removal of tram lines selly oak

[Astoness]

nice photo

 

[Richard Dye]

nice photo

View attachment 194260

I don’t know the area but I wondered where they took that photo from, is that a dead end?

 

[Astoness]

I don’t know the area but I wondered where they took that photo from, is that a dead end?

looks like the clock tower of the university of birmingham so maybe taken near or on the bristol road but not certain

lyn

 

[Dave Riley]

It looks likely that the picture was taken from the railway bridge on the Bristol Road at the junction of Heeley Road. You can see the university clock tower in the upper left hand of this street view.

 

[Richard Dye]

looks like the clock tower of the university of birmingham so maybe taken near or on the bristol road but not certain

lyn

Oop’s I should know that as I went there for 2 years!

 

[mikejee]

I think it was from the top of the railway bridge where the railway crosses the Bristol road. you can see the timbered Selly Oak institute on the right.
SNAP

 

[Radiorails]

Birmingham being progressive? I suppose the local council thought so at the time. The city had a fine tram system and the makings of one which has been discontinued. As with many of the industries that have been lost the city started to look inward, I feel, after WW2.

 

[Richard Dye]

Birmingham being progressive? I suppose the local council thought so at the time. The city had a fine tram system and the makings of one which has been discontinued. As with many of the industries that have been lost the city started to look inward, I feel, after WW2.

I think that to many wrong decisions were made by wrong people (sorry off topic, not intending to be political).

 

[Lloyd]

I think that to many wrong decisions were made by wrong people (sorry off topic, not intending to be political).

At the time, the tram network was outdated and suffering from lack of care due to the war. Much of the infrastructure (wiring, both overhead and feeders) needed replacing as did the fleet. The corporation no longer made its own electricity after nationalisation, and had to pay commercial rates for it. Diesel fuel was cheap, and buses much cheaper than new trams. Abandonment had been planned for the 1940s, but was delayed by the war (fueland vehicle shortages). Sadly it was the right decision to replace them when they did.

 

[Radiorails]

But parts of Europe, which suffered the most in WW2, set about with the repair of their country which included buildings and passenger transport Lloyd. But I guess we were in hock far paying for the liberation of Europe.

 

[Lloyd]

But parts of Europe, which suffered the most in WW2, set about with the repair of their country which included buildings and passenger transport Lloyd. But I guess we were in hock far paying for the liberation of Europe.

Exactly. We paid for the restoration of many German & other European cities after the war, leaving little cash for our own reconstruction.

 

[Morturn]

I can imagine that our narrow gauge trams themselves were a problem in terms of capacity and efficiency. You can get a bus to carry the same about of people, if not more without expensive the infrastructure maintenance of rails and overhead lines.

They were a thing of their time compared with he modern standard gauge trams with a vastly superior carrying capacity.