. They ran them until early 1987 and experienced the same operational problems as Midland Red West had. 1805 (CLM346T) was broken up and used to make four "good" buses, which were then exported, to Australia for further use.

All five were allocated to Cannock Garage by Midland Red North and were withdrawn from service in March 1987. 1801-4 were exported to Queensland in Australia being operated by Marlin Tours in Cairns. 1805 was not exported but was stripped for spares for the others and then sold for scrap in this country