Perry Barr Garage

[Steve3229vp]

They only need to drop Summer Road down 6" and the buses'd fit.

Oh yeah, I can really see the Highways agency wanting to pay for that

[EK40]

And would you do that ?

you'd have to send it up the A4040, as it does on diversion when theres an issue on short heath road, still would leave a lot of short heath road without any nearby bus service.

[Steve3229vp]

you'd have to send it up the A4040, as it does on diversion when theres an issue on short heath road, still would leave a lot of short heath road without any nearby bus service.

That's clearly not the answer then is it !

[Mike K]

Out of interest, what route did the 28 take around Erdington back in the days when it was double-deck operated? I know it's quite a while ago now. 

[Tony]

Out of interest, what route did the 28 take around Erdington back in the days when it was double-deck operated? I know it's quite a while ago now.

Reservoir Road, then South Road, which was pretty bad when I used to drive it in Fleetline days with car parking on both sides of the road, you had to be really careful and look right up the road in case a bus was coming the other way because there was normally only about two places you could pass.

South Road looks even worse now

[don]

Reservoir Road, then South Road, which was pretty bad when I used to drive it in Fleetline days with car parking on both sides of the road, you had to be really careful and look right up the road in case a bus was coming the other way because there was normally only about two places you could pass.

South Road looks even worse now

I thought in BCT days it did Short Heath Road, Marsh Lane, left to Gravelly Lane and then right to Chester Road to go past Chester Road station. I'm presuming it was changed to single deck to enable it to get conveniently to Erdington town centre. In BCT days (and WMPTE) it didn't get close to the town centre (but reasonably close to Erdington station). 

[Tony]

In BCT d

I thought in BCT days it did Short Heath Road, Marsh Lane, left to Gravelly Lane and then right to Chester Road to go past Chester Road station. I'm presuming it was changed to single deck to enable it to get conveniently to Erdington town centre. In BCT days (and WMPTE) it didn't get close to the town centre (but reasonably close to Erdington station).

[don]

I wonder if it was changed in the mid/late 70s when the Erdington routes along Lichfield Road were recast to integrate Miller Street and Sutton garages operations (eg removal of ex BCT route 64 terminating just beyond the Yenton at the Birmingham City boundary - as was - Sutton was absorbed in 1974!!) - I know it was Lea Hall running the 28 (plus Liverpool Street in BCT days) but generally the PTE went in for area coordination schemes (eg Stourbridge, Dudley, Cannock (with MR Chaserider), Chelmsley Wood, Solihull, involving rail as well) and involving whichever garages ran services. 

[Steve3229vp]

The 28 originally ran via Chester Road Station and Gravelly Lane to Short Heath, it started serving Six Ways Erdington and then South Road at deregulation (26th October 1986), it was converted to single deckers going via the Summer Road bridge in 2007 originally using Volvo B10B's

[Tony]

The 28 originally ran via Chester Road Station and Gravelly Lane to Short Heath, it started serving Six Ways Erdington and then South Road at deregulation (26th October 1986), it was converted to single deckers going via the Summer Road bridge in 2007 originally using Volvo B10B's

Thanks. I couldn't remember the dates, but knew I had driven all 3 variants.
I started driving in 1984, so that ties in.

[Steve3229vp]

Thanks. I couldn't remember the dates, but knew I had driven all 3 variants.
I started driving in 1984, so that ties in.

I also read in one of Malcolm Keeley's books that BCT needed permission to run the 28 along the section of Chester Road between Yenton and Gravelly Lane because it was in Midland Red territory. 

[don]

They only need to drop Summer Road down 6" and the buses'd fit.

You might find this astonishing but in the late 70s a railway bridge on the then 358 (later 158) at Pelsall was raised to enable standard PTE Fleetlines and VRs to operate the service - the ex WCT Fleetlines being replaced were lower height. Summer Road bridge already has a lowered carriageway (to achieve 14 ft) - it might be very expensive in underground services and drainage to achieve further lowering, whilst raising the track (as at Pelsall - the line is now closed and a footpath) and bridge deck might not be straightforward as it's electrified. So prohibitively expensive. 

[Stu]

At the end of the day, there are always going to be bus services that have to pass under height-restricted bridges which means that only single-decks can be used.

You can try re-routing them around these bridges, but there will be some passengers that get inconvenienced as a result, also if the diversion becomes quite lengthy it would mean additional resource (staff/vehicles etc) having to be deployed just to maintain the same level of service.

[Mike K]

1897 on the 7 this evening, heading into city after the Villa game had ended and completely ill-equipped to deal with the football crowds. Not a change bus either, it had been on that board all day - poor planning.

On a separate note, caught my first ever electric on the 33 tonight. Nice smooth and rattle-free ride but my word, the headroom towards the back is absolutely shocking (I'm 5'11 and banged my head) and sitting on the rear seat downstairs my knees were nearly touching my chin. Appalling design and very uncomfortable. The bus was also way too small. Wouldn't want to catch one of these long distance on the X1.

EDIT: on second thoughts, 1897 could probably accommodate a lot more passengers than one of the PB electrics!

[fleetline6477]

Reservoir Road, then South Road, which was pretty bad when I used to drive it in Fleetline days with car parking on both sides of the road, you had to be really careful and look right up the road in case a bus was coming the other way because there was normally only about two places you could pass.

South Road looks even worse now

For a period Central Buses operated a 28E between Erdington and Dyas Road (I think) which was often allocated an Olympian, they took a different route into Erdington to avoid the bridge, remember the road being congested with parking.