WMPTE era timetable leaflets

[Westy]

Having a look at the NX Historic Vehicle FB site(Don't worry Tony, I won't join, you've probably had enough of me on here already anyway!), seeing the various pics of the various vehicles undergoing restoration, I happened to notice someone had posted pictures of the old style timetable leaflets for the Brum services, which were different to the 'North Division' ones of the time.

Obviously these all vanished at the time of deregulation, in favour of the first design of WM Travel style leaflets, but why was 2 different styles of leaflet maintained all those years?

Surely design style should have been harmonised well before deregulation?

One thing I seem to remember the Walsall to Brum 51 service was available in 'Brum' & 'North Division' formats, but the Brum version listed the City to Scott Arms shorts, but the North version didn't!

[don]

Surely design style should have been harmonised well before deregulation?

One thing I seem to remember the Walsall to Brum 51 service was available in 'Brum' & 'North Division' formats, but the Brum version listed the City to Scott Arms shorts, but the North version didn't!

When WMPTE was formed in 1969, service 51 was an ex BCT route from Birmingham to the Scott Arms (Miller St garage), and the Birmingham to Walsall route was 118, an ex Walsall Corporation/Midland Red joint service. The B'ham to Scott Arms short version was 119, although I'm not sure if in reality, any of those ran by that time (119 was the route until BCT took it over in the late 50s as the 51). The 118 became a joint WMPTE (run from Walsall garage)/Midland Red service until December 1973, when WMPTE took over the Midland Red services run wholly within the West Midlands County. That continued for some years, and for instance Fleetlines 4586-4595 were allocated new to the ex MR garage at Sheepcote Street and used on the 118 (1974).

WMPTE eventually rationalised the services on each corridor out of Birmingham and the 118 became the 51, i think run by Miller Street. At some stage, it run by Walsall garage.

I'm guessing the reason it appeared in both timetables was partially because it was run jointly by North and South Division, and may even have been a throw back to the days when the 51 and 118 were separate services. But also journeys could start in either Division (a customer wanting to travel Walsall to Birmingham, for instance, would expect to find it in a Walsall timetable).

[Justin Tyme]

There were in fact three styles of leaflets.  Each division of WMPTE (North, South and East) arranged its own timetables - I think each division had its own printing contract.

In fact the divisions had some autonomy on a variety of matters, especially at Coventry, which west of Allesley was often referred to as "the far east"!

Why did North Division 51 timetables not include City - Scott Arms shorts?  I stand to be corrected but it was probably because they did not enter North Division territory and were not operated by North Division either.

[busfan2847]

The Scott Arms short workings operated by Midland Rd (119) transferred to BCT as the 51 on 4th May 1958 (The BCT 52 Beeches Rd Estate had already transferred from Midland Red 188 on 1st Sep 1957). The Midland Red route numebrs were not used after teh transfer to BCT. BCT reistated some pre-war Dailmler COG5 which were shared among garages to cover the increased vehicle requirement.