History of the 50 Bus Route

[Ingleboro261F]

Was reading this article, pretty interesting:

Never knew this until now but the 50 route turns 75 in October. I didn't think it was that old, is it one of the oldest bus routes up there with the 9?

https://www-bbc-com.cdn.ampproject.org/v/s/www.bbc.com/news/articles/cd6qveyv4jqo.amp?amp_gsa=1&amp_js_v=a9&usqp=mq331AQGsAEggAID#amp_tf=From%20%251%24s&aoh=17270480071821&csi=0&referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com&ampshare=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bbc.com%2Fnews%2Farticles%2Fcd6qveyv4jqo

[Steve3229vp]

Originally terminated at the Maypole (Druids was served by the 48), it was extended to Druids Heath on Sundays only at the end of 1980 due to the 48 no longer having a Sunday service. The 48 withdrawn in 1981(ish) being replaced by the 50 being extended to Druids Heath at all times and the 35 being re-routed via Willows Road and Gooch Street.

[busfan2847]

The 50 (and 48, 49) were introduced 2nd October 1949, replacing the tram services from Moseley Road depot operating as far south as Alcester Lanes End and the 35 bus service from City to Maypole. The tram service from City to Alcester lanes End via Bradford St (42) started 12th January 1907 via the same route as the 50 bus.

The 48 was extended to Druids Heath on 10th July 1966
48 and 50 were converted to OMO 7th May 1972.
The 49 which ran only as far as Kings Heath was cut back outside the rush hour to Moseley Village before being replaced by extending the 35 (Kings Heath to Brandwood Park Road) to City via Leopold St at one end, and to Pool Farm at the other on 18th May 1975.
The 48 was withdrawn on 24th October 1981, replaced by diverting the 35 from Moseley Village to Ciyu via Balsall Heath and extending the 50 to Druids Heath from the following day.

[Stevo]

I lived in the 1950s and 1960s almost opposite the Maypole terminus of the 48 and 50 and must have done very many hundreds of journeys on Moseley Road Daimler CVD6s, and on the three 1937 Daimler COG5s that came out in the rush hour, 1055, 1060 and 1107. I've got photos somewhere.

[Justin Tyme]

I didn't think it was that old, is it one of the oldest bus routes up there with the 9?

There are a number of bus routes that are older.

To give a little bit of history, horse bus routes started in Birmingham in the early 1830s, and during Victorian times most main roads in the city had regular services.

Trams started to appear in the 1870s, and during the 1880s steam tramways were started on most main roads.  Horse buses were then confined to a few other routes.

During the 1900s Birmingham's tramways were converted to electric, mainly (eventually entirely) run by the Corporation.  After an unsuccessful start in the early 1900s, motor buses appeared in 1912 and quickly replaced the horse buses.  They were used on less important routes until the mid 1920s, when they started to be used to open up new services such as the 8, 11 and 16.

Electric trams were dominant in Birmingham until the 1930s, by which time the motor bus had developed to become the tram's equal or better.  From the late 1930s trams were gradually replaced by buses when tram tracks wore out and were due for renewal or replacement.  The last trams were withdrawn in 1953.

So ... while the 50 is "only" 75 years old, it replaced trams which in one form or another had run over much of the route since 1884.

[Wumpty]

Did the 50 have a series of suffix letters for different stopping places in the City Centre?

The history of the 50 should also include the other operators that have plied their trade against NXWM/TWM/WMB/WMT.

Diamond currently operate the 50, and I remember Travel Your Bus/Smiths of Tysoe (50Y).

Were there any others?

[Steve3229vp]

Green Bus did the 50 for a while in around 2014

[Jack]

Green Bus did the 50 for a while in around 2014

2012-2014

[busfan2847]

Did the 50 have a series of suffix letters for different stopping places in the City Centre?

The history of the 50 should also include the other operators that have plied their trade against NXWM/TWM/WMB/WMT.

Diamond currently operate the 50, and I remember Travel Your Bus/Smiths of Tysoe (50Y).

Were there any others?

Birmingham had suffix letters for short journeys from the city centre, not for different stopping places in the city centre. 50J (orig 50A) was used for shorts to Kings Heath and 50K (orig 50B) to Alcester Lanes End, 50F to Moseley Village

I have caught Falcon Travel on the 50 (~1993-95), Rover Coaches ~94 (although their 50A was I believe Birmingham to Redditch via Maypole) and Petes/ Peoples Express.

[Jay71]

Didn't Pete's Travel run a night service on the 50?

[danny]

While we are on the 50, was there always the Turning circle at Alcester lanes end and druids heath??

[busfan2847]

While we are on the 50, was there always the Turning circle at Alcester lanes end and druids heath??

Yes, the turning circle at Alcester Lanes End was built for the replacement of the trams, which had reversed in the middle of the road outside the Kings Head. The Druids Heath turning circle was built before the 48 service was extended to Druids Heath.

[Wumpty]

As well as the history of operators, wasn't the 50 a first for new vehicle types with the Optare Spectras and the Alexander-bodied Scania deckers (H-LOM)?

[B.C Driver]

I did the 50 an odd few times when I started at BC in 1997, was operated by the 32xx Scanias then, you could hear those brakes from a long way away! Not long after that the 40xx Optares operated it which I was never keen on.

Was never over keen on the 50 so only did it very rarely. Was (and still is) very busy. I wonder if the new train station at Kings Heath will make any difference?

[Busmapper]

The 50 (along with the 8 and the 11) has its own Wikipedia page.

Some other south Birmingham routes have pages on the Fandom uk transport wiki.