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Birmingham Trams

Fease, just noticed your parents lived at Copely Hill, my late Wife and live father along Slade Road at Hillside, other side of rail bridge (close to where the Slade Road painting was done) from 1962 to mid 80's. Opposite Copely Rd was a pub commonly known as the 'Muckman, I forget its real name, believe there was a tram stop there. Eric
 
sospiri I was born in 1930 at 1/89 Queens Rd (houses owned by Atkinsons Brewery) but left when I was 5 in 1935, In 1943 whilst living at Shirley my mother died and I went back to Queens Rd to live with my Gran at 84, opposite 87 !!! left in 1948 when I entered service with the RAF. I must have known whoever lived at 87. Eric
 
fease said:
Ray - I have a few pictures of the area. There appears to be J H Barker butchers and Broads T/A to the right then a tv/radio shop. I do not know what the 2 shops to the left of Barker's was, nor the 3 shops to the right of the TV shop until Rowberries butchers on the corner of Leamington Road.

There also appears to be a few shops on the opposite side of the road starting with Lloyds Bank then the Tyburn Road turning then the Public Conveniences on the other side of Tyburn Rd. I think a newsagents was the first shop after that.
Click to expand...

Thinking back next to the t/v shop was a crockery shop, not sure but the T/V shop may been Leslie Smith the old Villa player he had a t/v shop in Witton rd.

The Pub on the right of Slade Rd was known as the The Muckman because the bin men used to collect in there after work.
 
Eric,

A bit too early for you - in 1911 it was Joseph LONGMORE, a retired barber, and in 1920, a relation of his, Edward SLATER, a labourer in a tube works. By 1922 Edward had moved to 98 Arley Road, Washwood Heath. Joseph was my great great uncle and Edward was the brother of his son-in-law.

Maurice
 
Many thanks Eric. My parents moved from Copeley Hill early 60s and moved to Knightwick Crescent close to Witton Lakes so I was brought up playing there, going to Toyland and the railway shop at Stockland Green, the 263rd (I think) cubs at the church hall at Stockland Green and Schooling at Marsh Hill J & I (what on earth have they done to that place??!!)

Excellent paintings too. My mother, at 83, is still going to water colour painting classes once a week.

Ray - I have a picture of some of those shops. Next to Broads Travel Bureau it looks like the TV shop is called Dawes Radio Stores. The picture isn't the best though.
 
I was looking through some odd bits and pieces and I found a tram/bus ticket, my wife thinks I'm mad because I cannot remember why I saved it in the first place but it may be of interest to some..... heigh ho'Bus ticket.jpg
 
Thank you John, I'm a bit too young for Trams but my husband remembers them. (I went on them at Black Country Museum though.)
I wondered if it's true that the conductor/driver had to count all those clippings?
I remember coloured bus tickets, we made little snakes out of them. It's a pity there's no date on old tickets, it would have helped you!
rosie.
 
I remember them John, thanks for posting, where in Weoley Castle do you live I lived in Milcote Road for a number of years. paul
 
Rosie,
I think you will find that the office staff had to count the clippings saved in the machine. It was a method of preventing fraud and had to tally with the waybill that the conductor recorded his ticket issues upon.

The ticket illustrated by John is a very low value for an adult ticket, Childrens had a C over printed in them and workmens (only issued at certain times of day) had a W overprint. Maybe there were others, but I never saw them. I collected these type of tickets but of course the more modern types issued from machines, rather than ticket racks, were of no interest whatever.
 
Thanks Alan, That must have been a tedious job! I have often wondered if it was true. I live and learn!!
rosie.
 
Ticket clippings were sorted by a team of girls at the Ticket Audit office attached to Hockley Garage. This was where new ticket stocks were held for distribution to the garages and survived into the days of the ticket rolls used in the Ultimate ticket machines that replaced the Bell Punch rack tickets. By the time Ultimate machines finished with the end of conductor operation, Birmingham City Transport had been absorbed by the West Midlands Passenger Transport Executive (WMPTE). Until decimalisaton stocks of redundant Bell Punch tickets were held by Ticket Audit 'in case of emergency'. Decimal currency rendered them obsolete overnight.
 
Please can anyone help me?
My uncle told me that his grandfather (my Great Grandfather) used to walk from the trams to his Aunts farm in Middleton. I have recently tracked down the OWEN family to the farm - ALLEN END FARM in Middleton which is not far from WALMLEY, Sutton Coldfield. This would be in the early 1880's I assume, as Gt Grandfather born 1866 so plus say 15years maybe! Would anyone know where the trams started and where they ended to enable him to get to the farm. Were there trams up the Tyburn Road? Up Eachelhurst Road to Walmley? Any help would be much appreciated. Georgie
 
Hi Lloyd... in the Tram photo "The Muckman" was the Erdington Arms Thread Birmingham Trams #575 If that is Gravelly Hill that the tram car is coming down... is that The Tyburn Road off to the right? Do you know where the trams going along The Tyburn Road went to? Terminus? Did they go as far as Chester Road/Pype Hayes maybe? Could they have gone up Eachelhurst Road to Walmley?
I am trying to find out how my Gt Grandfather would get from Aston, Birmingham to Middleton, which is Near Walmley in Sutton Coldfield in the early 1880's. My uncle told me that his grandfather born in 1866 (plus about 15 years =1881) would walk from the trams to his Aunts farm in Middleton. Any help would be appreciated... Georgie
 
The map below should show you what you want to know about north birmingham trams

tram_map_north_birm.jpg
 
Sorry Georgie, did not notice the date you required the information for. The map is for the mechanical trams, which were much later in those areas
 
dontheturner said:
Is there a list of all the Birmingham tram routes, and the fare prices?
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Hi Can't help with fares these are the tram routes & Depot's, if you require anymore info just ask.
Regards Ray
 

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Hi,
My grandfather Fred Gilks, worked for the BCT from 1911 to 1951: first driving trams, and then trolley buses. He was asked if he would postpone retirement so that he could drive the very last trolley bus on the Coventry Road route in July 1951. He was delighted to be asked, and I have looked on the forum for photos of the occasion, but being new to this might not have looked in the right place.If there are any I would love to see them.

Roy Gilks.
 
Roy, Welcome to the Forum. If you type Trolley Bus into the blank white space at the right hand end of the blue line near the top of the page you will see many references on the Forum to Trolley Buses. We do not seem to have a specific thread for Trolley Buses as most of the references seem to be on Tram threads.
 
Thanks to oldMohawk, and Peter Walker For the points changing answer, I will try to get to a Tram museum for more info.
Could I ask motorman-mike( being a newbie) how to see that photo of 798-789 on route 10?
 
There is a lot that can be deduced from this picture in Post 596, the only thing I do not know is the date. This makes some comments conjecture - which I will draw attention to.
Car 825 is seen here, in Pebble Mill Road I am sure either turning from it into Pershore Road or from Bristol Road. I believe it is the latter. The tram was built 1928/9 and was the last batch of trams built for the city (812 - 841). Just the two experimental lightweight cars (842/3) were built afterwards. They all survived until 1952 with the exception of 821 which came to grief on Breedon Bridge, Lifford on 26th. October, 1942. The car was unattended, the screw brake not applied, just the air brake which system leaked and allowed the tram to become a runaway, subsequently overturning on the curve. These cars were always based at Cotteridge depot.
Due to restrictions in the Selly Oak depot in the months prior to closure of the 36 Cotteridge, 70 Rednal, 71 Rubery and 72 Longbridge routes trams were stored on the outbound (Bristol Road to Pershore Road) track. This was controlled by lights as there was now only one track available. Cross overs were installed, with the attendant overhead wiring, at each on of the tracks in Pebble Mill Road.
The overhead wiring inspection being made might be simply routine or necessary maintenance. It could also be (conjecture) connected with the crossovers mentioned earlier in this post.

Now to the overhead maintenance vehicle AOH 7. This was one of five AEC Mercury vehicles purchased in 1935. AOH 7 and three others were scrapped in 1954 being surplus to requirements - the city no longer had trams or trolleybuses. The remaining two went to Walsall corporation who still operated trolleybuses until the WMPTE put the kibosh on them.
 
Posted this on the Facebook group and someone said that it was a tram terminus.

Pershore Road, Cotteridge from the 45 / 47 bus stop.

 
Its a gas governor house. There are a few of these around the city, but this one is unusual in its shape. There was one at the Cross Ways in Perry Common and another behind the loos at the Yenton.
 
The tram reference is most likely because that was the place where the 36 Cotteridge trams terminated and was also where the tram depot was situated.
Morturn's post puts the facts into place.
 
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