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Electric Trams

hhh~0.jpeg

Lodge Road, Winson Green. 1907
 
Indeed, Stitcher. A battery ('Accumulator') powered electric tram, one of several which ran the Suffolk St - Selly Oak service from the depot in Dawlish Road, Selly Oak. The CBT company ran these, after a demonstration run for the then 'Watch Committee' via Bradford Street and Stratford Road from town to the CBT depot in Kyotts Lake Road (later the corporation's tramcar overhaul works), but no other lines in Birmingham were converted to this type of traction.

The large bogie type car pictured above was supplemented by a few smaller 4 wheeled cars, as below.

CBT Accumulator car 113.jpg
 
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z2696[1].jpg
Once again I need Lloyd. I have no information with one again.
 
Haha I can tell you all about this one!
It's Saturday the 4th of July 1953, the last day of tramway operation for the public in Birmingham. Miller Street depot Car 692 has done its last public duty, on route 2, City - Erdington, and has run to Witton depot for parking and eventual breaking up - the chalked notices on the dash panel tell the tale that from now on, the route will be the 64 bus. Some wag has wound "3X" on the front destination blind - a long finished route which ran to Witton Square, visible in the background.
The end of the trams was quite an event for Brummies, imagine a similar thing today if all the buses were replaced by some new fangled means of transport!
Had it not been delayed by WW2, the trams would have finished in the 1940s, replaced on some routes by trolleybuses, as Coventry Road routes were, but after the war there had been little or no maintenance on the electrical supply equipment and the most cost effective replacement was the diesel bus.
 
I do not know how you do it Lloyd but I am glad that you do, thanks again. You mentioned Trolley Buses and I remember those, from our house in Acocks Green we could catch the 31a or the 32 which were ordinary buses, or we could walk to the village and get the 44 which were trolly buses.
stitcher
 
Aston_Cross_1953_001.JPGShortie, you are correct , its Witton Lne, I was a regular user of the 3X tram mid to late 40's till it stopped running about 1951 and replaced by the 39 bus. It went along Witton Lane pass Villa Park, Aston church up Park Rd (where I used to get on at junction with Sycamore Rd), down the hill passing Ansells brewery to Aston Cross and along Aston Rd to the City terminating at Martineau St. I think it cost 2 old pence. The attached painting shows the No. 2, 78 and 79 trams still running along LIchfield Rd (Erdington,,Short Heath and Pype Hayes routes) but the 3X tram already replaced by the 39 bus shown descending the Hill down Park Rd. Happy days. It says 1953 on bottom of painting I think this is incorrect, should be 1951 but Lloyd will know, I was in Hong Kong in 1953 so i would not know. Eric
 
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I remember going on a tram along Stratford Road, but I am not sure when that would be, howeer, I think it was around the time of the Coronation. I was given to understand that it was the last tram to run, but whether it was the last of all the trams or just the last on Stratford Road I have not got a clue. I remember Coronation colours on bunting, but I am open to suggestions that my mind might be playing tricks.

This painting is interesting, but for me, a bit crisp. It looks too pristine, and we all know by 1951/3 things were beginning to show their age.
 
Lloyd will know
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Not always, but I have the reference books to hand!

The 3X tram route was replaced by bus route 39 in January 1950.
The 2 (Erdington [Yenton]), 78 (Stockland Green) and 79 (Pype Hayes) routes were the last to be converted in July 1953 to the 64, 65 and 66 bus routes respectively.
 
Stitcher said:
or we could walk to the village and get the 44 which were trolly buses.
stitcher
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As far as I recall the 44 (and 44A) were ordinary bus routes. All trolley routes were in the 90 series (except the 7 Nechells which was abandoned shortly after the outbreak of WW2). Interestingly one route (96?) went beyond the city boundary into Solihull to serve the Rover car plant.

Corrections happily accepted. :friendly_wink:
 
radiorails you are correct,I lived in Shirley 1939 to 1943 and regularly caught the Midland Red 96 from Marshall lake Rd/Widney Lane to St James School Shirley and later to Solihull Rd when I moved to Sharmans Cross senior school, I think it was 2d return for school children (some times I would walk to school and spend the money on cakes/sweets) We would sometimes go to 'town' on it with Mom, I think it terminated in the Bull Ring but could be wrong. Eric
 
Eric. The 96 route I refer to was a trolleybus route which ran from the City to Lode Lane (Rover). I may have the route number incorrect but it would have been ninety something. The Midland Red usually, with some exceptions, had three figure route numbers. I suggest the route you rode upon was the 154, Solihull to the City centre or maybe you could have got the 150 (Stratford-upon-Avon) or 153? Monkspath service.

Shortie mentions Stratford Road tramcars. The Stratford and Warwick Road routes ceased in early 1937, but occasionally - if you were lucky - you could see a tram or tramway service car going to or leaving the Kyotts Lake Road depot.
 
I mentioned Stratford Road because that is the Road our bus used to take us home, but I only went on a tram once in my life and that was around about the time of the Coronation. It cannot have been 1937 because I was not born until 1947. It may have been elsewhere, but the picture in my mind is one of the Stratford Road - is it not possible one was run at the time of the Coronation? I was with both of my parents, so it could have been elsewhere in the City and maybe taken on one because it was 'special'. I don't know any more than that, but maybe one of my cousins, who both now live in Cheltenham would know more about it, as we lived in fairly close proximity. I shall ask the question, and see if this can be clarified.
 
Greetings Shortie. I do not know whether they ran 'special' tram trips at the coronation in 1953; they did run special buses and charters. I went on one of them. I think it unlikely on Stratford Road, beyond Kyotts Lake Road, as I am pretty sure all the overhead wiring had been removed. But it is a loooong time ago and 'ze leetle grey cells' don't always give is correct info. :friendly_wink:

Regarding the cities trolleybuses: I knew I had details but couldn't lay my hand on it earlier today.

Apart from the 7, 56 and 57 routes already mentioned the others were, according to my reference source, 92 Albert Street and 93 Station Street to Yardley, 94 Albert Street and 95 Station Street to Coventry Road (City Boundary), 96 Albert Street and 97 Station Street to Lode Lane, 98 City boundary to Cattell Road, 99 Albert Street to Coventry Road (Wagon Lane). All these routes were closed on 29th. June 1951 and ordinary buses took their place. The Midland Red took the Lode Lane route from the Bull Ring. Routes 56/57/92/93, it is sated, commenced 7th. January, 1934. Routes 94 and 95 commenced two years later. Routes 96/97/98 were introduced in WW2 (29.10.41) hence the buses running beyond the city boundary. Route 99 started in January 1949 so together with 98 presumably were 'rush periods only'

They were lovely vehicles to ride on, smooth and quiet. They also seemed to have a very frequent service as did the trams. I made a point of riding on the last day. The day was marred by a city bound trolley bus running into the back of another bus (diesel I think - revenge ? :friendly_wink: ) in Digbeth. No great damage, dents and broken glass if I remember correctly.

The curious thing is that these trolley routes continued until 1951 but also running with two of the same route numbers were the 1947 32 and 33 tram route bus replacement routes of 95 Ladywood and Lodge Road 96. Most confusing for visitors maybe but then Birmingham's buses, it was often said, had confusing route displays. Ah! yes the locals knew which way the city direction was but did strangers? :rolleyes:
 
the Stratford Road was our way "home", on the 24 or 13A to Yardley Wood, I cant ever remember there being any trams.We
used to walk down to the Happy Valley and catch the tram to the
Licky Hills, but that was before the war. Bernard
 
Well Alan giving tram numbers won't mean a single thing to me, but I did know all the bus numbers years ago, but as I left Birmingham (as a place to live) 40 years ago, the numbers mean nothing now. I have just spoken to my husband about the tram services. He is slightly younger than me and he remembers trams, but he remembers them to the Lickey Hills only. Perhaps I am slightly confused on when it was, but I do remember some kind of bunting or stuff - it was definitely something special, almost a carnival air, but perhaps the one I went on was to the Lickeys. I have looked it up since I started writing this and they finished the trams at Rednal in 1953 - 4 July, so it must have been that route that I was on. Perhaps it was the last day on the tram and that was being celebrated. I don't remember trolley buses, but I have fond memories of visiting my grandmother on the dear old Midland Red. I felt the Midland Red was as special as a train, but heaven only knows why.

Cheers

Shortie
 
Hello radiorails, I would not argue because it was all a long time ago but in my mind I have the 44 on Warwick Road as being a trolley bus and the seats were made of wood slats and I heard them refered to as utilty seats. I never went on any other buses only the 31A . 32. and and they were ordinary buses, although we did walk through Mosely to get the tram to the Lickey's when I was a bit younger. I really don't know what route the trolley bus es were on if it was not the 44
 
I used to go on a trolley bus into town along the Coventry Road when we lived in Sheldon, No. 37 seems to ring a bell. Eric
 
Hello radiorails, Lloyd assures me that you are correct because trolley buses never operated along the Warwick Road. This now leaves me in a quandry because I have no idea which trolley bus we used when I was a nipper.
stitcher.
 
Hi Stitcher.

Wooden slatted seats; the word 'utility' also gives further clues. :friendly_wink: Maybe you recall being on one of the wartime built buses which were far more austere in their design and seating. The seats, by UK standards, were hard but not unknown in many other parts of the world on public transport. I have the feeling - but now this is where my memory wanders - that the wooden slatted seats were replaced before the end of WW2 but conventional seating. Many bus companies in the UK rebodied these vehicles to update their appearance, longevity and passenger comfort. Birmingham did not: they got shot of all the utility buses by, I think 1951, some being only five or six years old. * Many went on to serve elsewhere, in various forms, for some years afterwards. In fairness the timber used was of poor quality, generally, and being wartime many corners were cut. Some pre-war buses were also given these utility bodies much to my disgust; I rather liked - and still do - the older vehicles original appearance. I used to stand at kerbside stops hoping that one of these older pre-war buses would come by - but generally they only ran in the rush hours.

Another fascination, for a bus mad youngster, was to see or ride on one painted in the wartime grey. :adoration:

* No crime really. British Railways scrapped many fine locomotives that were between five and ten years old. :livid:
 
I will go along with that Alan, as I said it was all along time ago and the although my mind does not wander, I think I think the clutch might be slipping a little at times.
 
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