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Electric Trams

oldMohawk said:
Tram and bus crews chat by the Bundy clock in this picture of Rednal on a sunny day in 1952. Trams are being replaced by buses so maybe they were talking about the changes. Trips to the Lickey Hills for kids will never quite be the same on buses ... :)
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And these days but it wasn't a sunny day ...
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The link below opens Streetview ... have a scroll look around, they left a small length of old tram track.
goo.gl

Google Maps

Find local businesses, view maps and get driving directions in Google Maps.
goo.gl goo.gl
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The bus if parked on the wrong side of the street in the first pic and I have no idea why it would be parked on the street as the terminus was huge with lots of parking ?

I remember when the building in the second pic which looks like a car dealer out of business was a petrol station with 2 work bays called Clarks, and the blue building had Pickin's news agent on the right, that was real busy in the morning and at night with all the workers from the Austin's and the road up the side was dirt that's where the paper boys would go to get round the back.
 
The tram and bus appear to be facing the town direction. I have the impression that the bus is on driver training. All tram drivers, who wished to become bus drivers, did need training and licensing. Tram 535, a 1913/14 date lasted until the closures (1952/3). I guess it was a weekday as there are few passengers around.
 
Radiorails said:
The tram and bus appear to be facing the town direction. I have the impression that the bus is on driver training. All tram drivers, who wished to become bus drivers, did need training and licensing. Tram 535, a 1913/14 date lasted until the closures (1952/3). I guess it was a weekday as there are few passengers around.
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You sir are correct in the direction of travel, the bus is parked in front of the cottages as they where known, having thought about why the bus was parked there your explanation makes a lot of sense, as to park any where else would have blocked the rails
 
Yes the bus is on driver training, it has no route number and 'special' on the destination. On the upstairs side window of the bus and the front upstairs window of the tram is the public notice about the tramway abandonment, and replacement bus services, so this is within the last week of Bristol Rd & Pershore Rd tram operation.
 
So what would happen when a tram either broke down or got involved in a accident could not continue ?, How did the guys clear the lines and return the tram to the garage.
Along the same lines did they tow the a trolley bus when they needed service ?.
 
Robert Ensor (bob) said:
So what would happen when a tram either broke down or got involved in a accident could not continue ?, How did the guys clear the lines and return the tram to the garage.
Along the same lines did they tow the a trolley bus when they needed service ?.
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As I recall the tram would create a traffic mess depending upon the time of day...Sometimes they could be fixed in place others they were towed. Not sure about the trolley bus.
 
BCT had, at every garage specialist breakdown/towing vehicles. A broken down diesel bus could cause as much, if not more, congestion today. Trams were for the most part either in the centre of a road or on a central reservation. In the narrow, often single track streets, most traffic could pass however,the density of roads meant diversions were not usually a problem. Density of traffic was also, generally, less in tram days. As always there were exception to the rule.
 
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The No Perry Barr trams stood at a terminus in the middle of Birchfield Road in Perry Barr. Traffic got past.
from post#363
oldMohawk said:
Regarding some previous discussion about having to board trams in the middle of the road and traffic passing on the nearside, another pic of a No 6 tram at the Perry Barr terminus and a lorry passing it. Those Midland Red buses will soon have pass.
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oldMohawk said:
There was a major power failure on 20th March 1951 as mentioned on Robert Darlaston's website see link below. Need to scroll down it to see a Birmingham Mail report.
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Wow what a great link and great read.
80 miles of track that number surprised me I would have put the number much higher.
The picture of the Rednal terminus was a gem those rails where still there into the 80s along with some of the old posts where the shelters stood.
The heyday being the 30s was a surprise also even though the system lasted till the 50s the glory days were really short and with out the outbreak of war I am sure their life span would have been even shorter.
I missed out on trams and when I left England in 80 steam was big but not trams or old buses.
 
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I know that the Docklands Light Railway is not technically a tramway but I can recount an experience I had many years. I was on a DLR train which failed foul of the triangular junction at Poplar (the tracks have been changed since then). This was in the early evening rush hour so it brought the entire network to a stop as nothing could pass in any direction. The crewman (I don't know what to call him as DLR trains are driverless) tried to get the train restarted but could not so radioed for help. Another train was sent out from Poplar 'wrong road' to help. They tried to couple the two trains together but couldn't because we were on a bend on a viaduct and the tracks were canted to enable the trains to run at full speed round the bend and so the couplings would not mate. The train was made up of two units so in the end the crewman isolated the controls of the front unit and asked permission to drive the train manually from the rear unit. And that was how we got to Poplar.
 
Radiorails said:
Those Midland Red's look like the BHA series.
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Yes I used to be taken on them as a child on the 188 Beeches Estate route. Always liked them.
There is a pic in the Birchfield Road thread of one following a No 6 tram.
oldMohawk said:
A sunny day in Birchfield Rd between Trinity Rd and Six Ways. A No 6 tram with no adverts on it and a Midland Red FEDD following it in the distance.
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Until the CEGB nationalisation of 1947, the city had its own electricity generating station.
A little about it here:

City Of Birmingham Electric Supply Department

The City of Birmingham had its own electricity power stations from 1903 until post WW2 nationalization in 1947. The link gives some interesting history of them and some of the structures still in use or still standing. The Britain form above gives a good overhead look at the original...
birminghamhistory.co.uk birminghamhistory.co.uk
 
Robert Ensor (bob) said:
Wow what a great link and great read.
I missed out on trams and when I left England in 80 steam was big but not trams or old buses.
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If you never saw the old trams this film from post#449 shows them. It's a long watch at over 1 hour long. Quality is variable because it was on film. Interesting street views. Probably need to fast forward in places but some nice city centre views.
 
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Robert Ensor (bob) said:
So what would happen when a tram either broke down or got involved in a accident could not continue ?, How did the guys clear the lines and return the tram to the garage.
Along the same lines did they tow the a trolley bus when they needed service ?.
Click to expand...

If a tram had just 'failed', it could be towed or pushed by another. If derailed it could sometimes be driven back onto the track by providing an earth link to the track (very carefully, wearing thick rubber gloves!). There was also a tram bbreakdown wagon (see pic) which could tow them, and with its crane even right them if they had turned over.
Trolleybuses were maintained in the depots, but major repairs were done at the tram works in Kyotts Lake Road, and they could be towed (like a bus) or even drag a 'skate' in the tram track and be driven there. That is the way the Nechells route trams got from Washwood Heath depot to Nechells Green where they joined the route.

Here's a film of a broken tram in Blackpool, which needs recovery - and some of the overhead wire needs repair too. The 'engineering car' can run off the power wire, but also has a diesel engine so the power can be tuned off during the repairs.

 
Lloyd said:
If a tram had just 'failed', it could be towed or pushed by another. If derailed it could sometimes be driven back onto the track by providing an earth link to the track (very carefully, wearing thick rubber gloves!). There was also a tram bbreakdown wagon (see pic) which could tow them, and with its crane even right them if they had turned over.
Trolleybuses were maintained in the depots, but major repairs were done at the tram works in Kyotts Lake Road, and they could be towed (like a bus) or even drag a 'skate' in the tram track and be driven there. That is the way the Nechells route trams got from Washwood Heath depot to Nechells Green where they joined the route.

Here's a film of a broken tram in Blackpool, which needs recovery - and some of the overhead wire needs repair too. The 'engineering car' can run off the power wire, but also has a diesel engine so the power can be tuned off during the repairs.

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Thank you but that can not be Blackpool it's not raining .
 
great foo
Lloyd said:
If a tram had just 'failed', it could be towed or pushed by another. If derailed it could sometimes be driven back onto the track by providing an earth link to the track (very carefully, wearing thick rubber gloves!). There was also a tram bbreakdown wagon (see pic) which could tow them, and with its crane even right them if they had turned over.
Trolleybuses were maintained in the depots, but major repairs were done at the tram works in Kyotts Lake Road, and they could be towed (like a bus) or even drag a 'skate' in the tram track and be driven there. That is the way the Nechells route trams got from Washwood Heath depot to Nechells Green where they joined the route.

Here's a film of a broken tram in Blackpool, which needs recovery - and some of the overhead wire needs repair too. The 'engineering car' can run off the power wire, but also has a diesel engine so the power can be tuned off during the repairs.

Click to expand...
Great footage!
 
Jonob said:
Couple more, John.
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Tram 420, a 1912 car withdrawn in 1949 when the Moseley Road trams were abandoned. Rote 42 was from High Street to Alcester Lanes End, via Bradford Street. The tram is shown in the pre 1946 livery, it was re-painted in 1945, the photo being shortly before withdrawal. It os loading outside the famous Morgans sausage building and will turn right into Rea Street.
The second photo appears to be at the junction Bristol Road/Pebble Mill Road, where the Bundy clock was situated. The tram is on 36 route to Cotteridge.
 
mikejee said:
I do think that if photos have been manipulated , this should be stated very clearly when they are placed on the forum, as this is s HISTORYforum, and not a fantasy one
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I removed the image from this thread and place it in the Hobbies thread. You can delete my posts#715 and 718.
 
The trams on service 71 to Rubery are 737 (1926-1952) which has a grab rail at roof level, for the maintenance peoples use, the other is 532 (1914/15 to 1950-53)They have recently arrived and not yet revered for return to town. Both are in post 1946 livery. The photo has been dated to 1949.
Car 534, has a destination of Pebble Mill Road and that is where it seems to be. There were crossovers at that point.
At Short Heath car 706 (1926- 1952) is ready for town (once the crew has finished chat and ciggies) and clocked their departure with the Bundy clock.
Most of the adverts, apart from Spillers and the Co-Op, refer to Birmingham companies, i.e.Davenports, Loo Bloom, Evening Despatch and Bradshaws (of Cregoe Street). All these have their own thread or are mention in threads already.
 
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