Preserved GM Buses MCW Metrobus 5208 C208 FVU 16th July 2023
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- čas přidán 10. 09. 2024
- Another joyous part of my youth gets to be revisited. Seen a few videos online of this recently restored GEM and was hoping I'd be able to get a ride on it at some point.
Due to various factors I wasn't able to attend the Air Tattoo this year, so being off work on the weekend i would have been going I decided to have a trip to the Manchester Museum of Transport as it is many years since I last visited. Two heritage routes were running, the 5 between the Museum and the City Centre and the 6 between the Museum and Heaton Park Tramway.
I was already aware from social media posts that the more modern buses expected to be in use included Olympian 3065 and Atlantean 7001 so obviously 5208 wouldn't be in use. Sure enough Olympian 3065 turned up in the City Centre at 11.30 to take me up to the museum.
However, as we approached the museum turning circle I could see an Express liveried bus sat outside which could only mean 5208! Well of course my heart already starts pounding just to see the thing! I had a chat with the very friendly driver and conductor who informed me that it had been due to go up to Fleetwood to attend the heritage tram weekend, but that the event had been cancelled due to inclement weather so it was left out as a spare vehicle to use in case of issues. In fact they were thinking of changing over to it after a couple of runs as the Olympian was having some gearbox problems which meant it wasn't very fond of reversing.
Well obviously I appreciate you are just reading text on a screen but I'm sure you will be aware; given the number of Metrobus videos on here; of the hugely insane grin that is forming across my face as this conversation takes place. This is almost as flukey as the stuff that turns up at Lakenheath when I go down there!
So the Olympian went out for a couple more runs before they decided to swap over to the Cummins engined vehicle of joy. Infact they had to abandon the Olympian on the turning circle as it wouldn't move anywhere they wanted it to at all by now!
A round trip to town and back followed by another into town (when another driver had decided to get in on the action) are featured here. I grabbed a shot of it leaving Shude Hill with my mind only being able to think "18 GREENACRES" for several minutes afterwards, as if the route still existed these days this is surely where it would have started from (and i don't know if that was a particularly long lived route to be honest but I defo remember going from the Arndale up to Middleton on them on a Saturday) and went over to Piccadilly to get a 34 back home.
I think i stopped grinning at about 4 the morning afterwards.
The first Cummins metrobus i've been on since meeting back up with the beloved Merseybus 0810 when i was able to ride it from Doncaster to Belton on the legendary Saturday only 292 in similarly flukey circumstances (see the 8 page essay i wrote as part of the description for that video for details, it went on that long i had to leave part of it in the comments section).
These buses were just legends. At the time I just didn't realise how lucky we were in our area in the late 80s/early 90s. So much variety of buses and so many rare combinations too. As an aside, N Type Alexander bodied Tiger? - Yep that was a daily bus for me too, but how many people outside of Northern Ireland could say that. At the time I thought nothing of it, it is only as you grow up and find out about these things that you realise. These Metrobuses were super rare. Only 30 built by Northern Counties, and only 10 of those with the Cummins engines. We were fortunate enough to have them on our doorstep, and to be fair, unlike things like the N type tiger above, I did always seem to appreciate how great these vehicles were and would actively go out of my way to bag rides on them - most of the time towing along my elderly Grandma whose only pre-requisite was that she'd be able to sit down for a bit when we got on board.
I was so , so fortunate. She'd sit there for hours whilst I insisted that the only real way to get from Ashton Under Lyne to Oldham was on a 355 via Mossley if one turned up on it. The 183 was a real favourite as well. Manchester through to Uppermill over the tops alight to take in the fantastic bakers there then return to Oldham on a 184 along the bottom road. I'm getting towards the word limit here too but I could wax lyrical for hours about the number of good times had on these (and other) buses in my youth with my Gran (with an infinite supply of corned beef sandwiches to hand, if I was lucky we may be allowed go in a Wimpys for tea but she wouldn't set foot in a McDonalds!)
I'm very glad the world has suddenly decided that it's fashionable to be an enthusiast.We've been derided for years, but now every celebrity worth their salt is doing a trip around the country, off to the coast, or especially with regards to the London Underground. Long may the enlightenment continue, but by now you've missed out loads y'know!
Brings back memories for me riding on GM Buses in the 90's. That distinctive Metrobus gearbox whining noise as it changes down when coming to a stop 🙂
Sitting In the front left seat on the 400 to the airport or the 184 to Uppermill. Classic.
yes that was my favourite too! Legendary buses
i saw this on the 590 service a few times Rochdale to Halifax can just image this if still in PSV use been used to Huddersfield on the 184 service
Yes I've seen pictures of them on the 590 from many years ago - ironically my Dad now lives in Walsden so i would have used that route to visit him
Remember them 👍