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Midland Red Around Birmingham.

No Rob we certainly don't mind you posting Midland Red photos. I particularly liked no. 3 of a pre-war FEDD. As for no. 4 I think the D9 looked very nice also in other liveries. In retrospect I now like them in WMPT livery although I didn't at the time.

Following on from Dave89's post the 132,133 and 192 all ran to Kidderminster on a combined 20 minute interval service. They were all then met at Kidderminster by services which continued. These were numbered K32, K33 and 292 so if you missed the Stourport bus you could catch the Bewdley bus and change at Kidderminster.


Sistersue. I remember the bus to Northampton as Midland Red X96 which came through from Shrewsbury. Believed to be the longest bus route in Europe. If you remember it as some other bus operator then it would probably be United Counties who I think took over the Birmingham Northampton section for a time.
 
David, that is spot on, United Counties was the company when I was using it, in the late 70's and it was still the X96
Thanks, Sue
 
Route 188 Birmingham and Beeches Estate. Route 189 Six Ways and Beeches Estate. I would guess therefore that this is the Beeches Estate terminus of these two routes. When the city boundary was enlarged to include Perry Barr in 1928 there were a few Midland Red routes which then became wholly within the City and should therefore have become BCT routes under the Birmingham agreement. However at that time BCT were not able to operate the routes becaue they did not have the vehicles. Midland Red continued to operate them on behalf of BCT. The war probably delayed the hand over as it was not until September 1957 that this became BCT route 52. First bus defintely and second bus probably Bearwood Garage vehicles

A similar situation arose with Midland Red route 119 Birmingham to Scott Arms which became BCT route 51 and later under WMPTE route 51 also incorporated Midland Red 118 Birmingham Walsall (also operated by Bearwood Garage)
 
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I should know the location of photo 2 but cannot place it. Midland Red route 194 was Birmingham to Worcester via Hagley but I don't remember that route and BCT route 10 was to Quinton Road West. Both these services would run via Broad Street.

Further to my note about Midland Red 119, back in the days that we had night service buses in Birmingham, the Midland Red even ran NS119, their only night service.
 
Great photos again Ragga, nice to see some Midland Red ones from you, I like Mike have driven all those types from Digbeth.
 
Picture number 3 looks like the Walsall Rd canal bridge just below the Clifton Cinema.
 
Picture number 3 looks like the Walsall Rd canal bridge just below the Clifton Cinema.

Yes you are right. Have just looked at Google Street View. Walsall Road by junction with Fairview Avenue. Houses deffinitely the same but road is now dual carriageway.
 
I should know the location of photo 2 but cannot place it. Midland Red route 194 was Birmingham to Worcester via Hagley but I don't remember that route

Hi David

The 194 changed in I think the late 1960s to the route from City to Chelmsley Wood Arran Way via Washwood Heath.
The bus in the picture would definitely have been on the old route as both the 194 and the 195 to Arran Way were one
man operated routes. The 194 still 'lives on' as the 94 route, but now extended from Arran Way to Chelmsley Wood
Town Centre.

Kind regards Dave
 
Did the 118 also run from Sheepcote Street - my dad used to drive them in the 60's and I'm fairly certain he worked from there and never Bearwood.
 
I can remember as a child being taken by mother to visit relatives in Dudley using a Midland Red. I think we caught it just outside the Art Gallery in the centre of Birmingham. I was always very intrigued as it was always seemed to be one of the FEDD buses with the front entrance. We always tried to 'bag' the front seat upstairs which I remember was a long bench seat running virtually the full width of the bus. Were these pre-war buses? are any preserved?
 
Yes the FEDDs were prewar buses. The route to Dudley was the B87 and was a joint service with BCT although BCT never ran further than Smethwick St Pauls Road (Service B85). This service ran from Edmund Street under the Museum and Art Gallery bridge. There are tram lines laid in the road surface to commemorate the fact that this was originally a tram service.

Not sure if there are any remains of the FEDDs in preservation but I am sure there are non running.
 
Whilst I used the Midland B87 (and the other routes which commenced in Edmund Street) to visit relatives in that part of the City I never went as far as Dudley. My preference was always for BCT vehicles. When I went to Dudley - not often however - I used the BCT/West Bromwich joint route 74 from Snow Hill Station forecourt. The curious event on this journey (which I believe I mentioned a while ago on this Forum) was that when the City/West Bromwich boundary was reached you had to pay another fare.
 
Thank you all for the memories. During the mid-sixties my pals and I would catch the Midland Red S71 (or was it S72?) from Eachelhurst Rd to Erdington Swimming Baths. It was an up market affair compared with the Birmingham Corporation ones. There was also a 114 which ran into town. It cost pennies more than the Corporation 66 so we usually avoided it.
 
My old route list shows routes S62 to S76 all ran from Erdington or Chester Road to various places. S71 was Erdington to Ashfurlong Corner via Walmley. S72 was the exception as it ran Sutton to Minworth
 
Thank you all for the memories. During the mid-sixties my pals and I would catch the Midland Red S71 (or was it S72?) from Eachelhurst Rd to Erdington Swimming Baths. It was an up market affair compared with the Birmingham Corporation ones. There was also a 114 which ran into town. It cost pennies more than the Corporation 66 so we usually avoided it.
We usually caught the 51 or 52 into town from Perry Avenue instead of the 118 unless we were late, preferred to spend the difference in the fare on my lunch:)
 
My old route list shows routes S62 to S76 all ran from Erdington or Chester Road to various places. S71 was Erdington to Ashfurlong Corner via Walmley. S72 was the exception as it ran Sutton to Minworth

Must have been the S71 then as Warmley was down the Eachlehurst Rd. I don't recall Ashfurlong Corner ( I left Brum in '67)
 
6.jpg8.jpg10.jpg9.jpg

No 1 Bristol Street i think ?.
No 2 New Street
No 3 Digbeth yard i think ?.
No 4 Not Sure Can anyone locate ? ............... thanks in advance ........ ragga :fat:
 
ragga

Re post 39

I think you are correct with No 1, No 2 is Corporation St and not New Street, No 3 I haven't a clue. No 4 is Kettlehouse road Kingstanding.
 
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