Midland Red 5295 (5495 HA) in Morecambe - circa 1964/5

Circa 1964/5 – Midland Red 5295 (5495 HA) was seen parked at the Ribble bus station, Euston Road, Morecambe. It was one of the famous BMMO motorway coaches that as a schoolboy I had read so much about. Following the success of the CM5/CM5T models this particular coach, built in late 1962 which entered service a few months later, was the prototype CM6T model built to the newly authorised 36' x 8' 2.5" dimensions and with a more powerful engine. Initially it was fitted with the 'lantern' style windscreen arrangement as used on the CM5 models but it was modified early on to the style of windscreen layout as seen in this photograph. I was on a school trip when I took this photograph and in awe seeing my first one! I always thought that Midland Red matched their registration numbers to fleet numbers but this coach hadn’t a matching number nor did bus 5495 which carried registration number 6495 HA! Alongside is a Ribble Metro-Cammell bodied Leyland PD3/5.