Staff Bus alive and well and with NXWM

[horsencart]

I have recently seen two NXWM Staff Buses now to be honest I did think the the Staff Bus had died with the demise of the B.C.T., but no the staff bus is alive and well and with the NXWM, I can only assume that there is a demand for this bus or is it a left over from the days of B.C.T., W.M.P.T.E., TWM, in this day I would thing it is a dying breed

The problem I now have is that I must get a shot of a bus with the words Staff Bus on the destination box, the down side is to get up at a weird and wonderful times to get the photo, I normally wait for the streets to air before venturing out, does anyone know when the Staff Bus sets off,
Acocks Green garage is a preference

 

[Simon4130]

In Dublin these have always been known as "ghost buses" even on the official duty sheets e.g "1st Ghost" etc. They will pick up passengers too if they stick their hands out!

Simon

 

[horsencart]

I suspect that if anyone were to stick there hand out in Brum the bus would sail past

In Dublin these have always been known as "ghost buses" even on the official duty sheets e.g "1st Ghost" etc. They will pick up passengers too if they stick their hands out!

Simon

 

[ladylinda]

The staff bus generally sets out from each garage to pick up drivers who cannot get to garage for their book on via public transport.Generally it's back in garage by 0600. The drivers book their pick up the day before. Most garages operate at least 2 Staff buses depending on how many drivers book the bus and where from.
They also operate a late night Staff bus if you don't fancy daylight!!! Generally leaving after midnight!! A couple of years ago it used to cost 20p per driver!!

 

[john70]

I have recently seen two NXWM Staff Buses now to be honest I did think the the Staff Bus had died with the demise of the B.C.T., but no the staff bus is alive and well and with the NXWM, I can only assume that there is a demand for this bus or is it a left over from the days of B.C.T., W.M.P.T.E., TWM, in this day I would thing it is a dying breed

The problem I now have is that I must get a shot of a bus with the words Staff Bus on the destination box, the down side is to get up at a weird and wonderful times to get the photo, I normally wait for the streets to air before venturing out, does anyone know when the Staff Bus sets off,
Acocks Green garage is a preference

The Yardley Wood staff bus sets out at 3 45am.

 

[maypolebaz]

Forgive me for changing the subject slightly but am I right in saying there was a bus, at Yardley Wood, converted to be a gritter ? I remember people going out on it for a "bit of Plus". There was also an old bus, with a "crash" gearbox, that was used for admin jobs, bank runs and the like.

 

[horsencart]

3.45 am does such a time exists,

The Yardley Wood staff bus sets out at 3 45am.

 

[horsencart]

I think that there were one or two buses that were converted to snow plow buses, it was just a case of bolt on bolt off, it would be next to impossible to covert a modern bus to be snow plow, but not totally impossible, as long as the bus has a chassis, I have a memory of the 1963 winter of a load of stupids (students) and or off duty drivers on the back of a lorry shoveling grit into the road, The bank bus was till recently at Aston Manor Museum, I suspect that it is on a farm? somewhere it, used to owned by Arthur ????

Forgive me for changing the subject slightly but am I right in saying there was a bus, at Yardley Wood, converted to be a gritter ? I remember people going out on it for a "bit of Plus". There was also an old bus, with a "crash" gearbox, that was used for admin jobs, bank runs and the like.

 

[Alberta]

My exhusband was one of those bus drivers working on the gritting lorries in 1963 and it was really 'a nice bit of plus'

 

[Wendy]

Michael did gritting on the buses in the 60's it wasn't compulsory, as Alberta says it was well paid overtime.

 

[aston lad]

The staff bus is known by the workers as the Flyer, its used mainly used around midnight and 5 am, it takes staff both drivers and engineering home and collects the early drivers and some engineering staff again either from their front doors or a meeting point, no member of the public are allowed to travel on it, due to insurance .....I have never used it, in all my 27 years of working with the buses, but my wife did when she was working for them, she worked until midnight, and the driver would drop her off outside our front door, as he did with all the women....

 

[Lloyd]

The gritting lorries were old buses with the body removed and a lorry body fitted. They were mainly used for towing in breakdowns, and collecting heavy parts from the workshops. Gritting crews were on overtime rates, the next day's duty was covered, and they got a free breakfast in the garage canteen when they got back in the morning (they gritted all night).
The "old bus, with a "crash" gearbox" was a wartime Guy Arab used as a driver training bus. There were several, and the one shown below also had the roof removed for treelopping duties.
Staff bus journeys show either nothing or "Not in service", "Staff Bus" has never been on the blinds.

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