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Some Birmingham Trams

Frothblower

Frothblower

Lubrication In Moderation
Some photos of Birmingham Trams ( and a bus) borrowed off ebay:whistle:



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Trams

Thank you for posting these wonderful pics, they reminds me of my early days when my Gran would takes me for a day out to Brum, as she called Birmingham, we were living as West Bromwich at the time. I was always fascinated by the ritual which took place at The Boundary(so it was called) which was outside the West Bromwich Football Club, here the trams stopped and as they were now about to travel over Birminghams tracks from here on, another fare had to be paid (the original fare being from your place of boarding upto this point) One of the crew(not sure if it was the driver or conductor) use a key which he carried to insert into a grand clock which stood on a pedestal between the shelters were passengers awaited. I never found out the reason for this ritual, does any-one why?
 
Heres another one for you.
Carters Green, West Brom.
 
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Trams

Thank you Posstie, Carters green is where we got on the trams for Birmingham.To the left of the artist was the Tower cinema, which I sometimes visited to the Saturday Minors Club, remembered being terrified of the weekly cliff-hanger, Flash Gordon and the Emporer Ming(never saw every episode as spending money was in short supply those (go old days??)times.
 
That first photo of Frothblower's was taken on Sutton Rd Erdington just passed The Yenton Pub (There was a terminus there).
The shop on the corner far right would have been Hancox & Dodge 167 Sutton Rd when that pic' was taken.
I worked in that shop in the 1960's. The shop was taken over by Moyle & Adams by the time I worked there and is now a Mobility store outlet.

Pom :angel:
 
Frothblower's picture of the single decker is interesting, it's one that is withdrawn from passenger service, the top deck and stairs removed and in use as a service vehicle, taking workmen and tools to do essential maintenance and repairs. Her are a couple more: cut-down car 341 at Selly Oak (picture taken 24/6/1948 by J.E.Cull) and overhead repair van 01 in what looks like Witton depot, (taken 9/8/1947 by Bob Parr).
 
It was nice to see the names of John Cull and Bob Parr again. Both of them were active in the Light Railway Transport League, as it was called then. John lived in Selly Park and, apart from religiously taking part in every organised meeting at the Boatmen's Mission Hall, and the car riding sessions, was a frequent speaker at meetings all over the country - I particularly remember his talk on the Portsmouth and Horndean tramway which later appeared as an article in our mag, 'The Modern Tramway'. Bob Parr lived in Nottingham and led the group there, but I seem to remember he had some connection with Walsall - but that may have been someone else.
So far as the pictures are concerned, tram 341 was taken out of service in early 1945, cut down to single deck and used for the illuminated car for VE day, after which it stood at in Kyotts Lake Road works until 1948, smartly repainted and taken to Selly Oak depot where it did its job until August 1952, when it was broken up. I believe car O1 was converted with an access tower to work on overhead wireing in the 1920s, when track was laid on the centre reservations on many widened roads, where a horse-drawn or motor tower wagon could not move over the ballasted track. It was rarely used, but survived until it was broken up at Witton in March 1952
Peter
 
I like this old photo of Digbeth at the corner of Rea St., the tram would be on its way up the moseley Rd. notice the Midland Red bus parked outside the bus garage, before it became the coach station
 
What a lovely view of Deritend as it used to be. This must have been taken in late 1952 or early 1953, the trolleybus wires have already gone from the overhead lines, and the tram track and wire would soon follow.
The 'patch' in front of Digbeth garage was the site of buildings demolished in readiness for the widening of the main road, and was used as an overspill bus parking area. When the road was widened and this facility lost, derelict ground in Benacre Street and the former gas works in Adderley Street were used instead. Digbeth was already the coach station, and had been since the early thirties, which is why there was little room inside for daytime bus parking!
 
Hi. Lloyd. Thats about the years I thought it would be, 1952 or 53, is the bus parked outside a Fedd?. I worked on the (friendly) Midland Red in the 60s, and remember having to walk to Benacre Street or Adderley Street from Digbeth garage to pick up or drop a bus off, sometimes at Adderley Street if I remember correctly after a late night shift about 11 or 12 pm. dont think I would relish the idea of walking back to the garage at that time of night these days.
 
Hi John, Yes that's a FEDD (Front Entrance Double Deck) parked on the patch.
Benacre Street had gone, built on by the time I started at Digbeth in 1973, but Adderley Street was still very much in use.I seem to remember you got an extra 10 minutes or so for walking there (or back) to get your bus.
It was still the friendly Midland Red in those days, but later years made it more profit-oriented. In my years as union secretary there, in the late 90s, I asked a manager what had happened to the 'friendly' aspect, during some protracted negotiation. "We can't afford it now." was his reply. Signs of the times, I thought.
 
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