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  1. Ross

    The Railways

    The leather satchel belonged to the unit rather than the driver, as it held the keys and brake handle. The driver would have signed it out that morning when allocated the unit. I don't know about the class 172s, but half of the class 170s have mouldings in the cab specifically intended to stop...
  2. Ross

    The Railways

    Where it's standing is nowadays the car park. I guess that says everything about how the world has changed - in those days people would have walked to the station; people today seem to prefer to drive any distance more than about 400 yards. Or perhaps I'm just cynical!
  3. Ross

    The Railways

    1st gen; 2nd gen were the Sprinters. Or at least that's how we used the terms on t'railroad before such terms as "heritage units" came into use.
  4. Ross

    How Railways prepared for nuclear war

    Interesting article, and like all articles about civil defence it correctly identifies that this country was both utterly unprepared for the realities of nuclear war and vastly underestimated the sheer amount of nuclear bombs the Soviets intended to drop on the UK. In my current bit of the...
  5. Ross

    Birmingham city tour, 1968

    I agree with all you say, Alan, but with one (tiny) caveat about cars. I think that for many Brummies cars weren't a realistic option then and not really for another decade or so; we tend to forget in this age of easy credit and comparatively high pay just how difficult it could be to get the...
  6. Ross

    Birmingham city tour, 1968

    To be honest I don't see many of the city's beauty spots in any of those lists. I do see a fair amount of civic "look what we're doing" in the sheer number of council estates being visited and the inclusion of things like Yardley Swan underpass, and I think it's fair to say that these tours...
  7. Ross

    Birmingham city tour, 1968

    One last chance, eh? Tour 4 takes us north. Sutton Park, maybe? Umm... Not quite. Hockley flyover. Six Ways underpass. Witton Cemetery. Castle Vale. Saltley and Nechells gas works. Oh well. 12 bob wouldn't even have bought us a Midland Red day anywhere ticket (they were 16/- by then) and...
  8. Ross

    Birmingham city tour, 1968

    Shall we give it another go? Tour 3 takes us south, into the posher bits (maybe). Hmm. Camp Hill flyover; the Druids Heath Development; the Ley Hill Development. Still, at least you pass Cadbury's and Carillion*. * No, not the bankrupt construction company.
  9. Ross

    Birmingham city tour, 1968

    Tour two takes you to the east of Brum. Via Handsworth, which I'm pretty sure has never been east of Brum. (Their sense of direction was clearly as poor as their idea of what was interesting). But... Wow! You can see the "site of Salford Bridge Motorway Link, various factories and power...
  10. Ross

    Birmingham city tour, 1968

    Tour one takes you to see the south-west of Birmingham, my old stamping grounds. Be enticed by the Artificial Limb Centre and entranced by the Views of Shenley Court and Weoley Castle [council] Estates! They haven't quite got the idea, have they?
  11. Ross

    Birmingham city tour, 1968

    Four tours to choose from at three bob a trip, or will you go for the full set?
  12. Ross

    Birmingham city tour, 1968

    Morning all, I've been scanning some timetables and things from around the country and came across a Birmingham City Transport leaflet for "Sight-Seeing Tours of City 1968" which I thought you might enjoy. So, let us head back... It's 1968, the height of the swinging sixties, and Birmingham...
  13. Ross

    Midland Red Around Birmingham.

    Morning all, Just bumbled into this one while browsing the forum and I think it's time to come out of "hiding" and post something as I can (I hope!) put you all out of your misery: 944 was the number Midland Red allocated to the Boney Hay to Birmingham Limited Stop service it inherited from...
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