Bernard67Arnold
master brummie
Found this in my old Postcards Bernard Sad Day Eh!!
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Last Tram from BirmingHAM
- Thread starter Bernard67Arnold
- Start date
Peter Walker
gone but not forgotten
Bernard and dek,
The date of the original photo was taken was Saturday 4 July, 1953, the time was about 11.13 am, and the location was on Lichfield Road, corner of Victoria Road on the right, looking towards Aston Cross. The occasion was the last 'official' tram (invited guests only) which did a round trip from Miller Street Depot up to Steelhouse Lane, leaving at 11.00 am for the Yenton at Erdington, and back to Miller Street. Obviously, the nice painting which you reproduce was done later.
I remember the day very well, being a seasoned tram nutter. I had been on the last 39 tram from Alcester Lane's End back to the depot at Trafalgar Road, Balsall Heath (October 1949), on the last 6 Tram from Perry Barr to Miller Street (on New Year's Eve 1949), on the last 5 tram from Lozells back to Witton depot (30 September 1950), the last 72 from Rubery back to Selly Oak depot (5 July 1952). Up to this time, all the last trams ran up to the close of the day's timetable on a Saturday.
When the Erdington routes closed a year later, it was decided to hold the event around mid-day. The previous evening, cars not needed for the Saturday morning service were driven in convoy through the city centre via dale End, Digbeth and Camp Hill to the old depot and repair works at Kyotts Lake Road. About 10.45 next morning, the first 44 service trams returning back towards town unloaded at the Victoria Road junction shown in the picture, and passengers were picked up by a bus which continued towards town on the new regular bus service from then on. The trams went up Victoria Road, right down Park Road to Witton Depot, where they were broken up. The later service cars continued to Miller Street, where passengers were picked up by replacement buses.
Normally the trams ran in bunches of three, one on each of the routes to Short Heath 78, Erdington 2, and Pype Hayes 79, but The 'official' last car was timed to follow whichever was the last service car to arrive at Gravelly Hill, where the three converged.
It so happened that a neighbour of mine, Gerry Thompson, was driving the last 79 out to Pype Hayes and back to Miller Street, and he invited me on to the driving platform, tipping me the time he was due to leave Steelhouse on the last outward journey, at about 10.55. I got on his tram lond before then, and stuck there until the last run to the dopt, where he he let me stay on for the first bit of Miller Street, but asked me to get off at Bracebridge Street, as there were his bosses and the police around, and he might get into unnecessary trouble.
Afterwards he gave me his copy of W A Agnew's "The Electric Tramcar Handbook" (6th edition) which I have in front of me now.
I'm afraid I'm bragging, but those things were incredibly important to me then.
47 years later I was able to ride on three 'first trams' where I've lived for over 40 years now in Croydon, on each of the three routes. Something else I don't forget, unlike many things.
Peter
The date of the original photo was taken was Saturday 4 July, 1953, the time was about 11.13 am, and the location was on Lichfield Road, corner of Victoria Road on the right, looking towards Aston Cross. The occasion was the last 'official' tram (invited guests only) which did a round trip from Miller Street Depot up to Steelhouse Lane, leaving at 11.00 am for the Yenton at Erdington, and back to Miller Street. Obviously, the nice painting which you reproduce was done later.
I remember the day very well, being a seasoned tram nutter. I had been on the last 39 tram from Alcester Lane's End back to the depot at Trafalgar Road, Balsall Heath (October 1949), on the last 6 Tram from Perry Barr to Miller Street (on New Year's Eve 1949), on the last 5 tram from Lozells back to Witton depot (30 September 1950), the last 72 from Rubery back to Selly Oak depot (5 July 1952). Up to this time, all the last trams ran up to the close of the day's timetable on a Saturday.
When the Erdington routes closed a year later, it was decided to hold the event around mid-day. The previous evening, cars not needed for the Saturday morning service were driven in convoy through the city centre via dale End, Digbeth and Camp Hill to the old depot and repair works at Kyotts Lake Road. About 10.45 next morning, the first 44 service trams returning back towards town unloaded at the Victoria Road junction shown in the picture, and passengers were picked up by a bus which continued towards town on the new regular bus service from then on. The trams went up Victoria Road, right down Park Road to Witton Depot, where they were broken up. The later service cars continued to Miller Street, where passengers were picked up by replacement buses.
Normally the trams ran in bunches of three, one on each of the routes to Short Heath 78, Erdington 2, and Pype Hayes 79, but The 'official' last car was timed to follow whichever was the last service car to arrive at Gravelly Hill, where the three converged.
It so happened that a neighbour of mine, Gerry Thompson, was driving the last 79 out to Pype Hayes and back to Miller Street, and he invited me on to the driving platform, tipping me the time he was due to leave Steelhouse on the last outward journey, at about 10.55. I got on his tram lond before then, and stuck there until the last run to the dopt, where he he let me stay on for the first bit of Miller Street, but asked me to get off at Bracebridge Street, as there were his bosses and the police around, and he might get into unnecessary trouble.
Afterwards he gave me his copy of W A Agnew's "The Electric Tramcar Handbook" (6th edition) which I have in front of me now.
I'm afraid I'm bragging, but those things were incredibly important to me then.
47 years later I was able to ride on three 'first trams' where I've lived for over 40 years now in Croydon, on each of the three routes. Something else I don't forget, unlike many things.
Peter
motorman-mike
Brum visitor who stayed.
Here is an unpublished view showing the change over to buses last tram day. The second view was taken at the same time.
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