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What a desperate state of affairs to have to run a bus service. Whoever has to drive that route in the evening should be paid danger money.

Don't be too hard on the appearance. I think it has a certain appeal that you can warm to. Body built by Nu-Track which was based in Ballymena in Northern Ireland. The company is no longer trading. 

I'm not surprised if they churned out vehicles looking like that. It's hideous. 

100 odd old WMPTE photos I'd not seen before have been added in the last few days - for those of us who like that sort of thing.

A nice variety with some vintage all-over ad buses included.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/wyverman/albums/72157669946290800

Some great nostalgic pictures there, thanks for sharing the link. Always keen to find out about new WMPTE pictures on Flickr. 

I have just looked at pictures on Tony's site and 4832 looks like it has two tone grey, maybe the lighting doesn't help

Sorry that was my mistake, meant 4834

I think I saw on here that older vehicles (pre-09 plates at a guess) will be getting just one shade of grey as they don't have much time left with the new electrics coming, whereas newer vehicles will be getting two shades.

Thanks - however the likes of 4832 and 4983  are newer than 09 but seem to be in a single colour but older 57 plate ones such as 4768 are 2 tone. It's strange.

Couple of questions:
What's the reasoning behind some of the repaints being done in a single shade of grey - livery experimentation, running low on one shade of paint(!)?
The diagonal red vinyls on the newly delivered electrics - is this now a single block of red (as opposed to being 2 shades of narrow red stripes on the repaints)? It's hard to tell from the pictures.

I remember the 301 and 302,as Cannock to walsall routes too. Not sure of the difference between them though. There was also a 303 304 305 306 and 307 in the Cannock area but no idea where/which way thry went.

Tjere was also a 907 just before the 951 started, it was a limited stop

The 301-306 covered the many permutations of the various routes taken between Walsall and Cannock, and Cannock and Hednesford. For a time at least I think it was something along the lines of 301 direct to Cannock then via Pye Green to Hednesford, 302 via Cheslyn Hay to Cannock then via Chadsmoor to Hednesford, 303/304 via Great Wyrley (Hilton Lane or Quinton Avenue) to Cannock, then via Chadsmoor to Hednesford, and 305/306 as 303/304 to Cannock, then via Pye Green to Hednesford. Not sure about the 307. 

You said that about the 12 and 13 that don't even serve Dudley Rd.

He said just doing Dudley Road (routes which he also drives) all day got mentally taxing, it was a reply to a question about the 12/13 routes potentially moving back to Pensnett. It was also posted 5 months ago so maybe you've not followed what was posted before it?

I must say that I also did a double take once I saw a 48 on California Way and going down West Boulevard!

I do hope all involved in the incident are okay.

Sadly a woman in her 80s has died.

https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/woman-pedestrian-killed-harborne-collision-28451175

It looks like the road may have only recently reopened after over 5 hours so a fatality seemed the inevitable outcome. Very sad indeed. 

Google Maps lists it as an Accident logo so Possible Accident

It's a serious collision involving a pedestrian and a van. Thoughts are with those involved and injured. 

I'm surprised the 24s are still using Fellows Lane, I thought the diversion might have changed to Tennal Road. There's a school for special needs children on Fellows Lane and it's not easy to get through at school finishing time due to parking. My kids have just got home from their school and told me that Fellows Lane was at a standstill with four 24s trying to get through. 

Interesting and highly unusual diversion in place at the moment due to what looks like some sort of accident / police incident on Lordswood Road close to Harborne Leisure Centre.

24s are currently diverting via War Lane and Fellows Lane to rejoin Court Oak Road. I did a double-take seeing 2 Platinums coming down Fellows Lane while another was waiting for them so it could travel up. I've seen a midi bus use that road before when the 636/19 etc have been on diversion in the past but never a double deck. 

Meanwhile 6139 had to do a 3 point turn of sorts at the Harborne Leisure Centre stop to avoid being caught up in the incident, and continue down War Lane.

The Via points still display, the new blinds on the rear blinds transition, it says for example 16 Hamstead, then on next part it says 16 hamstead via handsworth ect.

Not on BC buses they don't. It's just a static display showing 23 Bartley Green for example.

Not sure what's to be gained from removing the 'via' information for passengers to be honest. The route number is still the same size, it was clear what route the bus was on and where it was going before they changed the displays. 

Almost every time I get the 49 from Longbridge to Solihull, I have the nicest and quietest journey on the top deck... Then you get to Solihull Lodge and Haslucks Green and it just becomes a riot! So no, Shirley and Solihull aren't that posh - I hate going over there, but I have to because of family.

Without wishing to derail this thread further, large parts of Solihull include some of the most affluent parts of the West Midlands and it's no coincidence that it's one of the most expensive places to live in the West Midlands. So generally speaking, most people would consider it "posh". 

That's not to say that all youths who live there are well behaved, or indeed that everyone who catches a bus there lives there.  

Believe they did run extras on the 7 once upon a time, as to weather these were shorts to villa Park or just extra buses on the route I'm not sure

There were a number of short journeys to Villa Park on the 7 in the past. After games there would be a number of 7s parked up on Witton Lane just before the Witton Square roundabout waiting to take fans back into town. Personally, I'd walk down to Perry Barr to catch a bus, avoiding the worst of the traffic. These days I'll walk to the Bartons Arms for a couple of beers until the traffic has died down. 

I'm not too worried. You can't get much more disrupted than the current 4 buses at a time and a half hour wait for the next.

Don't worry, reliability will improve when they're extended across the city to Harborne and Bartley Green, where the buses always run on time. Not 😂