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Birmingham buses

Shouldn't have said that - 2586 and 3134 have me beat at the moment.
2890 is on Stratford Road, climbing up the hill away from Shaftmoor Lane junction.

2586 JOJ 586.JPG
2890_JOJ890.JPG 3134 MOF 134.jpg
 
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The West Midlands Passenger Transport Executive, operators of the vehicles and routes taken over by the West Midlands Passenger Transport Authority from the Corporations of Birmingham, Walsall, West Bromwich and Wolverhampton, commenced operation on October 1st 1969 and all of the vehicles transferred had their legal owners transfers covered with Fablon sheets printed with the PTE's details, and the various coats of arms similarly covered by the "West Midlands" name with the exception of Walsall's trolleybuses, where the crest was covered by a blank sheet. The last buses to be delivered to Birmingham City Transport and in full livery were Daimler Fleetlines 3781-3880 (NOV 781-880G) but the first fifteen of the next batch were in BCT livery and the first two of them, 3881/2, also wrongly carried the coats of arms.
The planned creation of a County of West Midlands in 1974 brought garages and routes wholly within the county and vehicles to operate them operated by Midland Red under the WMPTE control on December 3rd 1973, and the operations of Coventry Corporation Transport similarly on April 1st 1974.
Vehicle interchanges across the enlarged fleet saw, for instance, open-platform ex Birmingham buses running on former Midland Red routes in the Black Country, where passengers had previously had the luxury of heaters and platform doors; and former West Bromwich and Coventry buses working Birmingham's Outer Circle, the last route to remain wholly two-man (driver and conductor) operated. Overall, the public were not impressed and as standards of cleanliness and maintenance declined the level of complaints rose to and all time high.
 
Lloyd said:
The West Midlands Passenger Transport Executive, operators of the vehicles and routes taken over by the West Midlands Passenger Transport Authority from the Corporations of Birmingham, Walsall, West Bromwich and Wolverhampton, commenced operation on October 1st 1969 and all of the vehicles transferred had their legal owners transfers covered with Fablon sheets printed with the PTE's details, and the various coats of arms similarly covered by the "West Midlands" name with the exception of Walsall's trolleybuses, where the crest was covered by a blank sheet. The last buses to be delivered to Birmingham City Transport and in full livery were Daimler Fleetlines 3781-3880 (NOV 781-880G) but the first fifteen of the next batch were in BCT livery and the first two of them, 3881/2, also wrongly carried the coats of arms.
The planned creation of a County of West Midlands in 1974 brought garages and routes wholly within the county and vehicles to operate them operated by Midland Red under the WMPTE control on December 3rd 1973, and the operations of Coventry Corporation Transport similarly on April 1st 1974.
Vehicle interchanges across the enlarged fleet saw, for instance, open-platform ex Birmingham buses running on former Midland Red routes in the Black Country, where passengers had previously had the luxury of heaters and platform doors; and former West Bromwich and Coventry buses working Birmingham's Outer Circle, the last route to remain wholly two-man (driver and conductor) operated. Overall, the public were not impressed and as standards of cleanliness and maintenance declined the level of complaints rose to and all time high.
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That was a fantastic reply, cheers:thumbsup:
 
Lloyd said:
3101 Congreve St turning onto Summer row.
3122 St Martin's Circus, Manzoni Gardens in view behind.
3129 Is that the 'New' Central Library behind? Has the bus just turned into Great Charles Street from Summer Row? Not certain about this one.
3150 Colmore circus. Snow Hill Station is behind the photographer.
3166 Another calculated guess - Weaman Street, heading for Snow Hill - the side of the Gaumont Cinema behind the bus.

Nice shots, the first four in the last days of the 'Standard' BCT bus.
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3166 is definitely Weaman Street next to the Gaumont.

3129 is just having turned into Broad Street with the Central Library behind, heading towards Five Ways?
 
Lloyd and Richie,

Many thanks for the info you've supplied in relation to the locations of vehicles 3129 MOF 129 and 3166 MOF 166 as depicted in the photos.

I'm grateful to you both!
 
Richie said:
3166 is definitely Weaman Street next to the Gaumont.

3129 is just having turned into Broad Street with the Central Library behind, heading towards Five Ways?
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That was my first thought, but the road angles seem wrong. Where the lorry is should be a slight downhill, and the library looks a bit too close. There is a wall down the middle of Great Charles Street so my earlier post is wrong. Perhaps it is Broad Street.
 
During my visit to the Showbus 2008 Rally at Duxford Air Field last Sunday, I took these photos of Birmingham City Transport's Crossley No 2489 JOJ 489. I was in a good position to get a picture of its arrival as depicted in the first of the five photos that I'd like to share with you on here.
 
Hello Alf,

The bus is a Leyland PD2/3 with an H29/25R Park Royal body numbered 2208 JOJ 208 which was new to BCT in 1949. I believe it was allocated to either Hockley or Yardley Wood garage. Leyland PD2s were traditionally fitted with a crash gearbox rather than a preselector like the Daimlers.
 
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It definately wasnt at Yardley Wood garage, so must have been at Hockley, is this photo taken at Tyburn Road works Alf?.
 
Apparently, 2208 JOJ 208 was originally based at Rosebery Street garage until the end of June 1968 when that depot had closed. It was then transferred to Quinton garage briefly before going to Hockley which was the vehicle's final home prior to withdrawal in January 1969.
 
Yes John I worked there from 1958 till about 61.
I posted it before but never knew about the Buses but delivered one to a different Garage everyday after a overhaul.:)

Thank you Degsy
 
2208 was delivered in 1950 but its chassis was built in 1949 - the first two numbers of its chassis number, 492583, indicate this. It was a Rosebery St bus, I remember it as one of the ones that used to run the B82 Bearwood - City via Dudley Road service which I would use occasionally as a change from the Guy Arabs from Quinton garage that operated the 9 which passed my house. Here's one of its stable mates, 2210, parked in Herbert Rd Bearwood while the crew have a break before entering Bearwood Bus station to take up service.

2210 JOJ 210 Herbert Rd.jpg
 
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So far as the location of Alf's photo (post 159) is concerned, I think it must have been the lifting shop at Tyburn Road Works, as I wouldn't have thought any running depot had a roof as high as that - why should it? They were cheap and serviceable buses, but not a patch on those lovely TD6c's they replaced. Not that I ever drove either, of course.
Peter
 
Degsy168 said:
During my visit to the Showbus 2008 Rally at Duxford Air Field last Sunday, I took these photos of Birmingham City Transport's Crossley No 2489 JOJ 489. I was in a good position to get a picture of its arrival as depicted in the first of the five photos that I'd like to share with you on here.
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Great photos Degsy, lovely to see these Buses looked after.
Mind you, I see it's a number 11, I bet the passengers are still waiting for it.:D
 
Going back to one of my previous posts (No 144) with the photos of the BCT Standards, the third photo in the sequence of 3129 MOF 129 working the No 9 route to Quinton has attracted my attention. Quinton garage from my recollection had always been a Guy Arab garage and 3129 is a Daimler CVG6.

So, my question is, was the No 9 route operated by any other garage apart from Quinton? Somehow, I doubt it but, I could be wrong!
 
Anyone got any pics of Guy Arab (I think) 2847 which had concertina rear doors, and also 3808-3858 NOV 808 G - NOV 858 G Cotteridge Garage double door fleetlines.

Regards

Leo
 
2847 (It's a Daimler) with doors - between Witton and Perry Barr:
Cotteridge Jumbos?
Sorry not that batch, but 3874 of the next series at Kings Heath.
2847 JOJ 847.jpg
3874 NOV 874G.jpg
 
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Lloyd.in 1972,i lived in burntwood,and had to trvel by bus to brum,i got the bus from heath hayes every morning,it was a right old banger it broke down often and we had to wait for a coach to come and take us on to cars lane.do you know what make of bus it was?
pete
 
In that second pic with the Park Royal Fleetline, I could just about see what the fleet number is on the vehicle in the background having zoomed in the image for closer analysis. It is 3220 MOF 220 which was one of the Daimler CVG6s that worked on the final day in service for West Midlands PTE back in October 1977.

Friday 28th October 1977 was a day of added poignancy and emotion as it was the very last day of the Standards in revenue-earning service and the streets of Birmingham just wasn't the same when they were taken off the road.
 
mw0njm said:
Lloyd.in 1972,i lived in burntwood,and had to trvel by bus to brum,i got the bus from heath hayes every morning,it was a right old banger it broke down often and we had to wait for a coach to come and take us on to cars lane.do you know what make of bus it was?
pete
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GER22VAN's answer is not far off, his picture is of a former London RLH class bus which has spent nearly half a century in a scrapyard near Uttoxeter until recently. The one I'll bet you used to catch was the Harper's service, often run by these identical-to-London AEC 'RT' types, which were actually new to Bradford City Transport. In the pre-deregulated era Harpers were the first independent operator allowed to run to Birmingham, in competition with the City Transport department. Unfortunately their fleet was not, shall we say, 'of the best' and they later sold out to Midland Red.

8 BDJ 802.jpg
 
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Lloyd,yes you have got it harpers,thats it when you went up stairs wfen the bus was going you could feel the stairs moving and see the road through the floor what a wreck
pete
 
I seem to remember it was one of Harpers RTs that got pulled over by the police on the M6 on a Limited Stop service to Birmingham for carrying standing passengers on the motorway which apparently was forbidden under the terms of the road service licence for the route. Can anyone confirm this please?
 
The armoured car!

Lloyd, this is probably one for you. Way back in the 1950s when I was working for BCT Accounts Office, we used to collect about 100,000 pounds in cash from the Midland Bank in Stephenson Place every Wednesday morning so that the Wages Office could make up traffic staff wages on a Thursday ready to go out to the garages on a Friday. Once a month we had a similar procedure with inspectors' salaries and Head Office salaries, though with less money involved.

We used a dark blue single decker that had been converted into an armoured car with large shutters on the sides and no windows. Any idea what happened to that?
 
I have heard that one as well, Mike. And standing passengers are forbidden on motorways - except, it appears, the A38M Aston Expressway at peak times!
 
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