There is a book by the well known transport writer, David Harvey, with lots of pics and info about West Bromwich Corporation buses. I am not sure the time period you speak of Brummiegirl, however as I travelled rarely on West Brom buses I am not that familiar with their routes. Hopefully someone with more info will also respond.
Most WB bus routes had single or double figures, the three figure ones were Midland Red numbers which WB ran a joint service on some of them. 220 was WB to Bearwood, 221 seems also to be a WB to Bearwood but presumably by different roads and ending up in a different part. I don't know about the other routes you mention. Of interest 252 was always a single deck route until 1967 when a lower than usual double deck buses were bought. This was due to a canal aqueduct bridge in Wednesbury. I believe the WMPTE renumbered some of the routes.
The West Brom area, together with most of the other large municipal buses operations in the West Midlands became the WMPTE in 1979.
I hope that gives you something to go one. Keep searching, you never know what might turn up.
220 Joint MR & WBCT Bearwood to West Brom via Smethwick
221 Joint MR & WBCT Bearwood to West Brom via Warley and West Smethwick (my bus home from school)
252 Joint MR & WBCT Shireland Road (connecting with BCT 5A/7 to West Brom & Carters Green. This should have been 222 but MR buses did not carry 3 of any numbers which was why, before roller number blinds, there was no 111, 222 or 333 etc.
233 MR Bearwood to Oldbury via Warley and Causeway Green
229 MR Bearwood to Blackheath via Warley, Rood End and Oldbury (My first job, 229 to work and home except on Friday I went home on 233 as we left work 15 minutes earlier)
214 MR Warley to Smethwick Cape Hill via Bearwood Always single deck
215 I don't recall this one
124 MR Birmingham to Langley via Bearwood and Warley
224 MR Bearwood to Warley. Purely a shortworking, I think just peak periods only
There was also
211 MR Bearwood to Oldbury via Brandhall Estate
Bearwood to Warley must have been one of the most busiest areas for bus operations
Yes, it is I, just a child....nice photo dave...is that you leaning up the bus
lyn
Apparently so, it was at the extreme left hand side of the blind. This was a post war feature as was the double blind named A and B, plus a three track route number, (letters in the first column on some cases). This up to date and usually very informative and readable destination box was trialled with some of the wartime bus rebuilds and featured on all new buses after 1946. It made a welcome change from the peculiar sloping names seen in the photo below,I seem to remember that Midland Red buses used to have their home garage in small letters on the route blind...
I seem to remember that Midland Red buses used to have their home garage in small letters on the route blind...
Sticher's photo of a no.9 bus (post #131). The present no. 9 route from Birmingham to Stourbridge was a combination of BCT no. 9 City Centre to Quinton and Midland Red 130 Birmingham to Stourbridge although the route has changed as the 130 went via Mucklow Hill whereas the present route is via Spies Lane and Manor Lane.
Spencer House, Digbeth, office of the Midland Red on the corner of Mill Lane which is to the right. No date but that car and the motor bike suggest the 1920's.
Back in the year of 1957 I was a conductor based at Sutton Coldfield, Midland Red garage. That was when they operated D5's and D7s. Later in 1975/6/7 I came back to Sutton Garage, and drove the D9, which was a favourite bus of mine. They took delivery in 1976 of the new Ailsa Volvo automatic transmission buses, and I was given the chance to drive 4742 into Birmingham on the Main Road Service, (as against the 107, via Jockey Road, and Perry Barr) the bus was amazing, very quick turbo unit under her. We had been taken over by WUMPTY, and we sometimes had to take out buses half painted, Midland Red/West Midlands Passenger Transport, must have been confusing to the passengers. Just to be nostalgic, and for no other reason here's my pictures. The second photograph was taken with me at the wheel, at Six Ways Erdington. The others are the fantastic D9. Thanks GerryRight, hope you don't mind me posting a few more Midland Red photo's
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yuk i hope they washed it first. some pics of the single deckers if you find some. 112 x99 pleaseRagga, I think you have just solveda mystery for us - there is a very old faded photo of grandad which nan alwayssaid was at the depot and from what we can see, he is holding something with a crest on I wonder if that iswhat it is? It would have been in 1942 just before he died we think.
Sue