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Midland Red at Digbeth

As far as I know ragga, 4671 was fitted with illuminated advert panels as an experiment that was not followed up on any other single deckers. (Lloyd may know more).

Regarding the wreck above, without a fleetnumber and /or registration number visible it would be hard to say. Certainly S6, S8, S10 and S12's similar in appearance worked those routes from Digbeth.
 
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Re the 'wreck' in post #391, where was this? Is it still there?
Not an S6 (they were narrower, with different windscreen surrounds) but certainly one of the S7-12 types.

S12 3744 is currently under restoration at Wythall (I was working on it Thursday!)
 
Nice photo Lloyd ........ as to the wreck post 391 , i found the caption to it
it says its BMMO S8 and also

was recovered from a scrapyard in Cambridgeshire, with vehicles on it's roof, hence the large dent.
It is 3290 (JHA890)

ragga :)
 
Thanks ragga, I did see the bus there (Joe Hunt's yard at Molesworth, Cambs) but surrounded and covered by cars.
 
I have said recently that I am slowly going through my books and papers, ooh what a job. Anyway, the latest book I am browsing is all about life in Britain a hundred years ago, I found this picture which is really a two page spread taken at Eastbourne Pier. I have put it on here because I just know that Lloyd will tell us the charabanc models and names. I am joking Lloyd, the charabancs are touting for business for day tours with holiday makers who used to swarm to the pier wherever a seaside town had one.
View attachment 64133
stitcher.
 
I see the one on the left doesn't seem to have any lights in the front. "Day" excursions only
 
Lovely 1920s charabanc picture, Stitcher. The registration of the one on the right (DB 1861) appears in a list on the Dennis Society website. It was delivered on 23 April 1920. "DB" was a Manchester registration mark, but Dennis Brothers (Guildford, Surrey) appear to have used it as a factory mark. The other charabanc looks very similar (except for the lights!), so I would guess that they are both made by Dennis. The Dennis radiator badge is pictured below.
 
Hi all, sorry for my absence (work and recovery from it!). The two 'Charas' are on Dennis 4-ton chassis, similar to this preserved London double deck one. The 4-ton was a 'subsidy' design, its purchase price being subsidised by the government - but the vehicle was then subject to 'call up' if there was a national need for vehicles by the armed forces. The history of this is the knowledge that large numbers of mechanically propelled vehicles were used to great advantage during WW1, but during peacetime there was not the need to hold large stocks of vehicles, so long as they could be quickly acquired when the need arose.
The fact that one is registered in Stockport (DB - a series that ran from Dec 1903 to Jun 1929) - and the other locally in Eastbourne (HC, ran from Apr 1911 to Sept 1949) probably means the DB one is second hand. Both chassis would have been built at the Dennis factory at Guildford.
 
YEP!! great photo's, I don't know why but when young I always thought Midland Red as "posh", transport and some how more sophisticated than normal transport which of course they were.

paul
 
Certainly had better motors than we had at Stocklands, climbing Red Hill on the A38 coming back from South Devon they would always fly past us in our Bedford VAL's, mind you so did nearly everyone else.
 
..My overriding memory of Digbeth is of Sunday 29th August 1954,
the morning after our wedding when we caught the coach to St Ives
in Cornwall for our two weeks honeymoon.Cant quite remember but think the journey took ten hours. Bernardlong service dinner505.jpg
 
Lovely photo Bernard
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Lovely looking lady mate and that look on your face says it all.
Right we better get back on thread.

Sent from my HTC Wildfire
 
Thanks Ragga for putting them on again, nice photos of the old garage, 5839 having a wash was a nice bus to drive and there is a Corgi model of it.
 
Mid. Red Shrewsbury.jpg
This is Midland Red at Shresbury, I have put it on this thread because as M.Mike and Lloyd both know, we used to drive the X96 (I think it was), limited stop to Shrewsbury from the Bull Ring Bus Station.
 
This is true Lloyd I was told the passengers would direct me if I was not sure of the route because I only did one trip route learning. A woman gave me directions and then got off, I asked others which way I should go and they did not know because the woman had taken me off route.
 
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Stitcher said:
This is true Lloyd I was told the passengers would direct me if I was not sure of the route because I only did one trip route learning. A woman gave me directions and then got off, I asked others which way I should go and they did not know because the woman had takem off route.
Click to expand...
Bit like doing your first School pickup, ask the little whatsits which way to go and you just new you were on a hiding to nothing.
 
Regarding passengers pointing out the correct road for drivers reminds me of a humorous event a few years ago.

Once a month, on a Sunday afternoon, a coach trip was made to visit a different church in the Diocese. The visit was to have a special service for that church and its parishioners. The coach always commenced its journey in South Devon. On a return trip from East Devon the coach had to travel through Exeter, the coach driver, he was a professional driver, got lost. Advice on which roads to take was given to the driver by a monk (he was the leader of the group); the curious parts about this is the apart from being a monk and not often leaving his monastery he was also a non driver!
 
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