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Birmingham buses

I have that picture of Daimler 122 too and believe it to be not at a BCT garage, but at the Metro Cammell works at Washwood Heath where the body was built, and taken before delivery. All double deck buses (even now) are required to be able to tilt to 28 degrees, either way, as that one is, without falling over. Photo included as the OP's one has gone)

122 EOG 122 .jpg
 
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Lloyd, I wouldnt know one way or the other but the picture I have is accompanied by a write up about Training of Maintenance staff at Hockley.
 
Can one of you knowledgable gentlemen answer me a question? Did the old 'half-cab' buses have any sort of heating,either for the driver or the public,or were we made of sterner stuff in those days? I know that they had no rear doors and remember a few mishaps with people jumping on or off.
 
No, Astonite, the old Birmingham buses didn't have heating until the rear engined ones came along. Some of Midland Reds did, just a hot water pipe running round the lower saloon under the seats at first, then (post WW2) a heater unit with ducted air similarly under the seats. They weren't very good, mind you, but would lift the inside temperature by a degree or two. Passengers' body heat was the main heating in buses up until the late 80s when more efficient equipment was devised.
 
Thanks Lloyd, excellent thread,first time Ive gone through it all, excellent photos,could do with a few more of buses in or around aston.
 
john70 said:
Hi. Mike. I dont remember any of of those PD2s at the Wood, the only one I do recall is 296 which I think had a Leyland body on it, thanks for the info. John.
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You may have been right about the PD 2 at Yardley Wood.
Here is a shot of 2229 working the 37 route which was staffed from Yardley Wood. Followed by a Daimler, also probably from YW.
 
I can testify that those old buses had no heating inside and I know that they had no doors either as Astonite noted. I can remember in those severe weather conditions...i.e. snow and ice, frost, sleet.... that the platform with the slats were very dangerous.Accidents in bad weather and dryer weather were quite common. In heavy snow falls the bus platforms would be caked with slippery snow and ice. Inside the bus unless you were close to the front you froze especially your feet. I always tried to go upstairs on the 5 or 5a going from the Council House to Witton or The Ridgeway even though I didn't smoke. The heat from down below from the passengers rose and also the smoky atmosphere seemed to make the bus warmer upstairs.

I remember the bus clippie's, both male and female would wear several jumpers under their uniform and also wore gloves with half fingers to keep them warm. I once remarked on here that in the winter months during those years we never really
got warm most of the day. House was cold in the am, buses weren't heated, office underheated many times, buses cold again going home. If you were the first one home you had to light the fire and it took all evening to warm up the room quite often
depending on how cold it was. Then off to bed in unheated bedrooms. I would say that we were made of sterner stuff back then but I do remember some dreadful colds
that I caught. My bedroom faced North and was very cold at times. Thank goodness for the two hot water bottles I would creep down and fill from the kettle.
 
jennyann is right about the cold buses before those with doors on took to the road. My first winter as a conductor with Midland Red was the coldest since 1947, being the long freeze of 1962/3 when snow was on the ground from Boxing Day 62 right through to Easter 63. The older buses we had with heaters never got warm. On late night duties with few passengers about we would take out a warm light bulb in each hand and hold til it went cold and then another couple of warm ones all round the bus to help keep fingers warm. We didn't complain because it was all part of the job.
 
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tardebigge said:
You may have been right about the PD 2 at Yardley Wood.
Here is a shot of 2229 working the 37 route which was staffed from Yardley Wood. Followed by a Daimler, also probably from YW.
Click to expand...

Thanks for that photo Tardebigge, 2229 was at Yardley Wood as was 2223 because ex Roseberry Street Garage Park Royal PD2's definitely worked at Yardley Wood in the summer of 1969 but nobody seems to have recorded how many and which fleet numbers.

I mentioned in an earlier posting about the staircase on 296, here is a view that shows just what I meant.
Mike
 
I hope its o/k to post the following on this thread.
A regular tram service to run as far as Chester Road started on April 22nd 1907. For a month before this a temporary service operated.
This is a picture of the first electric tram in Erdington on that route.
 
Heres another old one. This photo was taken in 1929 at the No. 30 terminus in Olton Boulevard East. For anyone interested, the driver was Mr George Higgins.
 
motorman-mike said:
Thanks for that photo Tardebigge, 2229 was at Yardley Wood as was 2223 because ex Roseberry Street Garage Park Royal PD2's definitely worked at Yardley Wood in the summer of 1969 but nobody seems to have recorded how many and which fleet numbers.

I mentioned in an earlier posting about the staircase on 296, here is a view that shows just what I meant.
Mike
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Nice photo of 296 Mike, think I have seen it somewhere before, but cant think where, enjoyed my visit to the Yardley Wood garage last weekend, it was a good day, thanks to all involved. John.
 
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Hi guys,

More help needed as to the location of the following BCT vehicles as shown on the attachments below. The vehicles are:

Guy Arab No 2598 JOJ 598.
Daimler CVG6 No 2859 JOJ 859.
Daimler CVG6 No 3124 MOF124.

Many thanks in advance.

Degsy
 
motorman-mike said:
3124 is coming out of Lower Bull Street into High Street but sorry can't help with the others.
Mike
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Hi motorman-mike,

Cheers for that info mate. I presume that you had worked the 90/91 routes when you were based at Yardley Wood garage?
 
I think the 1st one is outside Greys in Bull Street ,
The 2nd one is .... i think .. Station St in Erdington .
ragga :)
 
Degsy168 said:
Hi motorman-mike,

Cheers for that info mate. I presume that you had worked the 90/91 routes when you were based at Yardley Wood garage?
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Thats right Degsy, in the 1960's the 29/29A then 90/91 and the 37 to Hall Green as was, together with peak time only workings on the 36. This group of services were on what was then known as the 'Albert Street' rota of duties on which all new starters were put from the 'Spares' rota. Other 'run ins' (i.e. other route duty rotas) had to be applied for when vacancies were advertised and length of service determined who filled the vacancy. The 18 'Haunch Lane' rota was always the top or 'Old Mans Road' so getting on there was like waiting for dead mens shoes although retiring drivers often swopped run ins with another driver for their last week of work to enable mates to jump the queue.
 
Isn't the first one in New Street, outside the old Cobden Hotel?

The second, I wouldn't know, but I do recognise a dreaded Moskvich van in the background.

Big Gee
 
Stitcher said:
Testing for lean and stability capabilities.


This set me off to find these pics and it turns out that the buses were usually tilt tested at the BCT Tyburn Road Works.
Trams also had to be tilt tested and this was done at the BCT Kyotts Lake Road Tram Works. Note the tram fleet number has been painted on under the headlamp because the tilt indicator board hides the original.
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Mike I mentioned this a couple of years ago somewhere glad you brought it up.

They tested all sorts at Tyburn Road works and from all over. Last thing I remember is a Dennis Fire Engine being tested there, about 1960:)
 
ragga said:
I think the 1st one is outside Greys in Bull Street ,
The 2nd one is .... i think .. Station St in Erdington .
ragga :)
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ragga,

I have to agree with you that I think that the first pic is outside Greys on Bull Street. However, I'm still not sure on the second one.

Okay, can anyone identify the location of these four pics as per the attachments below. The vehicles are as follows:

Guy Arab No 2901 JOJ 901.
Guy Arab No 2955 JOJ 955.
Guy Arab No 2957 JOJ 957.
Daimler CVG6 No 3156 MOF 156.

All of the Guys were based at Selly Oak garage whereas the Daimler I suspect was based at Moseley Road garage. Cheers guys.

Degsy.
 


I know this is off thread, but just to say thanks for this photo. now I have proof there were fags called Cadets. People I speak to don't remember them.
 
Daimler CVG6 No 3156 MOF 156 is in ~Navigation street. I'm not sure, but think Guy Arab No 2955 JOJ 955 was coming into town close to the entrance of rubery hill hospital. similarly i think Guy Arab No 2957 JOJ 957.is coming into town on bristol road south by longbridge
Mike


Mike.
 
Just caught up with recent post - all very interesting to me. Of Degsy's previous set of pics (for which, thank you very much, by the way) I think Ragga was nearly right with the Erdington location, but the road was called Gravelly Lane. On the last lot of pictures, being a North Brummy, I can't help on the first two, but the third is definitely Navigation Street, with the old Technical College (I remember it so well) behind, and the fourth is from the other side of the road looking roughly south west. I can't remember any more how the tram replacement bus route to Moseley Road turned in the city centre - I have a vague idea they continued up Hill Street (unload), then into Paradise St (load) and down Suffolk Street, then Navigation St and into Hill Street, but I would like to have confirmation of this please. Isn't it wonderful, the amount of information you can pick up on this website!
Peter
 
Thanks Peter. I thought the number 28 was on Gravelly Lane. That route was pretty long if I remember correctly. I took it once all the way from town...Where would I have caught it? It was a long trip to alight at Turfpits Lane and Bleakhill Road. I took the 28 bus regularly from Bleak Hill to
Chester Road(Pavilion cinema) and back again. My boyfriend at the time lived in Enstone Road near the Pavilion.
 
Peter Walker said:
Just caught up with recent post - all very interesting to me. Of Degsy's previous set of pics (for which, thank you very much, by the way) I think Ragga was nearly right with the Erdington location, but the road was called Gravelly Lane. On the last lot of pictures, being a North Brummy, I can't help on the first two, but the third is definitely Navigation Street, with the old Technical College (I remember it so well) behind, and the fourth is from the other side of the road looking roughly south west. I can't remember any more how the tram replacement bus route to Moseley Road turned in the city centre - I have a vague idea they continued up Hill Street (unload), then into Paradise St (load) and down Suffolk Street, then Navigation St and into Hill Street, but I would like to have confirmation of this please. Isn't it wonderful, the amount of information you can pick up on this website!
Peter
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Correct as to the routing.The termini were later moved into Suffolk St.
 
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