Long Routes.....

[B61 ANDREW]

Certainly not the longest distance but must be the route that takes the longest and most convoluted way to go not very far - Kev's 55 takes 1 hour 49 to get from Quinton to Longbridge.

Anyone out there actually done this route from end to end ??  

[ellspurs]

If we're going historic, I remember catching the 192 Hereford - Leominster - Ludlow - Bewdley - Kidderminster - Halesowen - Birmingham in the mid-late 1990s, and that was a three hour trip one-way.

A bit closer to home, there used to be a route 98 that went from Asda at Hay Mills to Sheldon, Wheatsheaf, via most of East Birmingham. It took at least an hour to do the journey, and you ended up 10 minutes further down the road from where you started (both the terminus were on the Coventry Road).

[the trainbasher]

If we're going historic, I remember catching the 192 Hereford - Leominster - Ludlow - Bewdley - Kidderminster - Halesowen - Birmingham in the mid-late 1990s, and that was a three hour trip one-way.

A bit closer to home, there used to be a route 98 that went from Asda at Hay Mills to Sheldon, Wheatsheaf, via most of East Birmingham. It took at least an hour to do the journey, and you ended up 10 minutes further down the road from where you started (both the terminus were on the Coventry Road).

Or in 1983 that would have been the X92 (according to my WMPTE Feb 1983 North Division timetable book) 

iirc the 98 was a merger of two individual routes, the 661 Ward End - Pool Way and 662 Shard End - Sheldon

[busfan2847]

Or in 1983 that would have been the X92 (according to my WMPTE Feb 1983 North Division timetable book) 

Or on Sundays in 1988 the 92 operated by Birmingham Central. I have a photo of Metrobus 2359 climbing to the top of Clee Hill, heading to Hereford!

[Stu]

A bit closer to home, there used to be a route 98 that went from Asda at Hay Mills to Sheldon, Wheatsheaf, via most of East Birmingham. It took at least an hour to do the journey, and you ended up 10 minutes further down the road from where you started (both the terminus were on the Coventry Road).

Reminds me of the old 41 service, from memory it ran from Springfield to Hall Green Church, which were practically ten minutes apart if that, but went via much of east Birmingham and Solihull in a big loop, I believe the route actually crossed itself somewhere near Fox Hollies Road.

[karl724223]

Old 966 airport to wolves 

[j789]

Made the mistake once of catching the 258 in Brum city centre to Merry Hill. Never again! That route went on for ever. Was even longer still when it went to Wolverhampton.

[SO6597]

The predecessor to the current 76, the 69 was a very long route, particularly at the point it ran Weoley Castle to Heartlands Hospital via most of south Birmingham and the moon.

For a brief period in Autumn 1993 it was even longer, running through to Frankley and interworking with a shortened 49 route.

[Sandy Lane]

Anyone remember De Courcey's 360A & 360C 31 mile circular route around Coventry?
Not sure what the journey time was though but reckon it ran every 30 mins?

[Mike K]

For one that never left the West Midlands county, the 900 when it ran Hasbury - Birmingham - Coventry was another long route.

[Crosville]

Don't forget the 49 which replaced the 69 by extending to terminate at Weoley Castle. Now that was a long route to Solihull too.

And the version of the 48 which took place after the network review in 2018. Where instead of going straight to Weoley Castle and Northfield after the QE it went round Hawkseley etc to replace the 84.

I do remember getting the 49 Solihull-Northfield end to end a load of times very long route that took 90 minutes.

35 Birmingham-Kings Heath which did a long convoluted loop from Kings Heath via Hawksley & Northfield to Kings Heath think took 90 minutes, may have taken longer, & had to be operated by single deckers because it went under the low bridge at Bournville

[Rachvince53]

Anyone remember De Courcey's 360A & 360C 31 mile circular route around Coventry?
Not sure what the journey time was though but reckon it ran every 30 mins?

Yep. It didn't last long as it suffered badly from traffic congestion.  

[Rachvince53]

X64 Birmingham to Corby run by Stagecoach United Counties took over 3 hours. Normally operated by coaches, the odd Leyland Olympian also was used on it.

[frostjay974]

During peak times a full journey on the 54/54A can take around an hour and 40 minutes 

[jasmine]

diamond or nx?