Peter Walker
gone but not forgotten
Mike, that's a lovely thought, but I'm too cynical to believe that BCT traqm 395 could ever run on the Black Country Museum tracks - first and foremost because I doubt that the proprietors (who do a fantastic job deserving every credit) would wish to exhibit a tram which - as far as I can see - never ran on the Dudley Road or Soho Road, let alone cross the frontier into the Fatherland.
I've just done some research, and it looks as if 395 spent its first years from 1912 to 1927 at Bournbrook depot, transferred to the new depot at Selly Oak which continued to serve the Bristol Road routes; then in 1939 it was moved to Coventry Road to work the Stechford routes until 1948, when it was transferred to Witton, where it ran on rush hour and football trips until 1950, when it was earmarked for preservation.
I don't remember where it was stored at first, but the damp got certainly got into the roof.
Attached is apart of a faded dyeline print of the shelter I designed when I worked for the City Architect's Department in 1958. If you peer closely you can just about detect the dotted profile of where the tram was supposed to stand. As was the custom at the time, the original pencil drawing was later traced by in ink by Kay (who I heard a couple of years ago is still very much around). This version was used for the contract.
I remember that after the job was finished and the car was brought in, it was in a poor condition - and that was 51 years ago!
Having got all that off my chest, I agree it would be wonderful if the car could be restored to working condition by volunteers.
Peter
I've just done some research, and it looks as if 395 spent its first years from 1912 to 1927 at Bournbrook depot, transferred to the new depot at Selly Oak which continued to serve the Bristol Road routes; then in 1939 it was moved to Coventry Road to work the Stechford routes until 1948, when it was transferred to Witton, where it ran on rush hour and football trips until 1950, when it was earmarked for preservation.
I don't remember where it was stored at first, but the damp got certainly got into the roof.
Attached is apart of a faded dyeline print of the shelter I designed when I worked for the City Architect's Department in 1958. If you peer closely you can just about detect the dotted profile of where the tram was supposed to stand. As was the custom at the time, the original pencil drawing was later traced by in ink by Kay (who I heard a couple of years ago is still very much around). This version was used for the contract.
I remember that after the job was finished and the car was brought in, it was in a poor condition - and that was 51 years ago!
Having got all that off my chest, I agree it would be wonderful if the car could be restored to working condition by volunteers.
Peter