The Birmingham & Midland Motor Omnibus Company, better known as Midland Red, was always something of an idiosyncratic bus operator. Its area of operation ranged from the Welsh Marches and Shropshire in the West, to Northamptonshire and Rutland in the East; from Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire in the South to Staffordshire and Derbyshire in the North.
Throughout Midland Red’s existence from 1904 until 1981, much of its operating area was distinctly rural but it also connected conurbations like Birmingham and the Black Country, Worcester, Hereford, Stafford and Leicester. The coaches used by Midland Red to provide long distance services are examined in this volume.
The book is divided into chapters reflecting the company’s rich and varied history:
- The Charabanc Years 1919-1930
- Early Half-Cab Coaches 1930-1935
- Advanced Art Deco Coaches of the Late 1930s
- Early Post-War Coaches 1948-1950
- The Heavyweight Coaches of the Mid-1950s
- Motorway Express Coaches
- Going 36 Feet Long
- The Leyland Leopard Era
180 black & white photographs are presented in two-per-page format and all are accompanied by a potted history of the vehicles illustrated. Includes many rare archive photographs from the early years of the 20th century. Author, David Harvey, leads the reader on an exploration of the fascinating world of Midland Red coaches. 96 pages.