TWM routes 99,109,138,139 and 525

[winston]

@Winston I will have a look sometime tomorrow after work but i know that TMH did a B6 working on the 139 as shown here - https://www.flickr.com/photos/99593182@N08/9619214013/

@the trainbasher I wouldn't bother, I'll take your word for it, I can't remember.

[Trident 4609]

Cheers everyone for the replies  :)  Very much appreciated

I bet those Spectra's struggled up Mucklow Hill?

[Mike K]

The 9, 109, 139,& 919 were all introduced in Feb 1998 along with purple Hagley Road branding on Volvo B10L's 1443-1467, supplemented by Scania L113/Wright 1398/99 all were allocated to BC.

Hourly 139E's went as far as Pensnett High Oak Mon-Sun Eves

See extract of original timetable for Route Description / route maps etc.

The Hagley Road corridor was later upgraded back to double deckers with new B7TL/Plaxton Presidents in the shape of 4023-4041 & 4108/9 Nov 1999.

Thanks for posting the timetable Winston, not seen that in a long time. They made a very professional job of "photoshopping" the list of places served onto that B10L.

[winston]

The 9, 109, 139,& 919 were all introduced in Feb 1998 along with purple Hagley Road branding on Volvo B10L's 1443-1467, supplemented by Scania L113/Wright 1398/99 all were allocated to BC.

Hourly 139E's went as far as Pensnett High Oak Mon-Sun Eves

See extract of original timetable for Route Description / route maps etc.

The Hagley Road corridor was later upgraded back to double deckers with new B7TL/Plaxton Presidents in the shape of 4023-4041 & 4108/9 Nov 1999.

Thanks for posting the timetable Winston, not seen that in a long time. They made a very professional job of "photoshopping" the list of places served onto that B10L.

No worries Mike K, I have a fair few from that era, generally for route branded routes

[sonic84]

A little more background on the 99/109/138/139

There were introduced back in 1998 when the Hagley Road services were restructured.  They replaced the 136/137/137A Birmingham - Gornal Wood services.  Also the 619 and 919 were introduced to replace the 19 / 19S services.

The 139 ran every 20 minutes during the day, and served pretty much the same route the 141 does now except it ran via Mount Pleasant at Merry Hill.

The 109 ran every 20 minutes on daytimes only, and so combined with the 139 to have a bus every 10 minutes to Merry Hill. At the time, the 9 was running every 10 minutes and so there was a bus every 5 minutes between Birmingham & Halesowen.

The 5 minute frequency was maintained during peaks with the 919 since buses came off the 109 and went onto the 919 (which ran as the 9 to Halesowen, and then followed the Hasbury Loop).  The Hasbury loop was served during the daytime by minibuses on the 619.

The 139E was the evening & sunday alternative which ran to Brierley Hill, Pensnett High Oak and Russells Hall Hospital.  Some journeys terminated at Brierley Hill, but as was already said the majority of Mon-Sat evening journeys went to Russells Hall Hospital, and the sunday evenings went to Pensnett, with the daytime journeys remaining to Merry Hill.

After a couple of years the 109 was withdrawn, and the 139 was rerouted to serve Spies Lane & Lapal instead.  I think the frequency may have been increased to every 12 minutes at this point.  Once it was diverted away from Mucklows Hill, the 139E was renumbered to the 138.

At the same time the 919 was replaced with the 19 which would serve Mucklows Hill during the peak periods.  The Hasbury loop was covered by an extension to the 241 at the time. 

The next change would be the 139 being amended to service the five ways underpass in both directions, which is when the 139 was renumbered to the 99.  The frequency was decreased at this point to every 20 minutes again.

And finally when the 141 replaced the 99, originally running through Blackheath combining with the 140, but then changing to as it is today with a 30 minute frequency.

[Sh4318]

A little more background on the 99/109/138/139

There were introduced back in 1998 when the Hagley Road services were restructured.  They replaced the 136/137/137A Birmingham - Gornal Wood services.  Also the 619 and 919 were introduced to replace the 19 / 19S services.

The 139 ran every 20 minutes during the day, and served pretty much the same route the 141 does now except it ran via Mount Pleasant at Merry Hill.

The 109 ran every 20 minutes on daytimes only, and so combined with the 139 to have a bus every 10 minutes to Merry Hill. At the time, the 9 was running every 10 minutes and so there was a bus every 5 minutes between Birmingham & Halesowen.

The 5 minute frequency was maintained during peaks with the 919 since buses came off the 109 and went onto the 919 (which ran as the 9 to Halesowen, and then followed the Hasbury Loop).  The Hasbury loop was served during the daytime by minibuses on the 619.

The 139E was the evening & sunday alternative which ran to Brierley Hill, Pensnett High Oak and Russells Hall Hospital.  Some journeys terminated at Brierley Hill, but as was already said the majority of Mon-Sat evening journeys went to Russells Hall Hospital, and the sunday evenings went to Pensnett, with the daytime journeys remaining to Merry Hill.

After a couple of years the 109 was withdrawn, and the 139 was rerouted to serve Spies Lane & Lapal instead.  I think the frequency may have been increased to every 12 minutes at this point.  Once it was diverted away from Mucklows Hill, the 139E was renumbered to the 138.

At the same time the 919 was replaced with the 19 which would serve Mucklows Hill during the peak periods.  The Hasbury loop was covered by an extension to the 241 at the time. 

The next change would be the 139 being amended to service the five ways underpass in both directions, which is when the 139 was renumbered to the 99.  The frequency was decreased at this point to every 20 minutes again.

And finally when the 141 replaced the 99, originally running through Blackheath combining with the 140, but then changing to as it is today with a 30 minute frequency.

The 99 was every 15 minutes  :)

[nitromatt1]

If anyone's interested I just somehow found this on the NWM site

http://www.networkwestmidlands.com/Halesowen/board.aspx

[Sh4318]

If anyone's interested I just somehow found this on the NWM site

http://www.networkwestmidlands.com/Halesowen/board.aspx

This was when the 242/A served Stourbridge, thanks for posting :D

[Alex]

Just a couple of questions about these routes?

Could anybody give me the history of the 109/138/139 eg Lines of route,vehicle allocations etc.

Also did the old 99 use Manor Lane/Way or Mucklow Hill?

And finally if anyone can tell me, I remember the 525 going to Dudley in the early/mid 2000's but can't remember the exact line of route it did from Bilston-Dudley  (I remember it went up Oxford St then Loxdale St)

Cheers :)

I'm sure that the 525 used to follow the old 545 route to Dudley, but i'm not entirely sure though

[P419 EJW]

Just a couple of questions about these routes?

Could anybody give me the history of the 109/138/139 eg Lines of route,vehicle allocations etc.

Also did the old 99 use Manor Lane/Way or Mucklow Hill?

And finally if anyone can tell me, I remember the 525 going to Dudley in the early/mid 2000's but can't remember the exact line of route it did from Bilston-Dudley  (I remember it went up Oxford St then Loxdale St)

Cheers :)

I'm sure that the 525 used to follow the old 545 route to Dudley, but i'm not entirely sure though

No, it did not.

[Tony]

Just a couple of questions about these routes?

Could anybody give me the history of the 109/138/139 eg Lines of route,vehicle allocations etc.

Also did the old 99 use Manor Lane/Way or Mucklow Hill?

And finally if anyone can tell me, I remember the 525 going to Dudley in the early/mid 2000's but can't remember the exact line of route it did from Bilston-Dudley  (I remember it went up Oxford St then Loxdale St)

Cheers :)

I'm sure that the 525 used to follow the old 545 route to Dudley, but i'm not entirely sure though

No, it did not.

The old 525 was a mammoth route that started of heading North out of Wolverhampton first, before coming around towards Wednesfield before heading off to Dudley

[Stuharris 6360]

Just a couple of questions about these routes?

Could anybody give me the history of the 109/138/139 eg Lines of route,vehicle allocations etc.

Also did the old 99 use Manor Lane/Way or Mucklow Hill?

And finally if anyone can tell me, I remember the 525 going to Dudley in the early/mid 2000's but can't remember the exact line of route it did from Bilston-Dudley  (I remember it went up Oxford St then Loxdale St)

Cheers :)

I'm sure that the 525 used to follow the old 545 route to Dudley, but i'm not entirely sure though

No, it did not.

The old 525 was a mammoth route that started of heading North out of Wolverhampton first, before coming around towards Wednesfield before heading off to Dudley

and a boring one!

[the trainbasher]

Iirc the 283 replaced the Bilston to Priory section...then the 582/583 replaced it with the section between Coseley and Bilston eventually being replaced in parts by the 22 and 43.

[P419 EJW]

I decided to look in my box full of old TWM bus leaflets and I found the 525 leaflet. Here is the 525 leaflet back in 2006. This answers everything to the question about the route 525.

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