Created 15-Aug-19
Modified 8-Mar-24
This group of Metroriders came from several sources.
253 (F815 CWJ) was an MCW Metrorider MF158/10 with a B31F body new in September 1988 to East Midland. Its earlier existence is particularly well-chronicled in the gallery. It arrived with Rhondda in late 1993 running at first from Porth with Rhondda fleet names but from 1994 in Caerphilly Busways livery. It remained until mid-1997, following which it was sold to Road Car as their 345.
254-256 all started life as Optare demonstrators, Optare having bought the rights to the design from MCW. 254 (G689 KNW) was new in January 1990 and ran for Heaton, Leigh until early 1994 when it joined the Rhondda Buses fleet. It was an Optare Metrorider with a B29F body but had been built as B31F. 255 (K320 FYG) was new in April 1993 and came to Rhondda about a year later. It moved across to Parfitt's at the end of 1995. The final one of this group, 256, had been new in November 1991 and was originally registered J364 BNW. It was sold to Cherry, Bootle who gave it the cherished mark J5 ACL after their fleet name Aintree Coach Line. However, when it was sold to Rhondda in 1994 it lost that and instead of regaining its original registration was given a different one, J797 MHF and it ran for Rhondda with this. 254-256 all survived to be taken over by Stagecoach and retained the same fleet numbers.
257/258 (L839/840 MWT) also give the impression of being former Optare demonstrators, as they come from the same block of registrations used for a range of Optare vehicles. However, they were two of four Metroriders supplied to Darlington Transport Company (the arm's length municipal operation in the town) and were numbered 39/40. They had B31F bodies and were new in September 1993. Following the collapse of the Darlington operation they came to Rhondda at the beginning of 1995. They moved to Parfitt's about a year later and remained there at the Stagecoach takeover, retaining the same fleet numbers.
© David Beilby
