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Bus Garages

According to my information BCT had 14 bus garages in various part of the city in the early 1950's.
Acocks Green, Barford Street, Birchfield Road, Cotteridge, *Coventry Road (formerly Arthur Street), Harborne, Highgate Road, Hockley, Liverpool Street, Moseley Road, Miller Street, Perry Barr, Quinton, Rosebery Street, Selly Oak, **Washwood Heath and Yardley Wood.
A former Midland Red depot at Tennant Street (1914 - 1939 for saloon buses) remained for their service vehicles until 1954.
A tram depot was at Witton (formerly Aston Manor) which closed after the trams ceased in 1953.
Lea Hall opened in 1955 and Barford Street then, apparently closed. Barford Street had operated the original Nechells 7 trolleybus route.
* Coventry Road also housed trolleybuses until July 1951.
** Washwood Heath housed some trolley buses until 1940
and not forgetting the famous 'Lake' known as Kyotts Lake Road.

depots in italics had been tram depots.

E&OE :D
 
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Radiorails said:
According to my information BCT had 14 bus garages in various part of the city in the early 1950's.
Acocks Green, Barford Street, Birchfield Road, *Coventry Road (formerly Arthur Street), Harborne, Highgate Road, Hockley, Liverpool Street, Moseley Road, Perry Barr, Quinton, Rosebery Street, Selly Oak, **Washwood Heath and Yardley Wood.
A former Midland Red depot at Tennant Street (1914 - 1939 for saloon buses) remained for their service vehicles until 1954.
A tram depot was at Witton (formerly Aston Manor) which closed after the trams ceased in 1953.
Lea Hall opened in 1955 and Barford Street then, apparently closed. Barford Street had operated the original Nechells 7 trolleybus route.
* Coventry Road also housed trolleybuses until July 1951.
** Washwood Heath housed some trolley buses until 1940
There was a tram depot at Cotteridge and not forgetting the famous 'Lake' known as Kyotts Lake Road.

depots in italics had been tram depots.

E&OE :D
Click to expand...

Nechells trolleybuses ran from Washwood Heath depot, running to and from the main route with one pole on the tram power wire and towing a 'skate' in the rails for return current. This skate would bounce along showering sparks everywhere, breaking the WW2 blackout regulations so the route was converted to motorbus operation, becoming the 43. Barford Street garage operated the Inner Circle and possibly the City Circle as well. Missing from your list is Miller Street, the tramway department's original 1904 first depot and Cotteridge, a former CBT company tram depot.
 
Lloyd said:
Nechells trolleybuses ran from Washwood Heath depot, running to and from the main route with one pole on the tram power wire and towing a 'skate' in the rails for return current. This skate would bounce along showering sparks everywhere, breaking the WW2 blackout regulations so the route was converted to motorbus operation, becoming the 43. Barford Street garage operated the Inner Circle and possibly the City Circle as well. Missing from your list is Miller Street, the tramway department's original 1904 first depot and Cotteridge, a former CBT company tram depot.
Click to expand...
sounds risky
 
Lloyd said:
Nechells trolleybuses ran from Washwood Heath depot, running to and from the main route with one pole on the tram power wire and towing a 'skate' in the rails for return current. This skate would bounce along showering sparks everywhere, breaking the WW2 blackout regulations so the route was converted to motorbus operation, becoming the 43. Barford Street garage operated the Inner Circle and possibly the City Circle as well. Missing from your list is Miller Street, the tramway department's original 1904 first depot and Cotteridge, a former CBT company tram depot.
Click to expand...
Thanks for Miller Street, Lloyd. I thought I had added it in, especially as was the original tram depot. Cotteridge was listed (as a footnote) but I did not believe it was ever a bus garage. If it was I will add it to the list.
 
Radiorails said:
Thanks for Miller Street, Lloyd. I thought I had added it in, especially as was the original tram depot. Cotteridge was listed (as a footnote) but I did not believe it was ever a bus garage. If it was I will add it to the list.
Click to expand...

Yes it ran buses after the trams finished, and became the first depot to have all of its buses as rear engined ones.
.
 
Hockley also had a distinction of being a cable car depot

As to Selly Oak, the large depot at Harborne Lane looked modern for a tram depot.
 
I remember going to school from Yardley to Moseley School of art and passing the bus garage on the Cov rd by the Blues stadium top of the hill
 
With the upcoming closure and demolition of Perry Barr Garage and its replacement by a new building plus the future closure of Liverpool Street that will leave Acocks Green and Yardley Wood as the only traditional style garages still operational. These days open yards that cost less in rates have taken over.
 
Simon4130 said:
With the upcoming closure and demolition of Perry Barr Garage and its replacement by a new building plus the future closure of Liverpool Street that will leave Acocks Green and Yardley Wood as the only traditional style garages still operational. These days open yards that cost less in rates have taken over.
Click to expand...
The ownership of buses has changed over the years.
E.g Birmingham city used to own and maintain their own fleet of buses and so required large garages to do so.
Since privatisation, fleet operators prefer to hire buses for a fixed term. Included with the hire charge comes maintenance. One of the companies that provides repair facilities is 'Carlyle'. Name sound familiar?
 
Carlyle Bus & Coach are based at Great Bridge.

I wonder if this is the way forward ? Railway companies have had this system in place since privatisation, and previously the hire ( and maintenance) of waggons was common.

Another thought, Carlyle Road, in Birmingham was a place wh.ere buses were built
 
When I was a child I lived within walking distance of Miller St garage, and it always fascinated me watching the evening staff washing the buses with long handled brushes which went up to roof level. Much later on, when I worked on Hagley Rd, I sometimes drove past Rosebury St garage (when the morning rush hour traffic was particularly bad) and there was always a line of the Leyland buses which were a mainstay of the Dudley Rd services at that time, at the front of the garage waiting to go out on service. I only wish I had been able to photograph them.
 
Terry M said:
... I sometimes drove past Rosebury St garage (when the morning rush hour traffic was particularly bad) and there was always a line of the Leyland buses which were a mainstay of the Dudley Rd services at that time, at the front of the garage waiting to go out on service. I only wish I had been able to photograph them.
Click to expand...

Rosebury St Depot (previously a 'Company' tram depot, later taken over by the Corporation) being demolished in 1969.
 

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