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To Nigel Edwards.
If you had read my book, "a Nostalgic Look At Birmingham Trolleybuses", published in 1997, you would have been able to access this information, including the press cutting.
All the best,
David Harvey
Superb bus services along main east to west main route including Charnia, Rethimnon and Heraklion using a mixture of articulated and ordinary three-doored buses with capacity of around 85 including standees. I think that MAN and Mercedes have been the main suppliers. Going to the south the...
The original route along Slade Road route was opened to the end of the shops in Stockland Green at the junction with Reservoir Road on 12 June 1912. It was numbered 1 in 1915. On 23 June 1926 the 78 route extension to Short Heath was opened on reserved track to the new terminus at Short Heath...
When I wrote the book, I did a considerable amount of research and via BBC radio I was contacted by Fred Gilkes' son, who I think was called Maurice. He was in his 80s but he went through the life history of his father, who sadly didn't have a very long retirement though he was allowed to leave...
The grey tram is 345 working on a 6 service to Perry Barr a service usually worked by one of the Aston bodied cars such as the distant car 20. 345 was repainted sometime between January 1942 and March 1943 with new fleet number and legal lettering being painted over the unlined-out grey livery...
Birmingham trolleybus system in use for 29 years, (hardly flirting with 90 vehicles in use!) was basically a large scale experiment, albeit with some advanced vehicles including traction batteries on the last 24 four-wheelers. West Bromwich preferred the concept of trolleybuses for use on the...
Dear Roy,
If you look in my book Birmingham trolleybuses 1922-1951 you will find a photo of Fred Gilks driving the last trolleybus FOK 90 in Coventry Road, but a much earlier photo of him as a young man as a steam tram conductor, c.1905
424 had a Vulcan body and entered service on 12/9/1930. The chassis was sold to AEC in August 1932 and parts were used in the rebuilding of East Sussex PG 7976. The chassis of 442, OG 442 was renumbered 424 when it lost its body to Cross;ley Condor OJ 5442. Presumably the body was rebuilt as...