The Ex MTL Marshall Darts 7601-7676

[Quackdave]

RE: The Ex MTL Marshall Darts 7601-7676

(12/09/2014 14:52)DEM777Y Wrote:  Does anyone know why the first and last of the batch had different registrations to the rest? The first was V624 DBN, the last was V676 DVM but the rest were V--- DVU.

No idea about "Dobbin" (7624), but the story I've heard re 7676 is that MTL changed their minds about paying for the registration V666 DVU, which was deemed a "select registration" on account of the triple digit, and therefore reserved by DVLA to be sold at a premium price. I'm never quite sure whether to believe it, as it would have been a few hundred quid extra, which would seem fairly insignificant when they must have been spending at least five million on the Darts themselves. But I suppose no matter what the amount, someone in a position of financial authority who got wind of it, could still veto it as an unjustified frivolity. It's interesting to note that nearly five years earlier, when MTL could still afford Volvos, they presumably decided against paying for M555 WHF WTJ; but the year before that, they did get L222 TKA, which one would assume would also have been reserved under the same criteria.

Anyway, back onto the topic of Marshalls - another couple of examples that are definitely still sitting at the back of a depot yard are 7670 and 7672, which are parked up next to the three Scania/Paladins in Runcorn. (Also glimpsed in the shed was X214 JOF.) I saw these when the X30 I was on yesterday went into the depot yard for a driver changeover, during which one passenger decided to get off the bus for a pi** up the side of the depot building! (He was promptly directed off the premises by depot staff, and denied permission to re-board 5007!)