• Welcome to this forum . We are a worldwide group with a common interest in Birmingham and its history. While here, please follow a few simple rules. We ask that you respect other members, thank those who have helped you and please keep your contributions on-topic with the thread.

    We do hope you enjoy your visit. BHF Admin Team
  • HI folks the server that hosts the site completely died including the Hdd's and backups.
    Luckily i create an offsite backup once a week! this has now been restored so we have lost a few days posts.
    im still fixing things at the moment so bear with me and im still working on all images 90% are fine the others im working on now
    we are now using a backup solution

Midland Red at Digbeth

The X12 (Birmingham -Sutton -Hill Hook -Lichfield -Alrewas -Burton -Derby) and the 112 (Same route but only as far as Burton) were both single deck because of the low railway bridge at Birmingham Road, Lichfield. I used to drive both routes when at Digbeth garage.
 
Thanks, Lloyd, for that further information. I never did get round to riding the X12 to Derby as I mentioned in a previous post although it was my intention. The longest single journey I did would, I think. be the X99 to Nottingham. I think Nottingham was my record for the greatest number of different bus operators that I saw in any one town. I even saw a Notts and Derbys trolley bus although all the books tell me that Notts & Derbys stopped running trolley buses five years before I went there!
 
Lloyd said:
The X12 (Birmingham -Sutton -Hill Hook -Lichfield -Alrewas -Burton -Derby) and the 112 (Same route but only as far as Burton) were both single deck because of the low railway bridge at Birmingham Road, Lichfield. I used to drive both routes when at Digbeth garage.
Click to expand...


hi lloyd am i correct in thinking we could catch the 112 at the back of the fire station ..this would be middle 60s

lyn
 
DavidGrain said:
Yes the X12 went to Derby and was a single-decker 'black-top' dual purpose vehicle. The 112 was probably a double decker and was a shortworking of the X12
Click to expand...
the 112 was a single we went to alrewas fradley burton on it.to go fishing or to grans, we got it at the bus station digbeth or on the lichfield rd aston.and ended up in a cell
 
Last edited:
The longest journey I made in a Midland Red bus was to Barcelona Spain and back! Beat that.
It was in the summer of 1964, it was an Ex Midland Red single decker owned by the Lyndon Youth Club, attached to Lyndon school in Daylesford Rd, Solihull. Not up on bus types, but its reg was FHA406. Perhaps one of you bus experts can fill me in on its details. Red with a black roof.
What an adventure that was, my first time abroad.
Just like Cliffs summer holiday, but further.
 
FHA 406 (2274) was one of a batch of twenty five in service in 1939, It survived with Midland Red until December 1958. Originally with 30 seats upgraded to 31 in 1951.
1550779822047.png
 
Sending many hours watching or travelling on the buses in the Birmingham area. Midland Red covered a vast area covering most of central England, which I only saw in later years as a motorist. On reflection, recently, I believe my interest in B&MMO (Midland Red) was not as strong as that concerning BCT due to the haphazard fleet numbering that Midland Red had. The BCT, excepting for first 100 of the CVP registered Daimlers, were logical, since around the 1930 period, with their registration figures have a distinct correlation with the fleet number. That made it far simpler to memorise and get to terms with. Moreover youngsters like things that are up to date; it is only as you get older that things ancient and modern raise interest. The Midland Red, whilst exceptionally progressive where engineering and development was concerned, (features that interested only those with a mechanical bent) they did have some quaint looking pre-war vehicles and equally as seemly ancient, other practices such as pull cord bells, - tied in a knot where they had broken - instead of push button bell system. More anachronisms appeared to be metal stencil route numbers and slanted destinations on the route blinds of double deckers. Saloons had stencils but no blinds, just painted destination boards. Admittedly BCT also had these painted boards but they were in addition to their usual blinds and sited in front of the radiator.
I suppose in the Red's favour at least you knew the place the bus was headed, unlike BCT whose blinds. generally, were unchanged irrespective of destination. ;)
 
Alan, I think the slanted lettering that you mention on Midland Red double deckers would have been on the old pre-war FEDDs which had only one destination blind so on some routes the slated writing was to accommodate two lines of text. This was particularly so, as I remember it, on buses on the Dudley Road routes which were joint with BCT and they complied with BCT practice of showing the route rather than the destination. i.e. the B82 would show Birmingham-Bearwood in whichever direction it was travelling. Similarly on the Soho Road routes, West Bromwich Corporations buses on the 74 route would show Birmingham-Dudley. This applied to all BCT routes which went outside the Birmingham City Boundary.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top