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Birmingham Buses prior to WMPTE

Several of these Tilling-Stevens buses were converted to run on coal gas (town gas) during WW1, at Tamworth and Kidderminster. This fuel was not very good for running engines, and the vehicles were quite powerless. I don't know how long the bagful of gas would last, but they were refilled from stand pipes at the roadside connected to the normal gas supply pipes. The date is sometime between 1915 (when the bus was built) and the war's end in 1918.
 
Three more gas buses at Kidderminster, the right-hand one is being refuelled - note the large bore pipe and 'tap' in the pavement.
The two on the left, OA 7093/6, carried bodies transferred from Worcestershire Motor Transport (another BET group company) when all their Leyland chassis were commandeered by the war department in 1915.
Both of them (and others of the era) were rebuilt to 'forward control' (driver alongside the engine) layout and rebodied as double deckers in 1923.
 
Some superb pictures you have there Degsey. My favourites were the Arab IVs, I spent many hours riding these on the Quinton 9, I can just remember them when fairly new with their wheel trims . I think the front trims went first closeley followed by the rear trims. I believe they were blamed for brake fade as they did not allow the wheels to disipate the heat generated from the drums.

Can you tell me when they first started to cut metal away from the front mudguards for the same reason? Its High time one of the die cast model bus makers got of their back sides and made a decent model of a Brummie Standard!!
 
Hello. Went to view 2847 about a month ago,its filthy dirty but very complete and engine runs! Hope to start work soon assisting in its restoration
 
It would be really good to see it back on the road one day, thankyou for the info. and wish you well with the work to be done on it.
 
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