Not Birmingham, but a cow catcher on a tram. Did anyone remember seeing one?Hi, where we used to live in Mary st balsall heath, the trams used to hurtle down Mary st, it was quite a steep hill, in those days we kids used to play in the road. One day one of the kids we used to play with, Mary Ellis who lived in hallam st, was hit by a tram, numbers 35/37 I think they where, she was seriously injured but the ‘cow catcher’ on the front saved her life.
Baz
Hi, where we used to live in Mary st balsall heath, the trams used to hurtle down Mary st, it was quite a steep hill, in those days we kids used to play in the road. One day one of the kids we used to play with, Mary Ellis who lived in hallam st, was hit by a tram, numbers 35/37 I think they where, she was seriously injured but the ‘cow catcher’ on the front saved her life.
Baz
On a slightly different tack, perhaps one of our more tramway-knowledgeable members can help me with this query.......
Many years ago, my late mother told the story that life guards (she referred to them as cowcatchers) were first fitted to Birmingham trams as a result of an accident to one of her ancestors in the early years of the 20th Century. Most likely it is just another family legend, but on the other hand it should have resulted in a record somewhere (even in a local newspaper) if true.
The only reference that might be a possible connection was this one on the Nottingham Corporation Tramways page of Wiki:-
"The existing iron guards fitted to 32 cars were replaced by Tideswell's patent life guards." It's relevant because the same article mentions a visit by NCT members to inspect Birmingham trams. The date referred to is 1905.
Can anyone throw any light on Tideswell, life guards or the alleged accident please?
Maurice
Dear Roy,Hi,
My grandfather Fred Gilks, worked for the BCT from 1911 to 1951: first driving trams, and then trolley buses. He was asked if he would postpone retirement so that he could drive the very last trolley bus on the Coventry Road route in July 1951. He was delighted to be asked, and I have looked on the forum for photos of the occasion, but being new to this might not have looked in the right place.If there are any I would love to see them.
Roy Gilks.
As a child I was often taken on the No 6 Perry Barr trams getting on at the terminus in Birchfield Road but don't remember seeing one like in this pic. It was probably something connected with WW2 and I vaguely remember grey painted utility buses but no grey trams. The No 6 route was closed in 1949 so the date could be just after WW2.
Thanks I was worried I wouldnt do anything to upset this site. Its still the best.It never bothers me if anyone makes a copy of any photo I have posted on the BHF and then uploads it to another site.
Lead tram is painted in all-over wartime grey