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Midland Red at Digbeth

The 19 wasn't Midland Red, but was the Corporation's 'City Circle', and ran a circuit closer in than the 'Inner Circle' - it started on 2nd March 1932 and ran via Benacre Street, Bristol Street, Great Colmore Street, Cregoe Street, Granville Street, Broad Street, Sheepcote Street, St. Vincent Street, Summer Hill Street, Powell Street, Albion Street, Frederick Street, Vyse Street, Well Street, New John Street, Aston Road, Dartmouth Street, Lawley Street, Watery Lane, Adderley Street, High Street Bordesley, Alcester Street, Vaughton Street and Gooch Street.
From September 1939 it ran weekday peak hours only.
From July 1943 it was diverted from Benacre Street via Sherlock Street Gooch Street and Wrentham Street and from November 1959 it was diverted from Well Street via Barr Street and Great King Street. In 1964 it was further diverted from Well Street via Great Hampton Street, Hockley Street, Northampton Street and Warstone Lane to Frederick Street. I don't have a finishing date for it though.
 
Thanks Lloyd. that probably explains why the asker of the question was getting this bus route mixed up with the inner circle No 8. I will repeat your answer to him verbatim. Thanks again.

Phil
 
Mike, I know this is off thread a little but will you be going to the theme night?
Trevor.
 
Back to the City Circle BCT Bus route 19 (not Midland Red at Digbeth I'm afraid), I have posted this somewhere before but it has probably been wiped. I think the 19 bus was always rush hours only, certainly not Sundays and only Saturday mornings. It was consistently run down in the 1970s: in 1977-78 there was an intermittent headway of 20 minutes between 06.56 and 09.01, with some 40-minute gaps, while in the evenings there was the semblance of a 20-minute headway between 17.00 and 18.00.
The November 1979 timetable book shows a reduced timetable operating between 07.24 and 09.04 clockwise, and between 06.57 and 08.11 anticlockwise. There was one evening trip clockwise and two anticlockwise. By 1982 the service was abandoned entirely.
Peter
 
john70 said:
Hi. Mike. I have been away on holiday for a week but have enjoyed catching up on this thread, and others of course, more great photo,s and memories, if you remember you invited me and our kid in 1999 when you drove 4819 on the 40th. anniversary run, but we had other commitments then, managed to see you off though, and return to Digbeth, had wondered if you may be repeating the run next year. I remember again quite a few of those names you mentioned, at the time we didn,t realise what characters we were working with in different ways. Great days eh.
Click to expand...

Hi John, yes remember it well. Here we all are at the end of the run.
Mike
 
Back in posting #200 was a Leyland LD8 lifted from a period timetable leaflet. The LD8 was a really popular bus with most drivers at Digbeth mainly because of it's synchromesh gearbox which made it a lot easier to drive than the homebuilt BMMO crashbox types. That affection quickly transferred to the D9 type with semi automatic gears when they came in but for myself I would ask for LD8's to drive right to their end which came with the withdrawal of the last one running - 4036. I found out which day it was coming off and arranged with Steve Stevens the Foreman Driver for it to be booked out to me. It was only available for a first portion of a split duty comprising one trip on the 155 to Knowle and one trip on the 184 to Damsonwood. Obviously 4036 didn't want to go quietly as it packed up on the 184 in the bus stop layby in Hermitage Road, Solihull on the journey back to Brum. A D7 change bus was brought out to me and the last I saw of 4036 was a mechanic dismantling the fuel pump. It was eventually driven to Adderley Street yard for disposal.

Here is a view of LD8 4024 setting out on one of my favourite runs, the 148 to Evesham.
 
Sticking with Midland Red Leylands, this is me returning from a Half Day Tour with LC7 type Leyland Leopard 5778. The dodgy road positioning is because we had to take a wide sweep when turning left into the Bull Ring Bus Station.
 
When one man buses as they were called at the time were brought in at Digbeth, the first routes to be converted were those on the "Old Mans Road" These were the routes on what was officially called The Hampton Sheet, a rota of less strenuous duties that older drivers graduated on to before retirement. They were the
157 Leamington Spa via Warwick
158 Coventry via Hampton In Arden including short workings to Hampton
167 Leamington Spa via Kenilworth
186 Barston via Solihull
To a man none of the 'Hampton' drivers wanted to go one man so vacancies were posted and with an increased rate of pay (i.e. + 17% of a conductors pay) a new "OMO Sheet" was filled. The new way of working didn't suit everyone who took it up and staffing turnover was high to begin with. I decided the extra wage would come in usefull so applied but soon missed working on the Wythall Sheet with a conductor to keep me company. After a fortnight I applied to come off OMO but because a replacement would be difficult to recruit my application was turned down. I carried on for another fortnight but became increasingly fed up with it so put in a weeks notice to quit the job altogether. On the following Thursday, two days before I was due to finish I had second thoughts and withdrew my resignation. To my surprise and delight I was informed that because I was not expected to be there the following week my place had been covered on OMO so I would have to "Start again" on the Wythall Sheet - just where I wanted to be! On the following Monday a Driver's Notice went up saying that "hence forth any driver on the OMO Sheet tendering his notice as a means of leaving that rota would not be permitted to withdraw his notice" I then found out that 3 others on OMO put their notice in on the Friday after I withdrew mine as word had got around it was a way of getting back on two man work.
The first generation of OMO buses were S14 conversions with half a cab door fitted with a cash tray mounted on top of it. On a shelf below that was a powerpack to which to the right of it a Setright ticket machine with the issuing handle removed was connected through an adaptor fitting (known as a 'dog'). As this arrangement was horizontal it meant if you braked only moderately hard the ticket machine would shoot off and fall on the floor! Later OMO buses had the powerpack mounted vertically on a grabrail above the cabdoor so the machine could not fall off it.
THe S14 was a lightweight bus that had only single wheels on the rear so were not the the best of buses on wet or, worse still, icy roads. One of the class at Digbeth was unique in that it had illuminated adverts on either side above the windows. It was nicknamed the "Beer Barrel" because on the pavement side it advertised M & B Beer (on the other side it was Park Drive Cigarettes. My pic here is of 4652 out on the patch but showing 185 route to Solihull. (In crew operated days the 185 was the fastest route to Solihull Malt Shovel in the High Street with a running time of 27 minutes although Warwick Road services reached the Barley Mow in 28 minutes.).
 
motorman-mike said:
Sticking with Midland Red Leylands, this is me returning from a Half Day Tour with LC7 type Leyland Leopard 5778. The dodgy road positioning is because we had to take a wide sweep when turning left into the Bull Ring Bus Station.
Click to expand...

Was that to avoid clouting the canopy on the way in? If so, that's why we artic drivers used to have to back in the wrong way up a one-way street in Darwen,Lancashire or risk a calamity with Marks and Spencers!:D
 
No problems with canopies, Richie, it was the layout of the pillars just inside the entrance! Whichever lane you intended to aim for required a 'wiggle' of the steering at least to miss them, and the approach angle was important too.
The entrance was a dangerous place as Joe Public would walk about on the roadways and sometimes just appear from behind one of the pillars just as you were approaching them. Passengers would be standing up, preparing to get off (instead of sensibly waiting till the bus stopped) and a sudden brake application would throw them to the floor.
 
motorman-mike said:
When one man buses as they were called at the time were brought in at Digbeth, the first routes to be converted were those on the "Old Mans Road" These were the routes on what was officially called The Hampton Sheet, a rota of less strenuous duties that older drivers graduated on to before retirement. They were the
157 Leamington Spa via Warwick
158 Coventry via Hampton In Arden including short workings to Hampton
167 Leamington Spa via Kenilworth
186 Barston via Solihull
To a man none of the 'Hampton' drivers wanted to go one man so vacancies were posted and with an increased rate of pay (i.e. + 17% of a conductors pay) a new "OMO Sheet" was filled. The new way of working didn't suit everyone who took it up and staffing turnover was high to begin with. I decided the extra wage would come in usefull so applied but soon missed working on the Wythall Sheet with a conductor to keep me company. After a fortnight I applied to come off OMO but because a replacement would be difficult to recruit my application was turned down. I carried on for another fortnight but became increasingly fed up with it so put in a weeks notice to quit the job altogether. On the following Thursday, two days before I was due to finish I had second thoughts and withdrew my resignation. To my surprise and delight I was informed that because I was not expected to be there the following week my place had been covered on OMO so I would have to "Start again" on the Wythall Sheet - just where I wanted to be! On the following Monday a Driver's Notice went up saying that "hence forth any driver on the OMO Sheet tendering his notice as a means of leaving that rota would not be permitted to withdraw his notice" I then found out that 3 others on OMO put their notice in on the Friday after I withdrew mine as word had got around it was a way of getting back on two man work.
The first generation of OMO buses were S14 conversions with half a cab door fitted with a cash tray mounted on top of it. On a shelf below that was a powerpack to which to the right of it a Setright ticket machine with the issuing handle removed was connected through an adaptor fitting (known as a 'dog'). As this arrangement was horizontal it meant if you braked only moderately hard the ticket machine would shoot off and fall on the floor! Later OMO buses had the powerpack mounted vertically on a grabrail above the cabdoor so the machine could not fall off it.
THe S14 was a lightweight bus that had only single wheels on the rear so were not the the best of buses on wet or, worse still, icy roads. One of the class at Digbeth was unique in that it had illuminated adverts on either side above the windows. It was nicknamed the "Beer Barrel" because on the pavement side it advertised M & B Beer (on the other side it was Park Drive Cigarettes. My pic here is of 4652 out on the patch but showing 185 route to Solihull. (In crew operated days the 185 was the fastest route to Solihull Malt Shovel in the High Street with a running time of 27 minutes although Warwick Road services reached the Barley Mow in 28 minutes.).
Click to expand...
Great story that Mike, I found 4652 quite a nippy bus to drive, but as you say you had to be carefull in wet weather. John 70
 
Another of my favourite buses, Leyland LS20 5839. When first delivered this smart dual purpose bus was only driven by coach drivers and worked mainly on the X96 service between Northampton and Shrewsbury on which it is seen here. The driver seen is coachman Eric Wilcox who was also on the Garage Union Committee. I got to drive it many times by requesting it on summer coach work as well as ordinary bus work. In this view 5839 is at Coventry, Pool Meadow Bus Station.
 
Hi. Mike. A lovely vehicle to drive wasnt it, I had it on a few Malverns in the early 70s, and now have it as a Corgi model,
 
Nothing personal Lads. That place [Digbeth Station] always depressed me,such a hole.
 
I'd just like to say again how enjoy these recollections. I have recently been given some DVDs of Berlin trams, one of which includes about 15 minutes filmed by the East Berlin staff social club in the late 50s and early 60s. Over five minutes covers one trip they made in one of their then new touring coaches round the backwoods of East Germany, in an area where open-cast coal mining decimated the road system, and they were diverted via a field of mud, where all the wrong things were done - another bus was attached without success, and in the end a local farm tractor got them out. A story similar to the U-tube film by Bammot about recovering the BCT Morris Commercial double decker.
All very entertaining.
Peter
 
:2623:It may have seemed like 'A HOLE' to some but to me it was a place where I earned a decent wage and met some very interesting and pleasant workmates. It was also a place where I could laugh :D:D:Dmy socks off at some of the general public.:biggrin::biggrin::biggrin:
 
Stitcher said:
:2623:It may have seemed like 'A HOLE' to some but to me it was a place where I earned a decent wage and met some very interesting and pleasant workmates. It was also a place where I could laugh :D:D:Dmy socks off at some of the general public.:biggrin::biggrin::biggrin:
Click to expand...
Laugh but also cry at some.
 
Thats true. When I was moved from the RED to WMPTE I was on the Bristol Road and one day a woman apparantly pushed a man away who was leaning on her. He went upright in his seat then toppled away from the woman and fell into the gangaway. He was dead and he had been leaning on this woman for quite awhile. I can laugh now but it wasnt funny at the time.
 
To most of the general public Digbeth coach station probably does look a bit depressing, but there a a lot more around the country just as bad or even worse, but it was of course originally a bus and coach garage, and never meant to be a coach station, and as a garage which a few of us on this thread new it as, it served its purpose very well.
 
yYYyYes John 70 I agree and I had the structure in mind not people. I hope some had better eyesight when driving us around then than it would appear now!!
 
Found this photo in a magazine, hope I am not infringing any rights by showing it, if I am would someone tell me please, thought you might like it Mike, a bit before our time, but very familiar to us.
 
CHA 2 started life as one of four prototype chassis (type REC) which were the first rear-engined buses in the country, if not the world. Unfortunately there were insuperable problems with the advanced design, and when their designer and chief engineer of the company, L. G. Wyndham Shire, retired they were withdrawn and dismantled, some parts going into new underfloor engined chassis carrying the same identities and registrations (BHA1, CHA 1,2 and 3) which became prototypes for post-war single deck production. The above photo shows CHA 2 as rebuilt, below is similar-looking BHA 1 when new with its designer, Loftus George Wyndham Shire standing by the front wheel. CHA 2 was withdrawn and scrapped in 1957.
 
john70 said:
Found this photo in a magazine, hope I am not infringing any rights by showing it, if I am would someone tell me please, thought you might like it Mike, a bit before our time, but very familiar to us.
Click to expand...

Great photo John, as you say, a bit before our time but the route and location bring back the memories. That's Fred's Caff in the background where gallons of tea and tons of sandwiches were consumed by the Red crews over the years. Many is the time I came out of there five minutes late to find my bus with the driving seat wound down to the floor, the mirrors turned back to front and the handbrake pulled on so tight you had to stand on the footbrake to release it. By the time everything was put right it was more like 15 minutes late away, which meant a lively trip out to Wythall. Before pulling away a quick glance back to Freds and grinning faces in the doorway would tell you who the jokers were:D
Mike

Here out on the patch are a trio of what were oldest single deck types when I first joined the Red.
 
Very true that Mike about the jokers, I went to Whythall one evening after having a cup of tea in the bowling alley, as we did on late nights, with Evesham via Rubery or something similar on the blind, they had changed the blinds also, theres another shop in the background of that photo, K R Scott, that was a hardware shop owned by my to be mother in law.
 
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