Mercedes609D and 709D midibuses, Reeve Burgess bodywork

This page created 16th October 2006. by Ian Smith. Best on 800*600.

Buzz Co-operative, Harlow

The Buzz Co-operative was set up in 1988, formed by seven ex-London Country North East drivers who had been unimpressed by that company's attempts to downgrade their pay and conditions. They reckoned that they would do better on their own, and the co-operative was formed. Not, I suspect, one of Nicholas Ridley's aspirations for the 1985 Bus Deregulation Act!

They bought eight MB609D minibuses with Reeve Burgess bodywork: seven of them diminutive twenty seater buses and the other a 25-seater dual purpose vehicle.. Operation was on a network of seven routes, all within Harlow New Town, that operated Mondays to Fridays or Mondays to Saturdays, or just at peaks. They charged a flat fare of 50p. They started on 1st October 1988. Business boomed. Extra buses were hired, including two Optare StarRiders, More routes were operated, and frequencies increased.

After a year London Country North-East, which had been in the throes of something of a nervous breakdown after its tender losses due to the 1988 strike, re-organised into County Bus and began to react to the Harlow threat. They had their own network of midibuses - and not so midi-buses, on thirties-style competitive routes to try to break the co-operative. It was not nice. Making a loss, Buzz almost threw in the towel in early 1990. But the Harlow Co-operative Development Agency stepped in and helped them rationalise. County, in the anticipation of a takeover, had also backed off on the competition, and Buzz survived. They were now running just four routes during the day, plus some evening contracted services, together with works and schools contracts. Some secondhand full-size coaches helped with these. Business settled down to reasonable profitability.

In 1996 the co-operative bought two secondhand Beaver-bodied MB709Ds for bus operations, followed a year later by one with an Autobus Classique body. The 609Ds began to be sold. 1999 saw the purchase of seven secondhand Marshall Minibuses, which with the two Beavers and one of the StarRiders kept the services going until March 2003. Then the finances once more failed to stack up, and the company ceased operating.

Individual bus histories

These histories are incomplete. They are being assembled from bits and chunks of data from a variety of sources. Particularly helpful have been:

• Acquisition and transfer data from Richard Cains
• Disposals data from BusSpotter
• Captions and commentary in LOTS "London Bus Magazine"

 

       K71 SMC   9/88    Mercedes-Benz 609D, Reeve Burgess body DP25F
                10/88    into service with Buzz, Harlow
                 */97    sold

       K72 SMC   9/88    Mercedes-Benz 609D, Reeve Burgess body B20F
                10/88    into service with Buzz on B1-B7, Harlow

       K73 SMC   9/88    Mercedes-Benz 609D, Reeve Burgess body B20F
                10/88    into service with Buzz on B1-B7, Harlow
                 */92    overall advert for Barnes & Partners, Solicitors

       K74 SMC   9/88    Mercedes-Benz 609D, Reeve Burgess body B20F
                10/88    into service with Buzz on B1-B7, Harlow
                 */97    sold

       K75 SMC   9/88    Mercedes-Benz 609D, Reeve Burgess body B20F
                10/88    into service with Buzz on B1-B7, Harlow

       K76 SMC   9/88    Mercedes-Benz 609D, Reeve Burgess body B20F
                10/88    into service with Buzz on B1-B7, Harlow

       K77 SMC   9/88    Mercedes-Benz 609D, Reeve Burgess body B20F
                10/88    into service with Buzz on B1-B7, Harlow
                 */97    sold

       K78 SMC   9/88    Mercedes-Benz 609D, Reeve Burgess body B20F
                10/88    into service with Buzz on B1-B7, Harlow

       K79 SMC   9/88    Mercedes-Benz 609D, Reeve Burgess body B20F
                10/88    into service with Buzz on B1-B7, Harlow



       N68 GPU           Mercedes-Benz 709D, Plaxton body 
                 */96    bought by Buzz Co-operative, Harlow
                 3/02    Buzz
                 2/03    still in service
                 3/03    Buzz ceased trading
                10/07    with Country Bus, Newton Abbott


       N907 GHJ          Mercedes-Benz 709D, Plaxton body 
                 */96    bought by Buzz Co-operative, Harlow
                 3/02    Buzz
                 2/03    still in service
                 3/03    Buzz ceased trading
     NUI 6174 by 2/05    with Scragg's of Bucknall
                 2/08    with Scragg's of Bucknall

       L768 XLK          Mercedes-Benz 709D, Autobus Classique body 
                 */97    bought by Buzz Co-operative, Harlow 
                 3/02    Buzz

Photographic References

For a key to the references see the bibliography.

Buzz

 
       F73 SMC   LBM129 p53           on B6 to Town Centre, overall ad

       F75 SMC   LBM129 p49   6/91    on B16 to Brays Grove

       F76 SMC   LBM129 p49  12/89    on B6: Town Centre  Town Station 
                 LBM129 p54   4/93    on 881 to Greensted Church (Blake Hall show)  

       F77 SMC   LBM129 p53   1/89    on B6 to Latton Bush 
                 LBM129 p49   */91    on B31 to Templefields

       F79 SMC   LBM129 p50  10/88    on B7 to Hospital
                 LBM129 p52   7/91    on B11 to Town Centre  

       N907 GHJ  LBM129 p55   1996    on B11 to Katherines

       N68 GPU   LBM129 p55   1996    on B1 to Katherines