Topics

Don't know if something like this has already been done but thought it would be a good way to get some background information on each other and find out the local routes and garages that we're all most familiar with.

With me, I live in Tile Cross, near the East Meadway, and my closest bus route is the 97, which I use far too much, but other routes within a 5 minute walk are the 14, 59, 70, 71, 72 (all at the crossroads of the Meadway/Kitts Green Rd.) and 5 mins in the other direction from my house I can get the 71 or 94 on Chelmsley Road, Fordbridge. Or there's the S20 and 91 I can get on Tile Cross Road which are of no use to me, or it's about a 10 minute walk down to Tile Cross shops if I ever needed to get the 17.

Closest garage to me is probably Bordesley.

Can anyone give me some info on these 2  old routes? I'd never seen them before I saw these photos and wondered about their frequencies, destinations, via points etc.?
Route 914:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/59615439@N03/10886026064/in/photolist-hzXJhy-hzTQUu-hzTchC-hzUDkz-hzUDc8-hzTcbA-hzSZhV-hzUDik-hzTQ15-hzThYC-hyRaA9-hyKLzD-hyJNM7-hyr9Vj-hys7nR-hxt3cT-hxgUi7-hxfep9-hvBvWp-hvwErm-huM3NA-humxhh-htbArt-hruqhE-hruMkQ-hru7sk-hnbekg-hqHi7r-hqGZWW-hzYVk2-hzYYED-hzXuoU-hzY9rf-hzWSTp-hzX5F3-hyskaV-hyrcwS-hyrcGm-ht4JED-ht5pSf-ht5qX1-ht6bPP-hqzbCm-hqziHF-hqw6LR-hqj6WW-hqijp3-hpYdaD-hpjNyA-hpjNz7-hpkQEz

Route 24:
http://wmbusphotos.com/NXWM/gonebatches/3049.html

I think it looks very smart personally. I love the coloured strip they've added to the livery for it, it gives it that extra something. Would I be right in assuming the 900 will get treated to similar branding?

Does anybody know what's going on with the bendibuses at PB? I haven't seen any around the city centre for a while now, the 67 has been completely double decker operated.

After being in Minworth today and struggling to get back to Birmingham after the 71 and 116 stopped running, I wondered why isn't there a proper NXWM service from Minworth to Birmingham? I suggested before that the 67 be extended to Minworth, making it a slightly longer route and creating, I think, a needed link. I was pretty much stranded there because I have a NX bus pass! I had to walk to Castle Vale to get the 67 back to Birmingham. The only issue would be finding a suitable terminus for Bendibuses. One solution being have the 67 follow the 71 through Minworth Village and round to the Kingsbury Road to terminate at Midpoint Park, and then sort of loop back into Castle Vale the way the 638 does. Another is to scrap the Bendibuses, and use Omnilinks and terminate it at Asda Minworth.

Hey, just thought I'd start this thread for any queries on doing round trips of bus routes or to suggest any good ones. I've said on here already but I'm not very familiar with many routes outside of East Birmingham so I'm gonna start travelling on round trips from place to place, route to route, to familiarise myself with some. For example today I'm planning on getting the 17:55 129 from Colmore Row, getting off in West Bromwich and getting the 48 then getting the 22/23 back to Birmingham from Bartley Green. Does anyone know how long this will take roughly? And, as strange as it sounds, has anyone ever got any funny looks or comments from a bus driver for travelling the whole way on a long route; I've got a bit of a social anxiety and if I stay on the 48 till Bartley Green and the bus driver comments on that fact I'll feel very very embarrassed   :-\ I know I was travelling on the 3 once from Solihull to Birmingham and a guy got on doing a survey at how well used the 3 was (from NXWM) and all he said "Oh, you're taking a very long route from Solihull" and I felt so awkward I got off at the next stop!

Was sat on a 97 being diverted down the 8 route to Small Heath Expressway due to the Blues match earlier and it got me thinking this might be one of those fun little topics that get everyone talking. So basically, the strangest or longest etc. diversion you've been taken on on a bus.
One I can remember is the 97 diversion not long ago due to roadworks on the Meadway, that went from the McDonalds on the Meadway all the way through Lea Hall, down Church Lane in Stechford, to Glebe Farm and down Kitts Green Road.

Right, gonna sound weird and sad but has anyone played Grand Theft Auto 4? :)
There are buses in it and bus interchanges and bus stops scattered around and well, being a bus enthusiast, I've created a bus network of routes that I play in it sometimes :P wondered if anyone else had thought about doing this or actually done it if you have the game, as I find it quite fun to do. I've had to "invent" my own bus stops in certain places but I think I've created quite a cool network as something to do when I'm bored.
Obviously you can't actually pick up passengers etc. but it's fun regardless just "imagining" you're driving a bus along a route.

Just wondering what all you guys thought about the new route brandings on some routes, and what other routes you think should be branded? Also, as its my local bus route, I also wondered whether the 97/97A are going to get branding on more buses other than 4177?  :)

I've seen a picture on flickr of a Plaxton President running the 72 in Lower Bull St. I can only guess it was running on a sunday, when it doesn't have to change between a 71 and 72 everytime it gets to Solihull Station. But I overheard a driver once saying they couldn't use double deckers on the 72 because of the low trees and thin roads by Coleshill Rd. in Marston Green. Any thoughts?