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Electric Trams

I looked at the location of the tram and concluded that it wasn't the Lickey Rd terminus although I have not yet been able to find an alternative location.

In my pic there are overhead wires apparently shown on the right in the pic which don't seem to tie in with D.J.Nortons pic. In that pic they would be going left (in the pic) into the Austin Motor Works,

The note in post#210 regarding the table on the Robert Darlaston site mentions 'short workings' which suggests a terminus before the extension to Rednal and Rubery.
Routes 35 and 69 became short workings of the 70 and 71 in 1924/26 on extension to Rednal and Rubery.

I noted that the mileage of the 69 route is 5.56 miles but the mileage to Rednal and Rubery is 8.0/8.19 miles.
 
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I have amended my post, 660, as it was inaccurate.
One place where trams separated was Pebble MIll Road, but from memory that was a flat area and not hilly as seen in the photo. This is the beginning, from the city, of the reserved track sections.
 
The puzzling thing here is that the tram shelters are very similar to the ones In Lickey Road. Most tram stops on the route, as far as I can see and remember did not have shelters. The Norton photo does show a hill and whilst the photo crops up a few places, if there is only one master copy, and that was reversed by mistake, then things might fit in place a little better?
I have had a very tiring day, including shopping, so I am closing down now. Maybe an answer will be here next time I look in. ;)
 
The puzzling thing here is that the tram shelters are very similar to the ones In Lickey Road. Most tram stops on the route, as far as I can see and remember did not have shelters. The Norton photo does show a hill and whilst the photo crops up a few places, if there is only one master copy, and that was reversed by mistake, then things might fit in place a little better?
I have had a very tiring day, including shopping, so I am closing down now. Maybe an answer will be here next time I look in. ;)
I don't think the DJ Norton pic is reversed.
Looking at the pic in #659 there is either a crossing in front of the tram, or track comes in from the right curving to join the route in front of the 766 tram. I cannot recognise the location of the tram at present ... reminds me of the No 8 bus location puzzle ... :rolleyes:
For interest here is an aerial pic of the Rednal/Rubery junction dated 1935 and two trams are in the pic.
RednalEubery1935.jpg
 
In the light of day I realised that the tracks in the Norton photo were correct. The tracks to Rubery did go as the photo shows. The only shelters I saw in the video was a post WW2 scaffold type, the Rednal terminus and I think Pebble Mill junction. The houses do not seem to fit the Lickey Road location.
This is curious; so far the only substantial shelters on the Rednal/Rubery routes that I have found were at Navigation Street, both outer terminals and Lickey Road.
 
You have also nailed the location of Longbridge Waterworks. An incredibly attractive waterworks building, sadly now gone.
 
Morturn.
Some better photos of the Longbridge pumping station are at
 
Two schoolboys wait by tram 766 on the 69 route at a terminus in Northfield.
View attachment 136489
Picture looks late post-war from tram fleet numbers plain gold, not shaded; tram itself has the full all blue post war lower deck fleet colour; it is obviously on a housing estate, taken in autumn or spring (the trees), presumably a terminus, although why is the shelter not on the pavement? There are three wires overhead, perhaps someone could explain the two outside wires and what is the wire that comes down from the left hand outside wire. There do not appear to be tracks on the left hand side of the road. Finally that is quite a large shelter, so was this a stub route and terminus for route 69, because certainly there is a tram rote continuing to the right.
Just about to send it, when I noticed the flyer in the window at the front and what could be one on the tram shelter. Were these advices on the forthcoming closure of the route.....what was the actual destination and terminus of the route and why aren't those little boys getting on the tram.

bob
 
I've looked at old maps, Google Earth etc and not yet found the location of the terminus pic shown in #659. Looking again at the pic there appears to be a grassed area with metal fencing round it and just inside the fence is a fairly tall object ... memorial stone maybe ... or maybe not.

The 69 terminus appears to be shown on the Bristol Rd route see attached tramway map but I'm starting to think that the tram might not be on the Bristol Rd. The terminus is on a hill leading up to a road over which there is a road going down hill and this road has a large 10 bar telephone pole usually found on main roads.
Tram_map_1930.jpg
 
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Indeed the tram livery is post 1946 and the signage may mean one or two things: closure of the system (usually a large poster I believe) or arrangements regarding a forthcoming bank holiday.
The two outside wires are I am sure, suspension wires, which hold the main traction wire in place. It certainly doesn't seem to be Northfield where the 69 terminated - there was no dual carriageway there, it was further away. It is not Rubery, although Rubery had similar substantial shelters.
It is not Lickey Road, Longbridge, near the Austin and pumping station. No houses close by plus the tram overhead wires go to the right to Rubery at that place and not the left as in the photo.
So, my final choice is that it is Rednal. Rednal had substantial shelters for daily use. There were others in the loop but that was for storage and bank holiday times when trams ran every 30 minutes or so. However, the entrance to the loop possible explains the overhead wires going to the left. There was an short incline at Rednal and pre-war houses. Todays photos show newer houses nearer and more trees.
One more thing that suggests Rednal to me is the building, with part of the roof shown above the shelter roof and to the left of the upper deck of the tram also near the four globed lamp. That building is probably the Chinese restaurant that is still there.
Why the car route number shows 69 is anybodies guess. Maybe the front one was showing something different, like 70 or DEPOT ONLY?
Hopefully this could be the answer.
 
Indeed the tram livery is post 1946 and the signage may mean one or two things: closure of the system (usually a large poster I believe) or arrangements regarding a forthcoming bank holiday.
The two outside wires are I am sure, suspension wires, which hold the main traction wire in place. It certainly doesn't seem to be Northfield where the 69 terminated - there was no dual carriageway there, it was further away. It is not Rubery, although Rubery had similar substantial shelters.
It is not Lickey Road, Longbridge, near the Austin and pumping station. No houses close by plus the tram overhead wires go to the right to Rubery at that place and not the left as in the photo.
So, my final choice is that it is Rednal. Rednal had substantial shelters for daily use. There were others in the loop but that was for storage and bank holiday times when trams ran every 30 minutes or so. However, the entrance to the loop possible explains the overhead wires going to the left. There was an short incline at Rednal and pre-war houses. Todays photos show newer houses nearer and more trees.
One more thing that suggests Rednal to me is the building, with part of the roof shown above the shelter roof and to the left of the upper deck of the tram also near the four globed lamp. That building is probably the Chinese restaurant that is still there.
Why the car route number shows 69 is anybodies guess. Maybe the front one was showing something different, like 70 or DEPOT ONLY?
Hopefully this could be the answer.
You could be right. In a pic I put in #278 (see below) there is a tram standing by a shelter at Rednal and there are low railings round a grassed area. The object inside the railings I mentioned in #672 shows as a bundy clock visible in the pic below.
This pic is dated 3rd Sept 1950 and shows tramcar 551 standing at a quiet looking Rednal terminus.
Rednal3_9_1950.jpg
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linked forum pic only visible if logged in
 
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551, a 1913/24 car lasting until the early fifties. Post 1946 style but with older numerals. Well they did have stock to use up.I
It seems to have the same small poster in the top deck as the previous photo. No doubts about the location on this photo. :D
 
The house I've marked with a yellow arrow in the pic below must be the house on the right in the #659 photo. The five blocks of housing in front were built at a later date. It's amazing how 'foreshortening' in old photos can give a completely different view.
View attachment 136524
Back in the day that was the last house, and just to add it was police housing,. At about 1.15 in the video looks like the entrance to the men's bathroom,. now of course a restaurant, the trams came up the hill then turned left and made the circle round the island coming up to face down the Lickey Road towards Longbridge and the toilets would be on the left and a big clock stood there
 
I've looked at old maps, Google Earth etc and not yet found the location of the terminus pic shown in #659. Looking again at the pic there appears to be a grassed area with metal fencing round it and just inside the fence is a fairly tall object ... memorial stone maybe ... or maybe not.

The 69 terminus appears to be shown on the Bristol Rd route see attached tramway map but I'm starting to think that the tram might not be on the Bristol Rd. The terminus is on a hill leading up to a road over which there is a road going down hill and this road has a large 10 bar telephone pole usually found on main roads.
View attachment 136516
What a brilliant map this is, but I notice it is Dutch? I recognise Tramlijn Regulier as Regular service, but do you have a translation of the other legends? Interestingly enough it is far superior to any of the maps in any of the multitude of books on Birmingham trams that I have, all the maps there are either piecemeal or a mass of blurred lines. I don't suppose there is one like this for buses. What it does show is what a massive tram network Birmingham possessed, strangely enough with no city centre connections or cross city workings. It is a point to wonder as to how much such a network would cost today and how long it would take to build and judging by the time the Metro line is taking it would probably be obsolete before it was even finished. Yes rattely and old they might have been but a trip by tram was an adventure to us youngsters, especially if you got the open balcony ones ad you could always do your good deed and put the seats the right way round for the next journey (even if you had not reached the terminus).

Bob
 
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