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For my dear friend Nam www.flickr.com/photos/nampescado/
The bokeh dots over the cat's head look like its ideas, or, maybe its breath
Or, what do you think?
The perfect mood by Brad Mehldau: youtu.be/Mm-pBjBp4OA?si=mD6_EVWGdgnkDbGF
A double Explored in the November’s Explore takeover theme - Black and White Photography!
Position: 81 on Thursday, November 28, 2024
Conrail, CR E44's 4435-4405 with MD-6, northbound on the NEC at Elizabeth, New Jersey. February 19, 1978. Jack D Kuiphoff © photo
Living on borrowed time
MD6 and MD92 seen inside the new Plumstead garage (PD) towards the end of their short working lives with LT - the Metro Scanias soon became non-standard once the Metros and Titans began to arrive. Most had been sold off by the early 1980s.
Plumstead started to receive Titans to replace Metropolitans in September 1982, and by April 1983 all the MDs had been replaced. Two (MD77 and MD127) were reinstated briefly, but bowed out by June 1983.
MD 6 (KJD 206P)
MD6 saw only around six years of service in London, but did have a repaint into all-over red livery, as seen from the above photo.
2/76 new to Aldenham
3/76 allocated to PM (Packham) into service on 36 group
7/78 into storage at PM then AM (Plumstead)
9/78 back to PM in storage
10/78 back into service PM
6/80 to Aldenham: repainted plain red
9/82 withdrawn from service at PM
9/82 into storeage at AEC Southall
4/85 sold to Allco - purchased by Leicester #153
1992 given to Strasbourg, France ( Leicester's twin city)
MD 92 (OUC 92R)
MD92 also saw around six or seven years of service in London, and went for scrap in 1983.
9/76 new to Aldenham
10/76 allocated to PM (Packham) into service on 36 group
1/80 transferred into storage at BX (Bexleyheath)
2/80 transferred to AM (Plumstead)
10/81 transferred to the new garage PD (Plumstead)
8/82 re-certificated at PD
9/83 sold to C.F.Booth, Rotherham for scrap
The Metro-Scania MDs - four years of experience with the Daimler Fleetline DMSs had left London Transport looking for an alternative double-decker - and it was NOT the Leyland Atlantean. That did not leave very much by way of British possibilities. LT had bought a small batch of Metro-Scania single deckers in 1973. MCW had linked up with Scania to produce an integral bus that might fill the double-decker role - the Metropolitan - and in August 1974 London Transport loaned their demonstrator, NVP 533M.
This led to an order for 164 buses, the MD class, for delivery from December 1975 through to February 1977.
The buses went to Peckham and New Cross garages for the 36, 36A and 36B, followed by the 53 and 63. They were crew-operated. Passenger reaction was initially good. They were QUIET, and the standard of the passenger accommodation was good. But the two garages could not make them run reliably, which soured things somewhat. Corrosion of the steel bodywork soon proved to be a problem, and several of the class underwent various treatments at Aldenham. Spares, the biggest problem faced by the transport industry world-wide at that time, was another headache. Three buses were stripped of main spares and dumped in Kingston yard in June 1979, never to run again.
From January 1980 the 36 group was converted back to Routemasters, for trials of the BUSCO radio equipment, and displaced MDs moved to Plumstead (AM), where they were used (in crew mode) on the 122. At the same time some received repaints into plain red. Peckham converted some of the surplus MDs to omo operation, for use on the 78 from February 1980. As more MDs were transferred to Plumstead they too were converted for omo operation, and were used on the 99 and 122A.
August 1980 saw nine MDs condemned, including the three hulks at Kingston, and they were dispatched to Wombwell Diesels. The 192, a New Cross route, was transferred to Plumstead in September, with MDs.
Early 1981 saw the remainder of the New Cross MDs replaced by Routemasters, and sent to Abbey Wood (AW) for the 180 (crew), then the 177, 178, 198 and 272 (all omo). At Plumstead and Abbey Wood the machines settled much better than they had at New Cross and Peckham. Reliability improved markedly, and at these garages they were well-liked.
Despite their new-found popularity and reliability, the MDs were now non-standard buses in a fleet with lots of newer Titans and Metrobuses, and still plentiful older Fleetlines. After the Fairs Fare policy had been ruled illegal bus ridership in London plummeted as fares had to be raised substantially. London Transport had too many buses. Routemasters and MDs were on the chopping block. Plumstead started to receive Titans to replace Metropolitans in September 1982, and by April 1983 all had been replaced. Two (MD77 and MD127) were reinstated briefly, but bowed out by June. The MDs had been and gone: in and out in seven years.
More information on the MDs here:
www.busspotter.com/Metro/MD.htm
Taken with a Soviet made Zenith TTL camera using ASA200 Agfa slide film.
You can see a random selection of my bus photographs here on Flickriver: www.flickriver.com/photos/southallroutemaster/random/
Two Scania/MCW Metropolitans of Leicester CityBus are standing side by side in the yard at Abbey Park Road depot.
On the left, 299 is a native example, new in 1975.
On the right, 153 is former London Transport MD6, new in 1976. Several differences are evident, notably the opening windows on the front of the upper deck, and the style of fleet name.
P857VUS was a Dennis Dart SLF / East Lancs B37F purchased new by GCT Comlaw No. 313 Ltd as their fleetnumber MD6 in February 1997. It passed to the main First Glasgow fleet and was caught leaving Pollok Shopping Centre on service 25 bound for Govan. It would later pass to First Essex as fleetnumber 42857.
LONDON COLNEY, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 09: Gabriel Martinelli of Arsenal during a training session at Sobha Realty Training Centre on December 09, 2025 in London Colney, England. (Photo by Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)
On break at Faulkland St, Wolverhampton, prior to working the NX410 1425 London VCS via Walsall service.
1 July 14
BRUGES, BELGIUM - DECEMBER 10: Players of Arsenal pose for a team photograph prior to the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 League Phase MD6 match between Club Brugge KV and Arsenal FC at Jan Breydelstadion on December 10, 2025 in Bruges, Belgium. (Photo by Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)
BRUGES, BELGIUM - DECEMBER 10: Gabriel Jesus of Arsenal controls the ball during the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 League Phase MD6 match between Club Brugge KV and Arsenal FC at Jan Breydelstadion on December 10, 2025 in Bruges, Belgium. (Photo by Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)
Culture Bus were one of a small band of operator's who started operating hop-on hop-off sightseeing tours in central London in the early 1980's.
The most popular vehicles used were former London Transport Daimler Fleetlines which had ironically been deemed unsuitable for all-day service in the capital!
A more unusual type used (and also new to London Transport) was KJD 206P a Scania BR111DH MCW 'Metro-Scania' which had been new in 1976 as LT, MD6. This later saw service with Leicester City Bus.
Photographed passing St Paul's Cathedral around August 1985.
BRUGES, BELGIUM - DECEMBER 10: (L) Gabriel Martinelli celebrates scoring the 3rd Arsenal goal with (R) Noni Madueke during the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 League Phase MD6 match between Club Brugge KV and Arsenal FC at Jan Breydelstadion on December 10, 2025 in Bruges, Belgium. (Photo by Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)