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Birmingham buses

Gritting lorry, converted from withdrawn 1935 Daimler bus no 674 (AOG 674). Only the cab remains of the bus body. The crews were 'volunteers' from the platform staff, who had their next day's duty covered, a bonus payment for working the gritter, and a free breakfast in the garage canteen when they finished!

normal_674_AOG_674_Lorry_Painting.jpg
 
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Good down to earth story Lloyd .......... thinking bout it you could be right :) epecially
a good hearted breakfast throwed in too , but can you remember the coke fire on the
back of the lorry ????
ragga :)
 
No, but they had a steel sheet floor, so it's quite possible! (Could have done with one on the old open-back buses in the winter!)
 
Out of interest LLoyd, the Corporation bus company was responsible for gritting the roads up to the late 60s.
My husband often volunteered and to be honest his bus wages were very good but he could earn over twice as much doing a nights gritting.
 
Lloyd said:
Gritting lorry, converted from withdrawn 1935 Daimler bus no 674 (AOG 674). Only the cab remains of the bus body. The crews were 'volunteers' from the platform staff, who had their next day's duty covered, a bonus payment for working the gritter, and a free breakfast in the garage canteen when they finished!
Click to expand...

Thanks for posting the picture of the gritting lorry. Would I be right in dating that picture at very early 1960s. The Midland Red appears to to be terminating at the Town Hall which would put the picture before the Bull Ring bus atation opened but after BCT took delivery of the first rear engined Daimlers.
 
I would think mid-60s, David, the Midland Red services terminated in Station Street or the Bull Ring / Spiceal Street around St Martin's church before the bus station. The Midland Red bus positioning must be a bit of 'artistic licence'!
 
just to let you busnuts know i have finally found time to downloading some more recent photos of buses in Birmingham
to the coppermine site , sorry i haven`t learn`t to put them on the forum just yet . hope you like them.
ragga :smug:
 
ragga said:
just to let you busnuts know i have finally found time to downloading some more recent photos of buses in Birmingham
to the coppermine site , sorry i haven`t learn`t to put them on the forum just yet . hope you like them.
ragga :smug:
Click to expand...

How do we get to see them ragga? Just got Coppermine site up but couldn't find your bus photos.
Mike
 
They should be there Mike , try going to memberlist icon at top of page where you will find me on page 6
then click the green cross , theres 84 photos there , hope that helps mike .
ragga :peaceful:
 
ragga said:
They should be there Mike , try going to memberlist icon at top of page where you will find me on page 6
then click the green cross , theres 84 photos there , hope that helps mike .
ragga :peaceful:
Click to expand...

Yippee, took a while but got to 'em in the end thank you ragga. (on page 4 as Dek said):encouragement:
 
Bernie deboult , ive just messaged you twice from my inbox but the error keeps coming up............ ragga:calm:
 
The photo of the Prince's Corner shops (built c1901) dates from 1905-7. The bus is a German Dourkopp, one of four (registered O 1301-4) new to the City of Birmingham Tramways Company to run their City - Harborne route. The tramway companies' bus routes were taken over by the Birmingham and Midland Motor Omnibus Company (later known as the 'Midland Red') on 1st June 1905, including this route and bus. The livery would have been dark red and cream, and the emblem on the side is not a coat of arms but the "Wheel and Magnet" sign of the British Electric Traction Company, the overall holding group of the private tramway companies.
O 1303/4 were disposed of in 1906, and O 1301/2 in 1907.(This post repeated in the Harborne thread)
 
It has been noted before that at that time , because B & W films were not very sensitive to red, midland red buses would appear darker than they should
 
Thanks Jayell, Lloyd, Mike or one of the others will soon tell us what company made the bus.
 
Can't quite see what the registration is but I think it is somewhere between O264-9. Delivery of these six vehicles, Milnes-Daimler double-decks, allowed the Birmingham Motor Express Co Ltd,(the pre-curser to the Midland Red) to extend the Hagley Road service to the Bear Hotel, as evidenced by the signwriting.

Boy, what a photograph. Is this on a post card ? Any chance you could scan a copy over by e.mail ?

Thanks Brian
 
Lloyd O1301/2, I have as being re-registered O2898/9, when their bodies scrapped, or at least exchanged for charabanc bodies. So I reckon this postcard has been taken no later than very early 1907 ?
 
aas.jpeg
I know I posted this before the picture massacre took place but I can not find the original place so I will put it here, and I think I may have Lloyd stumped this time.
It is what was called a Horse Bus and it dates from around 1900.
 
I have updated some more bus photos on the coppermine site some you may have seen before
some you may not .......... not only i like looking at bus photos i also like viewing the buildings
what surrounds the bus in question .
ragga :fat:
 
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