All,
Some good memory joggers here.
I remember the gritting lorries as I used to live at the top of the hill on the Washwood Heath Road, almost opposite the Bus Garage.
When it had snowed during the night I would be woken with the sound of 4 or 5 drivers/staff from the depot shvelling salt/grit on to the hill to enable the services to start. The 56 always left the depot on the into City leg of the service which gave them time to get the hill fit for the out of City and subsequent return, up the hill.
From the four volumes on the history of BCT, I have, I understand the Gritting/Recovery vehicles were converted from damaged buses rather than purpose built, presumably converted at Tyburn Road.
I can remember, from my bus spotting days, seeing all the very old out of service buses parked at the rear of Tyburn Road and at the back of Lea Hall depot, in fact we used to sneak in to each depot as nearly all had mothballed vehicles and this was the only way we could 'cop' them, sadly I still have my Ian Allen bus books for Birmingham! Even sadder I still have all my school books and exam papers from Ward End Hall school too!! Sadder still, I don't understand a thing in them any more!!!
Bill.