Morley Metropolitan Memories

GJF301N (301) TO VISIT MORLEY FOR 50 YEARS OF BLACK PRINCE EVENT!...

Good Evening Everyone,

I'm thrilled to be able to post the news that Scania-Metropolitan double-decker, GJF301N (301) will be visiting Morley in April. (Confirmed Today 27/03)

This is believed to be the first time such a bus has been seen in traffic in the town since 1993!.

Significantly, Black Prince operated a pair of buses from the same batch as 301 during 1988/1989, both now sadly scrapped, so it is fantastic that the Black Prince Metropolitan fleet can be represented at our event by 301.

The preserved Leicester City Transport machine will star in service running on former Black Prince routes alongside other preserved vehicles.

Services will commence at midday on Sunday 28th April 2019 following the St George parade, buses will run around Morley town centre and the surrounding area.

The visit of the Scania has been made possible by the kindness of the owner, who is coming all the way from Leicester to join the Black Prince celebrations.

Myself and the rest of the Black Prince gang extend our gratitude and thanks to the owner of 301 for his kind offer of supporting the 50th celebrations and look forward to the sights and sounds of a Morley Metropolitan revival!.

For further information about GJF301N and to explore the Leicester Transport Heritage trust website, check out the links below!.

https://www.ltht.org.uk/gjf301n-scania/

https://www.ltht.org.uk

...I feel today is a very appropriate time to write a little bit of "Metropolitan" history!...

In 1988, Dave Crowther was looking to replace the Leyland Atlantean fleet at Black Prince. At this time, Dave became increasingly interested in the mightily impressive product offered by the Scania-MCW collaboration-the "Metropolitan".

On the lookout for an available Metropolitan, it was in December 1988 when Dave got his wish, with the arrival of GJF277N and sister bus GJF278N. This pair of Scania Metropolitan BR111DH buses, bodied with MCW H45/29D configuration were delivered from service at Leicester City Transport.

Sadly, it was not meant to be and the Leicester pair were withdrawn shortly after, in 1989. Photographs of the two Leicester buses in service are fairly rare, with such a short working lifespan in Morley.

The Metropolitan was absent in the fleet until 1991, when Dave persuaded Brian to have another go with the type. May 1991 saw KJD204P arrive from London Buses, painted in a superb variation of fleet livery and put to work on the streets of Leeds. The livery was later re-created in Model form by the Britbus model company, check it out here!.

Further buses came from Reading, Cherry of Aintree and finally, a preserved WYPTE example, 2612, which was sadly scrapped later in life.

After the Metropolitan had disappeared from service at Black Prince, a pair were purchased to break for spare parts to keep other more modern Scania buses on the road.

You'll be able to enjoy the sight and sound of a Metropolitan once again on Sunday 28th April, in Morley town centre!.

Check out the history of the Scania fleet at Black Prince by following the link >>> http://www.blackprincebuses.co.uk/hall-skandinavien-scania-in-morley

Thanks for reading!.

Bradley