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Electric Trams

I have about four more that are supposed to be in Birmingham Lloyd. I will post them when I get a minute.
 
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This one is quoted as being in Washwood Heath, somewhere near the depot, would that be what became the bus depot.
 
That would be at the top of the hill that runs down past the Swan and Common Lane. The entrance to the depot can be seen on the right where the overhead power lines go into the opening. A store now I think. The tram is headed to the city and will pass the junction with Highfield Rd. on it's left and Leigh Rd. on it's right...a few yards further on.
 
The photo is where the bus depot was which is now the Indian Pac Supermarket. I went there on Tuesday and noticed all the houses opposite are the original ones and all quite different so this is the exact location. Lovely photo. Michael worked on the buses at this depot many moons ago..lol.
 
hi guys
have i got it correct that the brum city are planning to bring back trams for our city and they will be replacing tram lines ;
surely that cannot be the correct ; we cannot compete with the euopean counter parts with in our city surely
plus the total out lay ;you will have to pay for this ;i beleie its in the early planning stages
just like the m5 road toll at junction 2 to come up to quinton and hagley rd which was announced abiout two yars ago
and the way i see it to come into brum from there you are gonna have to pay for it folks
and they are putting up yellow cameras along there at the moment they are keeping people quite and they put the sign for road safty perpuses only
its delaying tatics until they are ready for the toll house entry astonian
 
Hi Astonian: Yes, you have got it right in respect to this plan for a tram system in the City Centre. Here's the news release.https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-birmingham-17064263
It's going to cost plenty and create a lot of upset when the real work begins. Those Metro trams take up a lot of space and travel very fast indeed. When I went to visit Peter Walker in East Croydon a couple of years ago I was amazed how fast the trams travelled and people just seemed to dart in front of them all the time. An underground transit system linking the railway stations would have been better but that would have to have been built years ago since the cost now is out of the question.
 
Hi jenny ann
many thanks for gving and down loading that information for me and possible other members
reading and seeing them pages made me think wow ;its look good i would say ;
so have they actualy started to demolish building in brum for this ?.
so our brum city will be eventualy better than our counter parts of the yanks
thanks jenny ; i wonder what our other members think of it ; best wishes astonian ; alan
 
Radiorails said:
A good view of the Fischer bow collector in your pic.Stitcher.
Click to expand...

As others have said, that is indeed outside Washwood Heath depot, whose cars used the Fischer bow collector instead of trolley pole and wheel to contact the overhead wire. This was also used by some short 3-window bay cars which ran the Lodge Road (Winson Green) route.
 
Hi Astonian. We should have the trams by 2015. Lets just hope that it is not the disaster that they have in Edinburgh where they are way over budget, several years late and only getting half of the route that was planned. There is no need to demolish buildings as a gap has been left at the side of Snow Hill Station in the new offices which have been built. The tram will then run Bull Street, Corporation Street to Stephenson Street. They are already moving bus stops and changing bus routes this year.
 
HI David ;
hope you are well; many thanks for filling me in on this topic and i sincerly hope they do not cock it up
if ts over budget we know whos gonna foot the bil don,t we ;?.
don,t they have problems with todays metro from brum to wolverhamton i beleive if they still do then they want to get that sorted before spending ;
well at least they aint gonna knock half of brum down ; aye ;
but what about when they expand up to five ways any think in there way there i do not like those big flats up bath row they are terible
its seems they gone mad with all these high rise yuppie appartments ; what are they dreaming of ;>,
dave; have a nice day ; astonian ; alan
 
There are all kinds of studies on these things I suspect but personally I think small is good. In the same way that the canals were of great value in the early days...they were modest widths and used small boats that could be wound into factory wharfs without transhipment...so too smaller two story trams and more of them, would be good. Perhaps what was the original system was not far off the mark. High speed, multi unit and few lines is inferior I believe. A system of units, similar to the trams of old, with lines like the spokes on a wheel would better serve a city perhaps. Speed...you can keep it. Sure you need more drivers this way and more units but are not jobs in short supply. Better than working in a casino perhaps.
In the old days you never had to plan on getting to a stop in time. If you missed one tram another would be along in 10 minutes or so similar to busses now no doubt.
 
Rupert
I missread your last sentence as "If you missed one tram another would be along in 10 minutes or so similar to bosses now no doubt." Certainly in this country my missreading is also true
Mike
 
Yeah, don't have any now Mike. I was just thinking that simple is better instead of carving up the city with units that don't lend themselves to much else. Anyway I supose that the city has already been 'splunged with a gillikin spike'
 
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This tram has just come from Gravelly Hill and is at Park Road. 1939.
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This one is at Gravelly Junction going towards the city.1937
I think that is the last on my tram pictures. If any more crop up I will post them.
 
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A nice selection of pics Stitcher. The view at Gravelly Junction gives a good view of the tramcar stop sign.
 
Hello Alan, I think that is the last of my tram photos from Birmingham, but I do have a number from other parts of the country. I suppose I could use the picturesque ones from other midland town on the 'Just outside Birmingham on postcatd' thread.
 
I think in pic 1 in post 116 the tram is in Victoria Rd with Park Rd (3x route) running across the top. I think the building down on the right is Victoria Rd police station. Eric
 
Houston started a tram system a few short years ago and its worked out wonderfull, the terminus has huge parking lots so its park and ride and beats all that high price parking in the city especially the medical center...its turned out such a success that the city is adding more lines to it.....maybe in brum if they provided free parking to use the tram it would be a godsend ....Brenda
 
The trams look positively moderne next to the buses and yet they must have been around a lot longer.
 
Another tram painting (not by me sad to say). I think it was on a thread before we were 'hacked' not sure if it was restored. Ericimg021.jpg
 
A nice rendition of ex-CBT company car no 451, a long (5 window) car that along with it's partner 452 was temporarily converted to single deck for use on a "tram & trailer" experiment, at a time when the corporation were trying a continental style of operation, with the thought of building tram tunnels under the city centre to reduce the traffic problems. The trailers were ordinary sized (4-window) cars, again ex-company stock taken over when BCT took over the leases and some of the stock of the former privately owned tramways operation in the city.

The experiment was not continued for long, and the 4 cars reverted to top covered double deckers.

Here's an artist's impression of 451 plus trailer during the trial.

Tram 451 as SD painting.jpg
 
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Look at how orderly these football fans are as they wait for the football special tram in Marteau Street. 1937
 
Are they football fans? Did football specials leave from Martineau Street?

My vague recollection of some sixty years ago was that cars which ran with the Fisher bow collectors ran on routes 8 and 10. (also 32). Route 8 Alum Rock would take you to Bromford Bridge racecourse so they might be racegoers.

All replies accepted. :encouragement:
 
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