Old bus routes

[Tony]

Routes with Letters - This was asked earlier.

A - Solihull Station - Knowle Green
C - Cotteridge - Hawkesley
L - Solihull - Shirley via Widney Manor
M - Solihull - Shirley via Monkspath
P - Birmingham Business Park - Airport
R - Acocks Green - Yardley via Clay lane
S - Acocks Green - Sheldon (Wheatsheaf)
T - Sparkbrook - Castle Bromwich
Y - Solihull - Hall Green

[Liverpool Street]

Ok then, in my 1991 fare tables, the highest fare is £1.70, anyone like to guess which two places that is between?

Something on the 900 to Hasbury I expect... although am I wrong with dates?

Or all the way around the Circle?

[Tony]

Ok then, in my 1991 fare tables, the highest fare is £1.70, anyone like to guess which two places that is between?

Something on the 900 to Hasbury I expect... although am I wrong with dates?

Or all the way around the Circle?

All the way around the circle was still £1.10. The 900 was just Birmingham-Coventry in 1991 and also had max fare of £1.10.

2nd highest was £1.65 which was Birmingham-Lichfield on the 901

[Justin Tyme]

Ok then, in my 1991 fare tables, the highest fare is £1.70, anyone like to guess which two places that is between?

It wouldn't have been Birmingham - Hereford!  Was WMT running Birmingham - Redditch on the 146 at that time?

Alternatively, could it have been Birmingham - Tamworth?  I have a record that WMT ran a couple of trips on the X75 for a few months in 1991-2.

[nitromatt1]

Was there a Birmingham - Cannock service at the time?

[JPC]

Ok then, in my 1991 fare tables, the highest fare is £1.70, anyone like to guess which two places that is between?

Service 966 between Birmingham International and Wolverhampton?

[sonic84]

Ok then, in my 1991 fare tables, the highest fare is £1.70, anyone like to guess which two places that is between?

Birmingham to Bromsgrove on the 145?

[winston]

Was there a Birmingham - Cannock service at the time?

If I remember correctly the 951 at least was running during this period still using Timesaver branded DP Metrobuses, there was also a 952, but I can't remember when that was withdrawn

[Tony]

Ok then, in my 1991 fare tables, the highest fare is £1.70, anyone like to guess which two places that is between?

It wouldn't have been Birmingham - Hereford!  Was WMT running Birmingham - Redditch on the 146 at that time?

Alternatively, could it have been Birmingham - Tamworth?  I have a record that WMT ran a couple of trips on the X75 for a few months in 1991-2.

Birmingham to Brereton on the 952A is the correct answer.
Maximum off-peak fare was still 50p in 1991, no Daysaver, but there was the off-peak thrufare at 70p allowing unlimited number of journies within 1 hour of issue. This was launched as 50p when the off-peak fare was 32p

[j789]

Can anyone confirm if my memory is correct of the old 20 route Quinton to Green Man/City?

At one stage in the 90s were there 3 operators on this route - WMT, Central and City line (green/white Nationals?) I seem to recall that City Line also ran a number 3 route (city - Woodgate) at the same time and for some reason the City Line number 20 went the 3/103 route down Court Oak Road rather than the WMT route down War Lane and Tennal Road.
I always thought it was odd to have 3 operators on this short route.

Also, in the 90s how many different fares (West Mids region only) did WMT have as it used to cost me 24p as a child on the 103 to the Court Oak Pub but on the 20 it cost 32p to Tennal Road which was a similar distance. I think the maximum child fare was 37p at that time and I think there was a short hop fare too.

Thanks

[Mike K]

Can anyone confirm if my memory is correct of the old 20 route Quinton to Green Man/City?

At one stage in the 90s were there 3 operators on this route - WMT, Central and City line (green/white Nationals?) I seem to recall that City Line also ran a number 3 route (city - Woodgate) at the same time and for some reason the City Line number 20 went the 3/103 route down Court Oak Road rather than the WMT route down War Lane and Tennal Road.
I always thought it was odd to have 3 operators on this short route.

Also, in the 90s how many different fares (West Mids region only) did WMT have as it used to cost me 24p as a child on the 103 to the Court Oak Pub but on the 20 it cost 32p to Tennal Road which was a similar distance. I think the maximum child fare was 37p at that time and I think there was a short hop fare too.

Thanks

Your memory is correct to my knowledge. The WMT 20 started at deregulation in Oct 86 and was the WMPTE 15 route Harborne Green Man to Quinton Road West renumbered. In the 90s City Buslines set up a rival 20 that initially followed the same route as the WMT version from Harborne to QRW but I believe also extended to Four Dwellings. It also went beyond the Green Man to City following the route of all the other Harborne corridor routes, except it went via Chad Road and Hagley Road instead of Harborne Road to Five Ways. At the same time City Buslines also introduced the 3 City to Woodgate Valley North.

WMT retaliated by extending their 20 to the City Centre, and extending the 10 to Four Dwellings and also copying the City Buslines 20 by diverting it via Ivy Bush and Hagley Road to Five Ways.

City Buslines then changed their 20 to follow the route of the 3 along Court Oak Road from Harborne, instead of War Lane and Tennal Road.

My memory gets a bit vague at this point but WMT turned up the heat by introducing the C20 using Central Liner vehicles. Between the Green Man and City this went via Nursery Road, Norfolk Road, Hagley Road and Bath Row. Because the left turn at the Green Man isn't possible in a bus, the C20 went via Harborne Road, sharp left into Kingscote Road, right onto Nursery Road inbound.

I remember being surprised by the volume and mixed bag of buses using Tennal Road at the time.

The C20 was short lived.

I'm sure Justin Tyme can provide dates and put me right on any inaccuracies in the above.

[monkeyjoe]

Can anyone confirm if my memory is correct of the old 20 route Quinton to Green Man/City?

At one stage in the 90s were there 3 operators on this route - WMT, Central and City line (green/white Nationals?) I seem to recall that City Line also ran a number 3 route (city - Woodgate) at the same time and for some reason the City Line number 20 went the 3/103 route down Court Oak Road rather than the WMT route down War Lane and Tennal Road.
I always thought it was odd to have 3 operators on this short route.

Also, in the 90s how many different fares (West Mids region only) did WMT have as it used to cost me 24p as a child on the 103 to the Court Oak Pub but on the 20 it cost 32p to Tennal Road which was a similar distance. I think the maximum child fare was 37p at that time and I think there was a short hop fare too.

Thanks

Your memory is correct to my knowledge. The WMT 20 started at deregulation in Oct 86 and was the WMPTE 15 route Harborne Green Man to Quinton Road West renumbered. In the 90s City Buslines set up a rival 20 that initially followed the same route as the WMT version from Harborne to QRW but I believe also extended to Four Dwellings. It also went beyond the Green Man to City following the route of all the other Harborne corridor routes, except it went via Chad Road and Hagley Road instead of Harborne Road to Five Ways. At the same time City Buslines also introduced the 3 City to Woodgate Valley North.

WMT retaliated by extending their 20 to the City Centre, and extending the 10 to Four Dwellings and also copying the City Buslines 20 by diverting it via Ivy Bush and Hagley Road to Five Ways.

City Buslines then changed their 20 to follow the route of the 3 along Court Oak Road from Harborne, instead of War Lane and Tennal Road.

My memory gets a bit vague at this point but WMT turned up the heat by introducing the C20 using Central Liner vehicles. Between the Green Man and City this went via Nursery Road, Norfolk Road, Hagley Road and Bath Row. Because the left turn at the Green Man isn't possible in a bus, the C20 went via Harborne Road, sharp left into Kingscote Road, right onto Nursery Road inbound.

I remember being surprised by the volume and mixed bag of buses using Tennal Road at the time.

The C20 was short lived.

I'm sure Justin Tyme can provide dates and put me right on any inaccuracies in the above.

I remember all of that kicking off on the Harborne corridors. Did BCC come afterwards on the 22/23?

[Mike K]

I don't recall BCC on the 22/23 other than possibly some early Sunday tendered journeys but I may be wrong. BCC / Diamond Bus did operate on the 103 to Four Dwellings (incorrectly spelt Ford Dwellings) for a while.

City Buslines also operated some peak journeys on the 22, using primarily Metroriders.

It was a great shame when City Buslines went out of business, friendly drivers and well presented buses. I always tried to use their 20 when it served Tennal Road.

The 90s was an interesting era for the Harborne routes as at various points you also had the Little Red Bus company operating the B29 (identical to the 29) and if I recall correctly the B22, and BCC operating the 21A using brand new Mercedes minibuses. Central Liner also operated a short version of the 29 (the C29?) between Harborne and Northfield via Weoley Castle using Iveco minibuses.

[PM]

BCC with new merc minis? Would love to see a picture of that.

Pete's ran the 22 for a while as well didn't they?

[j789]

Thanks for the replies.
Harborne was a bit of a Leyland National spotters paradise in the 90s with Central, City buslines, as well as Ludlows and Falcon on the 11 route all using them. Did Quinton garage ever run Nationals as I do not recall ever catching a WMT one in Harborne?