Midland Scottish Fleetline MRF168

23rd September 2005

An Alexander-bodied Leyland Fleetline, LMS168W. Delivered new to Perth Depot, MRF168 was part of the last batch of Fleetlines to be delivered to Midland, and to the Scottish Bus Group. It marked a return to Alexander built double decker bodies which Midland had not specified in any great number since 1970 despite the company being based in Falkirk, home of the coachbuilder. In 1985 Midland was split up, Perth Depot was transferred to the new Strathtay Scottish company. MRF168 became SD16 in the new concerns fleet numbering system. After privatisation and a fierce bus war with Stagecoach on the streets of Perth in the early 1990’s Perth Depot was closed and SD16, renumbered again now being 716, was moved to Dundee Depot. 716 was then moved to Blairgowrie Depot where its last years would be spent primarily on school services. Recently withdrawn she was amongst the very last of the once common Fleetlines to be in service anywhere in Scotland.

MRF168 in Kinnoul St, Perth, 1982. (c) Donald MacRae 1224x826 Midland_MRF168_Kinnoull_St_Perth_May_82.jpg 1982-05-31 00:00:00 Buy Print	Strathtay SD16 1390x961 Strathtay_LMS168W_PerthDep_23June86.jpg 1987-03-01 00:00:00 Buy Print	Strathtay SD16 1390x961 Strathtay_LMS168W_Perth.jpg 1987-03-30 00:00:00 Buy Print	Strathtay SD16 1390x961 Strathtay_LMS168W_Perth_2.jpg 1987-03-30 00:00:00 Buy Print
Strathtay SD16 1390x961 Strathtay_LMS168W_Perth_14Sept88.jpg 1987-04-01 00:00:00 Buy Print	Strathtay SD16 minus o/s fog lamp at Dundee Bus Stn. (c) Donald MacRae 1168x760 Strathtay_SD16_DBS_Apr87.jpg 1987-04-01 00:00:00 Buy Print	Strathtay SD16 1412x879 Strathtay_LMS168W.jpg 1987-04-01 00:59:00 Buy Print	SD16 in Perth with n/s fog lamp missing (c) Donald MacRae 1138x790 Strathtay_SD16_Leonard_St_Perth_Jul_91.jpg 1991-07-31 00:00:00 Buy Print
716 in Dundee with fog lamps filled in (c) Donald MacRae 1235x831 Strathtay_716_High_St_Dundee_May_93.jpg 1993-05-15 00:00:00 Buy Print	Strathtay 716 1390x961 Strathtay_LMS168W_Dundee_13July93.jpg 1994-03-30 00:00:00 Buy Print	1390x961 Strathtay_LMS168W_WGB711W_DundeeBS.jpg 1994-03-30 00:00:00 Buy Print	716 at Errol on a special for the Merseyside Bus Club (c) Donald MacRae 1280x960 Strathtay_716_Errol_may_01.JPG 2001-04-30 12:35:00 Buy Print
716 at Longforgan on a special for the Merseyside Bus Club (c) Donald MacRae 1280x960 Strathtay_716_Longforgan_1_May_01.JPG 2001-04-30 13:05:51 Buy Print	LMS168W had already been purchased for preservation and was at Bridgeton Gararge, home of the GVVT 1280x960 PA100006.JPG 2004-10-10 15:25:00 Buy Print	Former Western/Clydeside R73 standing next to MRF168 at Bridgeton highlighting the difference in the front light clusters 1280x960 P1010015.JPG 2005-05-02 00:00:00 Buy Print	A fleet of Fleetlines- Midland MRF168, Clydeside 73 and Western R86 in the yard at Bridgeton 1280x960 P1010019.JPG 2005-05-02 00:00:00 Buy Print
3 of a kind! 950x708 P1010020__2_.JPG 2005-05-02 00:00:00 Buy Print	Unfortunately Strathtay had altered the headlight/indicator layout making the front of the bus look very narrow! 1280x960 P1010001.JPG 2005-05-12 00:00:00 Buy Print	Our first priority was to replace the front panels. Unfortunately original mouldings couldn't be sourced so after checking the scrapyards to no avail we enquired about a fleetline we had heard about in Wales... 1280x960 P1010003.JPG 2005-05-12 00:00:00 Buy Print	HSD87V, previously a Western and Clydeside Fleetline had spent it's last few years with Tanat Valley Coaches, the previous owners of NLO16. Thanks to a Tanat driver we tracked down R87 to a Paintball arena in Rednal, near Oswestry 1280x960 P7030002.JPG 2005-07-03 09:35:39 Buy Print
The lower deck of R87. The luggage pen poles were missing from 168 so we had these too! 1280x960 P7030005.JPG 2005-07-03 09:36:05 Buy Print	The owner of the paintball site was happy for us to exchange our butchered front panels for the ones on R87, we also got the centre panel as a spare. The arena was open to the public so we had to wear protective gear! 1280x960 P7030008.JPG 2005-07-03 10:03:37 Buy Print	After much drilling and hammering the panels came off, along with lots of paintball gunge! 1280x960 P7030009.JPG 2005-07-03 10:03:48 Buy Print	We fitted our old panels so that there was no sharp edges left on R87, it's used as a target and shelter! 1280x960 P7030018.JPG 2005-07-03 11:42:40 Buy Print
Having been cleaned up, they're in surprisingly good condition 1280x960 P7090001.JPG 2005-07-09 21:31:10 Buy Print	The "new" offside panel has been fitted, what a difference already! 1280x960 P7210016.JPG 2005-07-21 11:03:00 Buy Print	Another piece in the jigsaw! 1280x960 P7210015.JPG 2005-07-21 11:05:23 Buy Print	With the front all back together we'd kept the headlights from R87's panels and they all still worked! 1280x960 P7210019.JPG 2005-07-21 14:55:59 Buy Print
My first attempt at coachpainting 1280x960 P7210021.JPG 2005-07-21 15:42:07 Buy Print	Starting to look like a proper fleetline again! 1280x960 P7210023.JPG 2005-07-21 16:16:58 Buy Print	Some areas around the adverts had paint missing so temporarily touched them up with emulsion! 1280x960 P8050001.JPG 2005-08-05 15:43:54 Buy Print	Front end view. The screen is from Balfron, still looking for a Perth one! 1280x960 P8050004.JPG 2005-08-05 15:44:10 Buy Print
Pausing for a photo at Stepps Depot 1280x960 P8050008.JPG 2005-08-05 18:27:42 Buy Print	Taking the Caledonian Thebans RFC to a BBQ in Livingston 1280x960 P8060003.JPG 2005-08-06 16:59:25 Buy Print	Taking a breather at Harthill services heading back to depot 1280x960 P8060004.JPG 2005-08-06 22:16:44 Buy Print	Loading at Dunfermline Bus Station on the free service to SVBM, Lathalmond 1280x960 P8210020.JPG 2005-08-21 16:18:58 Buy Print
Lined up with some Northern sisters at Lathalmond 1124x842 P8210044__2_.JPG 2005-08-21 17:10:56 Buy Print	Removal of adverts to prepare for repainting into Midland livery 1280x960 P8300049.JPG 2005-08-30 14:59:46 Buy Print	Did they ever paint under the adverts? 1280x960 P8300050.JPG 2005-08-30 17:50:03 Buy Print	The lower side panels weve badly dented and have been removed for replacement 1280x960 PB200029.JPG 2005-11-20 11:48:56 Buy Print
side on view with panels removed 1280x960 PB200031.JPG 2005-11-20 12:06:06 Buy Print	Night time depot shunting 1280x960 PB200036.JPG 2005-11-20 17:25:06 Buy Print	Offside view after removal of Strathtay orange and lower panels 1280x960 PC050004.JPG 2005-12-05 15:30:56 Buy Print	Nearside view after sanding, Midland cream is visible around the destination box! 1280x960 PC050005.JPG 2005-12-05 15:31:10 Buy Print
New panels cut and temporarily fitted to the nearside 1280x960 P1190009.JPG 2006-01-19 14:35:09 Buy Print	wheel arches now cut out 1280x960 P1210014.JPG 2006-01-21 12:19:27 Buy Print	rear bustle requires some attention 960x1280 P1210015.JPG 2006-01-21 12:21:28 Buy Print	rear air vent removed for repair, the radiator vent is non-standard and an original one has been sourced to replace it 960x1280 P1210017.JPG 2006-01-21 12:22:01 Buy Print
Offside panels removed 1280x960 P1210018.JPG 2006-01-21 12:22:32 Buy Print	The final rivet! 960x1280 P3060148.JPG 2006-03-06 16:24:09 Buy Print	n/s with new panels and beading 1280x960 P3060152.JPG 2006-03-06 16:26:19 Buy Print	sanding down before priming 1280x960 P3070153.JPG 2006-03-07 14:16:00 Buy Print
New emergency exit handle surround and replacement rear vent 1280x960 P3070154.JPG 2006-03-07 14:16:11 Buy Print	offide partly primed 960x1280 P3070156.JPG 2006-03-07 14:16:40 Buy Print	Offside fully primed 1280x960 P3080157.JPG 2006-03-08 10:41:37 Buy Print	Last traces of Strathtay orange covered 960x1280 P3080158.JPG 2006-03-08 13:37:26 Buy Print
Shug paints the roof! 1280x960 P3090002.JPG 2006-03-09 10:36:25 Buy Print	Ian glosses the edges 1280x960 P3090003.JPG 2006-03-09 10:36:44 Buy Print	Martin applies the fleetnames 1280x960 P3110006.JPG 2006-03-11 12:10:23 Buy Print	Finished bus ready to emerge from the shed 960x1280 P3110007.JPG 2006-03-11 14:14:43 Buy Print
Emerging into daylight 1280x960 P3110008.JPG 2006-03-11 14:15:09 Buy Print	a little further! 1280x960 P3110009.JPG 2006-03-11 14:15:14 Buy Print	almost there! 1280x960 P3110010.JPG 2006-03-11 14:15:23 Buy Print	nearside view 1280x960 P3110011.JPG 2006-03-11 14:15:29 Buy Print
1280x960 P3110012.JPG 2006-03-11 14:15:41 Buy Print	At Bridgeton Garage 1280x960 P3110015.JPG 2006-03-11 14:17:03 Buy Print	Alongside sister NLO16 1280x960 P3110022.JPG 2006-03-11 14:20:59 Buy Print	MRF168 looking stunning in her "new" livery 1280x960 P3110024.JPG 2006-03-11 14:21:15 Buy Print
In Fordneuk Street 1280x960 P3110030.JPG 2006-03-11 14:28:35 Buy Print	After fueling at London Road 1280x960 P3110032.JPG 2006-03-11 14:46:40 Buy Print	A Midland corner with Shorty's Leopard and the Albion Viking 1280x960 P3110035.JPG 2006-03-11 15:09:28 Buy Print	MRF168 loaded and ready to depart for Falkirk on it's Launch trip 1280x960 P3110038.JPG 2006-03-11 17:56:23 Buy Print
Pause for photo at Condorrat (Morar Drive) Bus Stop 960x1280 P3110045.JPG 2006-03-11 18:54:28 Buy Print	New traditional style number blinds now fitted 960x1280 P3150001.JPG 2006-03-15 11:33:33 Buy Print	MRF168 lower deck from the front 1280x960 MRF168_LD1_01June06.JPG 2006-06-01 12:17:12 Buy Print	MRF168 lower deck from the back 1280x960 MRF168_LD2_01June06.JPG 2006-06-01 12:17:23 Buy Print
MRF168 upper deck from the front 1280x960 MRF168_UD1_01June06.JPG 2006-06-01 12:17:42 Buy Print	MRF168 upper deck from the rear 1280x960 MRF168_UD2_01June06.JPG 2006-06-01 12:17:52 Buy Print	MRF168 cab area 960x1280 MRF168_cab_01June06.JPG 2006-06-01 12:18:09 Buy Print	Former Strathtay 716 with Leopard 543 & Metrobus 808 3488x2616 Strathtay_line-up_SVBM_200806.JPG 2006-08-20 16:34:34 Buy Print
MRF168 stands alongside newly repainted RM805 3488x2616 Midland_B105PKS_LMS168W_2_BBG_29July07.jpg 2007-07-29 12:39:59 Buy Print	2 exMidland fleetlines reunited! 3488x2616 Kelvin_ULS658T_Midland_LMS168W_BBG_9Mar08_2.jpg 2008-03-09 13:23:49 Buy Print	MRF168 with new number plate and mirrors 2616x2410 LMS168W_2May09.jpg 2009-05-02 11:40:40 Buy Print