The 500 Group's 1973 Former Teesside Municipal Transport Daimler Fleetline,JDC544L

4th January 2008

This Bus was built in April 72, and entered service with Teesside Municipal Transport in April 73. It has a special low height version of the Bus Grant Bodywork, something which only Teesside and Southend Corporation were allowed to have.
There were originally seventy six Buses in it's class (L501 - L576) but L544 is now the only survivor. The 500 Group acquired it in late 1989, and it was restored to it's original TMT Turquoise livery by July 1990. It has been rallied ever since, and has now been in the 500 Groups ownership longer than it has been with either TMT or it's sucessor Cleveland Transit. This collection of photos will show it's life both with us, and it's original owners, hope you will enjoy them.

This was the first photo I managed to take of it after it's repaint into TMT Turquoise livery in July 90.	Here it is in all of it's glory. L544 stands in the sunshine in Stockton Depot yard after being unvieled to the world in 1990.	By Oct 88 L544 was out of service, and stored in the 'crock yard' it is seen here amongst members of the then reserve fleet awaiting it's fate.	L544 being passed by 99 Bus during late 2007 during one of the (many) downpours of that year. I think this was after the Tyne Tees Run.
L544 doing what it'ds designed to do, passing under the Albert Bridge in Middlesbrough during 1994.	This is the second of L544's two mishaps to date. A wooden plank fell onto the Exhaust pipe, and the inevitable happened! Luckily help was at close hand thank's to Morley's Volvo FL6.	L544's first mishap happened on the way to the York Rally in 1992. We were recovered by G16, and 500 took us to the Rally.