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Birmingham Buses Part 2

Interestingly the Washwood Heath trams had bow collectors. This meant that it was impossible to install an earth return overhead wire (the tram would short itself out) that the Nechells trolleybuses needed to return to the depot! Instead trolleybuses running to and from Washwood Heath depot would make an earth return by trailing a skate slotted into the tram track! Needless to say that the resulting blue flashes effectively brought and end to the Nechells 7 in the blackouts of 1940.

The Nechells trolleybuses were the first double deckers with covered tops (ie roof) in Great Britain - They had the distinction of being the first Tram to trolleybus conversion in the world! and sadly they were the first to be replaced by motorbuses (I'm pretty sure this is right but I'm sure Lloyd will correct me if I'm Wrong)
 
roly said:
The Nechells trolleybuses were the first double deckers with covered tops (ie roof) in Great Britain - They had the distinction of being the first Tram to trolleybus conversion in the world! and sadly they were the first to be replaced by motorbuses (I'm pretty sure this is right but I'm sure Lloyd will correct me if I'm Wrong)
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................................................and it would be one of this batch of trolleybuses to which my post 207 refers.
 
Tony, you are right that was the numbers of the buses on that route. They were those from the first bus that ever ran on that way back in the forties.
During the war the buses had to come up Vera rd hill into Patrick rd and up into Croft rd and then into the Yew Tree because for a time the bomb damage to Ingrams garage and the bombing of the house opposite.
I have mentioned this before to John Crump but I do not think he has seen my comment.
Did you read my comment about who lived in your house before you in Patrick rd some months ago.
Dave Edwards
 
Tony, if you go onto Google earth and street view, zoom into Moat lane Yardley and follow down from Yewtree lane until you see the park on the right, carry on until you come to the first house on the right. Swing about to the other side of the rd and you will see some flats at pavement level, the houses on the left are higher up with sloping drives. Ingrams garage was alongside the house on the left, it was constructed with a timber and felt foof, it caught fire in a raid and Jerry thought he had hit something of value so they dropped a stick of bombs which stretched from the house alongside the park in Moat Lane, Patrick rd, Vera rd, Church rd and Rockingham rd near the Yewtree.
Our house was at the back of Ingrams about 50ft from the burning roof and it was b****y hot went that went up.
The house in Moat Lane had the side and roof damaged but it was rebuilt later on.
Dave
 
Eddie 14. Thanks for the info. I used to live in Patrick road and my garden backed on to the flats, I remember them being being built.
 
1.jpg2.jpg3.jpg

Heres a couple of little beauties i found recently .
No1 Lea Hall Village .
No2 Selly Oak maybe ?
No3 Unsure Terminus maybe , some where around Northfield ??
ragga :fat:
 
No 1 is in Kitts Green Road. The opticians shop across the road is Scrivens and that is still there today as Scrivens but all the other shops have changed. Some old names from the past to be seen - Rumbelows with their service van parked in the road and Foster Brothers as well.

No 2 is between Selly Oak and Harborne. It is in Harborne Lane just after Quinton Road where it is one-way. The Stage sign on the bus stop was a good clue - Metchley Road was the official title for this which was actually on the other leg of the one-way. The lamp post would appear to be the same one and is still there today. The car in the front garden in the distance looks like a Ford Anglia and the garage or shed just above it is also still there today. Although the bus stop itself has gone, the bus 2847 still survives and awaits its turn to be restored at a site somewhere in Herefordshire.
 
The bus fell into roadworksclose to Witton Station, the photo is taken in the yard alongside Witton Tram Depot.
 
Sorry for not getting back sooner EX B28 .Thank you for your extra info on last 3 picture posts
any info on the service extra photo yet ?? love to know the road it was took in ??
and that ford anglia you mentioned in photo no2 .. i must view it if im ever that way .
ragga :fat:
 
Great Ragga. Love the 2nd photo. Think it's a #33 to Kingstanding outside Rackhams. Unusual viewpoint. Viv.
 
I wonder if the building shown in the post by Ragga - i.e. The Bull Ring Centre - still stands? Knowing how the city planners love demolition it might no longer be there. :uncomfortableness:

I parked on the roof car park in 1980, which was in fact, the last time I visited the city. Relatives from Edgbaston took me, and some of my family, to see various parts of the city. Woolworths has obviously gone probably replaced by a 99p type store like the one in Paignton.

The second pic, which apparently shows Rackhams (old store?). I took my wife there in 1963 and bought some new clothes for her. For some inexplicable reason the sales staff, hearing we were from Devon and suntanned (that was in th time of good summers), assumed everyone in Devon mainly wore only tweeds. With some jocundity were put them right.
 
Ah Rackhams. Loved to swoop down that curved staircase at the Temple Row entrance. Felt sort of important! Viv.
 
Radiorails said:
I wonder if the building shown in the post by Ragga - i.e. The Bull Ring Centre - still stands? Knowing how the city planners love demolition it might no longer be there. QUOTE]

No that Bull Ring is no longer standing. Most of us on this Forum are on our third Bull Ring except apparently it is now the Bullring
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ragga said:
Sorry for not getting back sooner EX B28 .Thank you for your extra info on last 3 picture posts
any info on the service extra photo yet ?? love to know the road it was took in ??
and that ford anglia you mentioned in photo no2 .. i must view it if im ever that way .
ragga :fat:
Click to expand...
Sorry I must have written it a bit ambiguously! The Ford Anglia is not there today, well I couldn't see it on Streetview but the lamp post and garage are still there.

No. 2 is of course on Birmingham's Most Famous Bus Route - 11 Outer Circle. The photo must have been taken before the 11A/11C/11E numbers were introduced in Summer 1975 as 2847 has '00' on the rear blind. I think it was a Perry Barr bus at that time and as far as I can recall right up to the end of Standard working in October 1977. 2847 was one of the 30 or so Standards that made it through to the very last day. 2847 must be working back to Perry Barr after doing the rush hour service.

No. 3 - I couldn't put anything about this as I don't know much about the 23 Service. It must be after 1962 as both buses have black BCT numbers which is when I am told this style of number was introduced. I have since had a look on this site and 23A appears to be a 'rush hour' service to Allen Cross Estate? (Norrington Road) but a look on Streetview has failed to locate the road junction as yet.

I have a BCT map and a ABC spotters book from 1967 but they are up in Sheffield although I will be going there in the next few days. It's just remembering which box out of dozens these will be in! There could be something about Service 23 in there.

Finally the 2 PS2's look absolutely immaculate without a speck of dirt on them. But that was how BCT sent them out such were the exemplary standards of those days.
 
ragga said:
View attachment 84089

No3 Unsure Terminus maybe , some where around Northfield ??
ragga :fat:
Click to expand...

It was a "goodbye to the PS2s" enthusiasts tour on 21 September 1969 but I don't think I was on it. I suspect this is the former terminus of the 23/23A on Allens Cross Estate at the junction of Norrington Road and Borrowdale Road. The 61 replaced the 23/23A into the estate in 1952 under the service revisions made possible by the Bristol Road tram replacement. It was also the terminus of the 18/18A until its extension to Ley Hill in 1956. The bus is showing "Service Extra" because the real display for this terminus was not on the blinds in use later.
 
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Lloyd said:
It was a "goodbye to the PS2s" enthusiasts tour on 21 September 1969 but I don't think I was on it. I suspect this is the former terminus of the 23/23A on Allens Cross Estate at the junction of Norrington Road and Borrowdale Road. The 61 replaced the 23/23A into the estate in 1952 under the service revisions made possible by the Bristol Road tram replacement. It was also the terminus of the 18/18A until its extension to Ley Hill in 1956. The bus is showing "Service Extra" because the real display for this terminus was not on the blinds in use later.
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I cannot comment on the bus services/updates, but the location mentioned cannot be correct as looking at Google Satellite/Streetview will show that none of the block of four houses match those behind the bus. Note that the roof is red, the upper level is pebbledashed and that there are two brick 'pillars' at the end of the outer 'pair' of houses along with a gable over the middle two. There are some of the right design, at the junction of Inverness Rd and Tinkers Farm Rd, but these are pebbledashed from top to bottom!

Minor correction: Revisiting the photo and looking through the bus windows, the front of these houses *ARE* pebbledashed top to bottom, except the front door area below the gable! Also to be considered in searching for this location is the fact that many local authority houses have been re-roofed in that awful black/grey tile look-a-like, so may no longer have a red roof.
 
QUOTE=ragga;477214]View attachment 84089

Heres a couple of little beauties i found recently .

No3 Unsure Terminus maybe , some where around Northfield ??
ragga :fat:
[/QUOTE]

ragga, is this image a digital one, or one that can be scanned at a higher resolution? Dave
 
That the highest Curly ....... ive tried to scan into that road sign but cant read it :upset:
ragga ........
 
Lloyd said:
It was a "goodbye to the PS2s" enthusiasts tour on 21 September 1969 but I don't think I was on it. I suspect this is the former terminus of the 23/23A on Allens Cross Estate at the junction of Norrington Road and Borrowdale Road. The 61 replaced the 23/23A into the estate in 1952 under the service revisions made possible by the Bristol Road tram replacement. It was also the terminus of the 18/18A until its extension to Ley Hill in 1956. The bus is showing "Service Extra" because the real display for this terminus was not on the blinds in use later.
Click to expand...

Lloyd, Are you possitive that this was a Farewell to the PS2 tour and not a couple of buses in public service? The reason I ask is that they are carrying route numbers and not showing Special. The number 23 was reused for a few months in 1967 for a service running City-Alum Rock-Kitts Green-Tile Cross. We could be looking the wrong side of the city.
 
hi guys
i think myself its close to erdinton ;king standing ; area ;used to go down hrough alum rock and turn of at an island took you to
the back end of pype hayes rd end ; erdington
astonian;
 
Astonian said:
hi guys
i think myself its close to erdinton ;king standing ; area ;used to go down hrough alum rock and turn of at an island took you to
the back end of pype hayes rd end ; erdington
astonian;
Click to expand...

Sadly, in looking for the house in the background, many municipal properties of this type, in Pype Hayes and Kingstanding were demolished due to structural failures in their methods of construction, although those that were brick built were retained (in Kingstanding at least)
 
Lloyd said:
I agree Curly, so can anyone find that house now please?
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I HAVE IT!!!

The cameraman is standing outside what is now the Northfield Health Centre in St Helier's Road at the junction of Frankley Beeches Road...............well, I'm 99% sure anyway. The Google StreetView has to be toggled left & right for best effect and of course it's camera is in the middle of the road, not on the footpath - link HERE :well pleased:

Next?
 
Just picked up on the latest post here ....... Well done Curly comparing the two semi houses and the distants apart
and the down brick facade you see on the corner of first house you see it on the early bus photo i posted.
Thank you for your detetive work on this matter .
ragga ........
 
424, OG 424 had a Vulcan body and entered service on 12/9/1930. This accident occurred in late July 1932 resulting in the chassis being sold to AEC and used in the rebuilding of PG 7976 of East Surrey which later became ST 1111. The chassis of 442 became 424 when it gave up its body to Crossley Condor OJ 5442. As there is no reference to anything else one can only assume that the body was rebuilt during late 1932 and survived until withdrawal on 4/7/1945.
 
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