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Displaced Deckers Central SMT misfits
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Above left: Seen in Great Yarmouth bus station in July 1979 is Eastern Counties VR320 (NGM162G).   The VR's were part of a larger, well documented swap in the early 1970s between the SBG and NBC.   Unloved and unwanted VRs went from Scotland to England in exchange for FLFs in return.   Above right: Johnson of Hodthorpe still operates NGM168G, as seen in their yard in December 2000.
Central SMT, in Scotland's central belt, had great difficulty adapting to new double deckers during the 1960's and early 1970's.   Vehicles came and went with alarming regularity till a successor for the Bristol Lodekka was found.   This is a brief summary of those vehicles and their new homes.
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Central's favourite decker was undoubtedly the Bristol Lodekka.   B139 (DGM439), an FSF6G example from 1962, is seen at Anderston X in March 1979.
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Above left: Two batches of Albion Lowlanders were delivered during 1962 and 1963.   They moved on almost immediately in 1965 to Fife and Highland.   Highland AL14 (FGM14), an Alexander bodied example and AL10 (EGM10), a Northern Counties bodied example are seen at Dounreay on a grim summer's day in July 1976.
Above right: The Fleetlines lasted a little longer than other vehicles, resulting in a colossal swap of vehicles amongst SBG companies when they were sold in 1975.   Northern NRF6 (TGM235J) is seen in the company of NRB304 (MSD374) and NAC110 (JWG690) at Aberdeen bus station, also in July 1976.
Displaced Deckers
 
Summary
Vehicle Type Fleet Number Registration Disposal Date
Albion Lowlander A1-4,6-9 EGM1-4,6-9 Fife 1965
  A5,10 EGM5,10 Highland  
  A11-16/8/9/21/22 FGM11-16/8/9/21/22 Highland  
  A17,20/3-30 FGM17/20/3-30 Fife  
Bristol VR BN357/62/4-6/70/4 NGM157/62/4-6/70/4G Eastern Counties 1973
  BN358-61 NGM158-61G Alder Valley  
  BN363/7/9/71/3 NGM163/7/9/71/3G Lincolnshire  
  BN368 NGM168G Southern Vectis  
  BN372/5/6 NGM172/5/6G United  
Daimler Fleetline D1-20 TGM201-20J Eastern Scottish 1975
  D21-9 TGM221-9J Midland  
  D30-5 TGM230-5J Northern  
 
Links
For a complete history of Central SMT see www.centralsmt.co.uk
 
   
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