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Coventry Road (arthur St) Tram/trolley/bus Garage

H

horsencart

master brummie
Greetings

Just to let anyone know who is interested that the former Coventry Road Tram/Trolley/Bus Garage is up for sale/rent but before you get your check books out and start writing I suspect that the building may not be in best the best of health the building started life in 1906 as a tram garage,

This is one of those buildings I would love to get inside and take loads of photos and film there
 
I don't think you'd recognise the interior now, bits of it have been leased to all sorts of different companies since the depot closed.
I've attached a pic of the interior in 1907..enjoy
Jerry
 
Brummie Nick, thanks for the photo of the bus depot..or should I say of
the phone box !!! Many a time I used that to phone my husband ( he was then a boyfriend ) at his home in West Bromwich. We didn't have a phone
at home in Greenway st. I also remember running to that box to let my friend know about the engagement of Princess Margaret to Tony Armstong Jones....

Margaret.
 
I understand that until recently the building has been used to store equipment for professional music gigs.
 
Bammot said:
That was true up till a few months ago a far as I am aware the building is now empty ?
Click to expand...
Large lorries were kept there and they would exit into Arthur St at the side/rear of the garage loaded with speakers, power supplies and all the other gear necessary to set up a music gig, i thought they were still there, the garage may have to be demolished so the railway tunnell roof can be strengthened, thats what i have been told, true or false i don`t know. Len.
 
lencops said:
Large lorries were kept there and they would exit into Arthur St at the side/rear of the garage loaded with speakers, power supplies and all the other gear necessary to set up a music gig, i thought they were still there, the garage may have to be demolished so the railway tunnell roof can be strengthened, thats what i have been told, true or false i don`t know. Len.
Click to expand...

The have recently spent a bit of time and money outside the former garage so there may be an element of truth ?

The other rumour that I heard recently is that when they concreted there area that the tram tram tracks were this left a viod under the concrete over time this steelwork has corroded and aint safe,

It may of balderdash but then again if you stand near to the bus stop outside the former garage and look at the metalwork tha surrounds the glass window I got the impression that if I had given a hard sneeze or farted loudly the window would have fell out

I would still love to go inside the building even if it means walking on tiptoe and wispering
 
There certainly is a void space under the floor, and part of it collapsed once where the wash unit was - it fell through!
When the trams finished all that was done was a layer of expanded metal sheet (as the army would use to get trucks over muddy ground) was laid over the tracks, and concrete laid on top. Eventually the steel sheet corroded, and the wash area was obviously worse affected, but the whole floor was condemned. By that night arrangements were made for the buses to go to other garages until the floor was renewed, costing £thousands. Ask me when you see me at Wythall, I can tell you more but not here. By the way, there were no bus or tram parts left down there, it was searched for that!
 
Bojalu said:
I understand that until recently the building has been used to store equipment for professional music gigs.
Click to expand...

Bojalu, the building is now sold, to a company based in Dubai.
I worked there from 1985(?) until 1994 as Manufacturing Manager for Light and Sound Design Ltd. We manufactured and rented stage lighting and effects equipment for the touring music business. My personal speciality was the construction of stagesets...the ramps, risers and hydraulic lifts etc deemed essential in the production of a music concert. We rented some space to SSE Hire Ltd, then, and now, one of the most prolific PA (Public Address) rental companies in Europe.
Our proud boast for many years was that we were, worldwide, the largest and most inventive tour support company. In describing to outsiders what we did I'd say "Go to a pop or rock concert, remove the musicians, and everything you see or hear is what we do".
In 1994 I chose to start my own small fabrication business and have no regrets... I love what I do and love working with my son. We specialise now in the manufacture and installation of wrought iron gates, railings and the like.
Light and Sound Design "evacuated" the building we're discussing in 2007 as it is in a very poor condition, the gas supply was condemned, the roof leaked even when it wasn't raining:rolleyes: and the floor was rather less than safe, there being a system of tunnels beneath which had crumbling foundations.
The company bought a plot at the former Rover site at Longbridge. I'm still in very frequent contact with my ex-colleagues, Directors included.

Ian
 
lencops said:
Large lorries were kept there and they would exit into Arthur St at the side/rear of the garage loaded with speakers, power supplies and all the other gear necessary to set up a music gig, i thought they were still there, the garage may have to be demolished so the railway tunnell roof can be strengthened, thats what i have been told, true or false i don`t know. Len.
Click to expand...
The railway tunnel under the garage has been strengthened and modernised to take all trains and no more work is needed at this time. Len.
 
just to get my bearings is this the depot by the blues ground?just up from the Watering hole and just before Morrisons?:)
 
I do not want to bore you again with my exploits (i.e see Lewis's link) but I lived in Arthur St as a boy and as part of the "dare" cult we had to climb from the pavement onto the window sills of the bus depot and if you look closely you will see the hill is quite steep so the nearer you got to Arthur St the higher they became so if you did them all you became a member of the "gang" and at about eight years of age it was quite something.

regards Steerboy.
 
I would still love to get inside the building to take a few photos before it falls down
 
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that biulding was used by the traffic police at least the front entance? was for spotting tax evaders etc Knew it was bus tram garage but like most people never saw the inside which is a shame :)
 
A line up of Coventry Road route trolleybuses in 'Arthur Street Depot', which was the garage's official name.
 
We lived below the Kingston during the war years, did shopping on the 'Cov' with Mom and knew the garage as Arthur Street Tram Depot. It was during this period and just after the war we went to Christmas shows for children which were held inside the depot. Later it changed to garaging trolley buses.

Junie.
 
Hi Junie, I travelled on trolley buses from when they replaced the trams on the Coventry Rd (A45) from the City to the terminus both ways, in 1943 i started working in Garrison Lane, the trolley buses were garaged at Arthur St during those years until they were replaced by the petrol or diesel powered bus in 1951. Len.
 
The Coventry Road trams were replaced by Trolleybuses from Arthur Street depot on 7th January 1934 with fifty new Leyland three-axle trolleybuses bodied by Metro Cammell (as pictured), and from that date tram tracks in Station Street, Dudley Street, Pershore Street and Coventry Road outwards from Cattell Road were abandoned and lifted.
 
I remember the 94 Trolley Bus service has being very regular, it seemed to be only a few minutes between buses.

Nick
 
brummie nick, Yes the 94 trolley bus was a great service 2 or 3 minutes between buses fare was 2:1/2d? from The Swan,Yardley, and as it slowed to take the corner before the garage to the City i would get off while the bus was still moving and run (i was only 14yrs) to Garrison Lane were i worked. did the same when i went to the Blues matches. Len.
 
The Swan roundabout clocking point & toilets, building on right in the background is the former tram garage and in this photo is an engineering factory run by R.H.Collier car sales.I have posted it before. Len
 
The Colliers building later became Staples office supplies and sundries warehouse, and was originally a steam tram trailer depot, (as was Aston Manor Transport Museum and the International Stock shop in Kings Heath).
 
Hi guys
i surpose that if they cannot let it off eventualy they will
demolish it and sell the land for houses or som-think of that kind
just like the wash wood heath rd garage went to redvelopement
by the way , can some-one tell me is the picture house oppersite still there ,i thought some one told me it turned intoan asian picture house
some time ago ,?.have a nice day every body , best wishes astonian ,;;;
 
Astonian, The Kingston cinema was demolished many years ago and the Asian Conference Centre has been demolished the site has apartments? built on it, Welder posted that the garage had been sold to a Dubai based company. Len.
 
Lads, do not forget that trams were still running from Arthur Street Depot along Cattell Road to Bordesley Green Terminus and on the return journey split at the Atlas Pub. Some ran down Garrison Lane to city and some down Cattell Road into the lower end of Coventry Road, then into the city, until (I think) 1948. Trolley buses served the main Coventry Road to and from Sheldon. Have I got this right?

Junie
 
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You have indeed, Junie. My records confirm that:
3rd October 1948, tram services 11,12,84 and 90 replaced by bus services 53 and 54. Track in Deritend High Street and Coventry Road abandoned. (Which meant trams travelling to Kyotts Lake works, off Stratford Road, had to go via Digbeth, Rea Street and Bradford Street to reach Stratford Road.)
Here's trolleybus 84 running over the tram lines outside the depot at around that time.
 
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