Old destination displays

[don]

A, B, C and D were used on most services (according to my 1967 Ian Allan British Bus Fleets no 14)! But not used on 36 and 40, for example. 56D was indeed, Washwood Heath Garage and 55D was Alum Rock Road (Sladefield Road). Other Ls were 48 (48L - Maypole via Balsall Heath) and 90 (90L - Lambeth Road (Queslett Road). 

There were lots of Js - not many Ks. There were also odd ones missing in each route - presumably where road arrangements of route arrangements had changed and the short working deleted. The multitude of short workings on the 11 and 8, had no suffix, or route number shown. 

[Tony]

There were a few others: 36L to Millhouse Road/Bierton Road, 48L to Maypole, 67L to Chester Road/Tangmere Drive, 90L to Lambeth Road/Queslett Road.

The letters D, G and I were not used, no doubt because they could have been mistaken for numbers.

It's worth pointing out that letters A, B and C (sometimes also others) were normally used for short workings from the outer terminus, not from city.  For example, at the Maypole there was at least one 50B working to Rea Street/Digbeth.

D being on the blinds ended up quite useful after 1973, Birmingham buses lined to Sheepcote Street regularly had to show 16D when on the 160 to Kingshurst

[Gareth]

D being on the blinds ended up quite useful after 1973, Birmingham buses lined to Sheepcote Street regularly had to show 16D when on the 160 to Kingshurst

I didn't actually realise track 3 was letters only!

[don]

I didn't actually realise track 3 was letters only!

I'm pretty sure some of these may have been changed to numbers in the later 70s - I think I've seen a photo of a 2xx GON Fleetline on a 161 showing the correct number - presumably a Coventry Road vehicle? I think the 3781 onwards Fleetlines in Birmingham had four track blinds? 

[Steve3229vp]

I'm pretty sure some of these may have been changed to numbers in the later 70s - I think I've seen a photo of a 2xx GON Fleetline on a 161 showing the correct number - presumably a Coventry Road vehicle? I think the 3781 onwards Fleetlines in Birmingham had four track blinds?

I think in the 1970's all ex Birmingham fleetlines had all number blinds having A C E N S and W on them

[Tony]

I'm pretty sure some of these may have been changed to numbers in the later 70s - I think I've seen a photo of a 2xx GON Fleetline on a 161 showing the correct number - presumably a Coventry Road vehicle? I think the 3781 onwards Fleetlines in Birmingham had four track blinds?

They started changing them around 1974 because of the ex Midland Red routes. Birmingham didn't have any 3 digits service numbers until then. Birmingham also had strict rules on displaying service numbers and single numbers always had to be displayed on the middle real. Until they were charged slightly dropped 'L' was normally used for 161 etc

[Westy]

They started changing them around 1974 because of the ex Midland Red routes. Birmingham didn't have any 3 digits service numbers until then. Birmingham also had strict rules on displaying service numbers and single numbers always had to be displayed on the middle real. Until they were charged slightly dropped 'L' was normally used for 161 etc

They still did that trick with various interworking routes, even renumbering to 'make things easier', for example 350 / 351, with the 0 & 1 positioned half & half.

[Bartosz]

6992 - 80E to Summerfield Park.

[Tony]

They still did that trick with various interworking routes, even renumbering to 'make things easier', for example 350 / 351, with the 0 & 1 positioned half & half.

That's just laziness, completely the opposite of Sheepcote Street an Sutton garages inventiveness 

[Wumpty]

That's just laziness, completely the opposite of Sheepcote Street an Sutton garages inventiveness

Some WA drivers would put the E on the first reel as they'd used the second, third and fourth for the 3 digit service number (frequently on the E367!).

The WA Track drivers never used the rear blinds due to the frequency of interworking changes. Imagine walking down the then Station Street looking for your bus and seeing NO numbers!

There was also the omission of the side blinds on Mk2A Metrobuses and Lynxes - both fitted with either 'via' blinds or bespoke side blinds and not being used.

[Justin Tyme]

The WA Track drivers never used the rear blinds due to the frequency of interworking changes. Imagine walking down the then Station Street looking for your bus and seeing NO numbers!

In fact during most of the 1970s it was rare to see WA buses with the side number blinds in use either.  I expect this was mainly, or totally, because Walsall Corporation buses built from the early 1960s only had front blinds.

Birmingham Corporation's two-door Fleetlines - and rear-engined single deckers - were built without rear number blinds (as were West Bromwich Fleetlines), and this policy carried on into the early PTE era.  It became common for driver-only buses with to display blanks on the rear on those buses that had them, until (I understand) an agreement with drivers around 1979 brought them back into use.

I believe the agreement did not require rear number blinds to be used where route interworked, such as the WA track services.

[Gareth]

Imagine being so upset and/or lazy to change front, side AND rear number blinds. Absolute shock horror.

[Wumpty]

Imagine being so upset and/or lazy to change front, side AND rear number blinds. Absolute shock horror.

[Tony]

Imagine being so upset and/or lazy to change front, side AND rear number blinds. Absolute shock horror.

No, it wasn't laziness.

Walsall services changed route numbers while passengers remained on the buses and the agreement was so the driver didn't have to leave the cab or lean over passengers on the seats underneath the route numbers

[Mike K]

No, it wasn't laziness.

Walsall services changed route numbers while passengers remained on the buses and the agreement was so the driver didn't have to leave the cab or lean over passengers on the seats underneath the route numbers

This also tended to be the case with roller blinds in more recent years on Birmingham routes that inter-worked; for example the 22/23. Whilst the side number tracks would be changed (the driver only needed to lean over the luggage rack) the rear ones would be left blank.