Thylacine
master brummie
WELCOME TO THE BIRMINGHAM STEAM BUSES (BSB) THREAD!
View attachment 54482
Frontispiece (click to enlarge): Oil painting (artist unknown) of the Dr William Church steam carriage of 1833 (by kind courtesy of the owner Keith Fletcher). This appears to be the original on which all subsequent images are based.
We've been really getting into this subject on the Midland Red Early Days (MRED) thread, which has been very enjoyable, but the subject is interesting and important (and complicated) enough to deserve its own thread. Initially, I will be posting a chronology containing links to the relevant posts on the MRED thread, so that those who are interested can "bone up" on the subject! Of course the vehicles under discussion were originally known as "carriages" or "coaches" rather than "buses", yet in many ways they were true prototypes of the motor bus. We will be meeting many Birmingham people (with names ranging from well-known to almost completely unknown) who were involved in the development and use of the steam bus from the 1820s onwards.
I hope that this thread attracts interested readers and contributors. Just to get the ball rolling, I'd like to draw the attention of BHF artists and art lovers to this picture
View attachment 54484
of Dr William Church's steam bus of 1832. The picture is a contemporary engraving by a Birmingham artist named Josiah Allen (as is the other picture above), and comes from an 1834 magazine. BHF artists are invited to colour this lovely picture: there will be prizes for [1] the "most historically correct" and for [2] the "most outrageous" (I would love to see a Midland Red version! ). [Note added: the competition is now closed; see post #132).]
All contributions are welcome, especially if they include Birmingham steam bus information, pictures, anecdotes, or memories.
View attachment 54482
Frontispiece (click to enlarge): Oil painting (artist unknown) of the Dr William Church steam carriage of 1833 (by kind courtesy of the owner Keith Fletcher). This appears to be the original on which all subsequent images are based.
We've been really getting into this subject on the Midland Red Early Days (MRED) thread, which has been very enjoyable, but the subject is interesting and important (and complicated) enough to deserve its own thread. Initially, I will be posting a chronology containing links to the relevant posts on the MRED thread, so that those who are interested can "bone up" on the subject! Of course the vehicles under discussion were originally known as "carriages" or "coaches" rather than "buses", yet in many ways they were true prototypes of the motor bus. We will be meeting many Birmingham people (with names ranging from well-known to almost completely unknown) who were involved in the development and use of the steam bus from the 1820s onwards.
I hope that this thread attracts interested readers and contributors. Just to get the ball rolling, I'd like to draw the attention of BHF artists and art lovers to this picture
View attachment 54484
of Dr William Church's steam bus of 1832. The picture is a contemporary engraving by a Birmingham artist named Josiah Allen (as is the other picture above), and comes from an 1834 magazine. BHF artists are invited to colour this lovely picture: there will be prizes for [1] the "most historically correct" and for [2] the "most outrageous" (I would love to see a Midland Red version! ). [Note added: the competition is now closed; see post #132).]
All contributions are welcome, especially if they include Birmingham steam bus information, pictures, anecdotes, or memories.
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