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Midland Red Around Birmingham.

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I have studied both pictures and they do look the same location
would kettle house road be around kingstanding circle ??
ragga :pride:

Yes Kettlehouse Rd is off Kingstanding Circle - Re: location and just for clarity, the phone box seen between the bus and the shelter in the first photo WAS located (in the second photo) on the footpath next to the grass, between the Kettlehouse sign and the hedge, opposite the lamp post. You can just see the location of the base in the tarmac.
 
Did something yesterday for only the second time in 40 years. I travelled on a Midland Red bus. OK it was a First Midland Red 144 not a real Midland Red as we used to know them. When going out for a day by train, it is my practice now rather than walk all the way to my nearest bus stop to get a bus into the city then walk across the city to New Street Station, I drive to Selly Oak, park my car there and catch a train into New Street for my onward journey. Yesterday, bank holiday Monday, I just missed a train and when I realised that there was only a 30 minute service I walked out onto Bristol Road to catch a bus. After a 10 minute wait along came a 144 which I got on and even received a ticket to prove it. This was even better for me as the bus stopped in Smallbrok Queensway which was neare to Moor Street station which I happened to be using yesterday. Midland Red ticket.jpg
 
https://www.tamworthtalks.co.uk/apps/photos/photo?photoid=137703105

One very memorable sound and smell: MR LNs 'revving up' to build start-up (Door Actuation) air pressure prior to departure inside Birmingham's outwardly vehicle exhaust-stained 'Dark Pit' of the Bull Ring Bus Station during the 1970s - 1990s. A cacophony of sound. smoke, fumes, and echoes - and something HSE would never allow in a modern enclosed building, hence a rather premature closure of the premises in June 1999 under the auspices of redevelopment of The Bull Ring (or 'Bullring' as it's since fashionably become) Shopping Centre.

Even so, today's bricked up Dudley Street Façade of the former Bus Station (if now somewhat cleaner) looks sadder than ever - and with not a Leyland National in sight!
 
Adept Brummie,

The three D9s are 'on the patch' at Digbeth. I collected the bus for my very first 'turn' one dark winter morning in January 1970.


ExMidlandRed
 
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.

Just trawling through this thread and noticed nobody seems to have answered your query. The 118 was worked jointly by Bearwood and Sheepcote Street but there were also some peak time only workings by Digbeth more often than not being noticable for using Leyland LD8's at a time when D7's were favoured by the other two garages.
 
Just trawling through this thread and noticed nobody seems to have answered your query. The 118 was worked jointly by Bearwood and Sheepcote Street but there were also some peak time only workings by Digbeth more often than not being noticable for using Leyland LD8's at a time when D7's were favoured by the other two garages.
Thanks for the reply, confirms what I thought dad worked out of Sheepcote St.
 
On BBC TV Bargain Hunt yesterday 12th May, two Midland Red wheel chocks were sold. They were bought for £90 and sold in the auction for £40 making a loss of £50. This was the expert's bonus buy so good job the contestants did not take it.

I remember seeing the wheel chocks under the stairs on the buses but the only time I saw one of them in use was in the Bull Ring when I saw the conductor jump off and chock the wheel as the bus came to a stop.
 
I always thought it strange that when asked during your PSV test what the four things that must be carried that chock was one of them. We used to buy ours from a local woodworking factory on streetly road as every year when the annuals were due the chock was always missing, cold Winters in Erdington in those days :)
 
I would never park a bus at Dorridge Station without using the chock; we could never be too careful. Once when parked on the level at the 154 terminus in Solihull, I was sat in the lower saloon talking to my mate when the hanbrake released itself.....As for chocks that were lost, the solid brass type had a habit of going missing.
 
Hi toEx Midland Red I see that you give Armoury Rd as one of your addresse When I was last in Armoury Rd in 1989 there was not a house left standing so they must have built some new houses there later Just a bit curious etc At one btime I lived in Watreworks Rd and the MR buses were garaged down at the end .Thiks Carlyle Rd ran off at the end. The space ther I know is all covered with houses A friend of mine who lived in CarlyleRd use d to milkl the odd bus at night time for some petrol for his motobike Had a loose board at the bottom of his garden..Long time ago Old Joe
 
Many Midland Red fans will be aware that a D9 has ended up with a brewery in Zwickau Germany. This was one of the open tops which saw service in London. Unfortunately they describe the bus as a Leyland D9 made by BMMO.

See https://www.mauritius-brauerei.de/events/leyland-bus.html

A few years ago they had made some promotional die cast models allegedly of the bus and I have managed to obtain one. However the model is actually of a Routemaster.

Leyland D9.jpg Mauritius Brewery D9.JPG

I plan to be in that part of Germany at the end of November and hopefully I shall have time to go to Zwickau and try to find the bus
 
I wonder if anyone has a photo of the early single decker midland red, from the early/mid 50's. door at front and separate drivers cab next to the engine?.
 
Thanks for the thought, in posting, The central one looks similar, but I remember them as in much better condition and red in colour. Paul
 
Thanks David, GHA 337, is the one, they were such great adventures in those days, taking you to such exciting places, such as "Dudley Zoo".Paul
 
I have been told, but I haven't seen them' that First have painted two buses in Midland Red livery to celebrate 100 years of Service 144 to Worcester.
 
Many Midland Red fans will be aware that a D9 has ended up with a brewery in Zwickau Germany. This was one of the open tops which saw service in London. Unfortunately they describe the bus as a Leyland D9 made by BMMO.

See https://www.mauritius-brauerei.de/events/leyland-bus.html

A few years ago they had made some promotional die cast models allegedly of the bus and I have managed to obtain one. However the model is actually of a Routemaster.

View attachment 92288 View attachment 92287

I plan to be in that part of Germany at the end of November and hopefully I shall have time to go to Zwickau and try to find the bus

I was in Leipzig all last week and had hoped to go to Zwickau to the brewery there to see the D9 but my contact over there had spoken to the brewery and they did not have the bus as they did not actually own it and the owner had taken it away for repair as it is currently a non-runner.
 
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