Old bus routes

[sonic84]

Can anybody tell me why brickhouse farms bus routes are not as good as they used to be. I remember the routes being
127 Merry hill-Birmingham (sunday only)
208 Merry hill-Dudley
236/237 Blackheath-Dudley
238 Merry hill-West Bromwich
258 Merry hill-Birmingham
404A Walsall-Cradley heath

There was very little difference between the two. The 127 approached Blackheath from Hurst Green via Shell Corner, whereas the 258 ran via Rowley Regis Station.

Also, the where the 258 crossed Halesowen Road in Old Hill and went straight on towards Saltwells, the 127 turned right to enter Old Hill town centre before continuing along to Cradley Heath, then Dudley Wood and back towards Saltwells.

Before the 258 was introduced, the 127 used to run as a service in it's own right Monday to Saturday, but  once the 258 came along it was reduced to Sundays and evenings only.

I do believe in the later days of the 258, the 127 was withdrawn, and all sunday and evening services ran as the 258, but someone might need to check that for me.
What was the difference between the 127 & 258?

[monkeyjoe]

At one point the 258 used to extend to Wolverhampton and fit in with the Penn Road routes after Merry Hill. Run at various points by HY and PN garages I do believe.

Not read the whole thread so sorry if this has already been highlighted.

[DC3]

Miss These Routes that used to operate by me (apart from the 40A/40C)

37A Birmingham City Centre - Birmingham Airport/NEC then became 38
40A/40C Solihull Circulars
41A/41C Acocks Green Circulars then they became 41 then became 42
42C Cranes Park - Solihull Station
56 Marston Green Rail Station - Birmingham City Centre (when Liberators were at BC)
69 Heartlands Hospital - Weoley Castle
98 Sheldon Wheatsheaf - Small Heath Asda (back in late 90's)

any idea where to find info on the 41A/C, 42C, 41 & 42. I sort of remember the 42 route, but I wasn't as interested when I was younger?

Do you remember the 689. It ran through shard end. Can not remember where it went :-\

Was that not Lea Hall somewhere to the wheatsheaf? Taken over by Central Connect then replaced by 99 to Acocks Green?

I've still got the route descriptions and maps I made when I was route learning for majority of AG routes over the years, when I get chance I'll upload them.

[monkeyjoe]

689 replaced the 98 when the route was Curtailed away from the Fox & Goose and Bromford Rd areas. The 689 used to start at Park Hall school via Poolway and I believe terminated in Sheldon.

[Justin Tyme]

The 4 was a well used service because the 35 did not reach Pool Farm until the mid seventies.

Where did the 35 used to terminate then? Parsons H.

At that time the 35 ran just between Kings Heath and Brandwood Park Road.  It could terminate at Parsons Hill because the junction there was only a crossroads - the roundabout was built in the 1980s.

In 1975 the 35 was extended at both ends, taking over the old 49 (City - Kings Heath via Leopold Street) and extending from Brandwood Park Road to Pool Farm.  It was rerouted in 1981 via Balsall Heath instead of Leopold Street & Moseley Road (replacing part of the 48 - the rest was replaced by extending to 50 from the Maypole to Druids Heath).  The extension from Pool Farm to Hawkesley came around 1990.

[Jay]

264/265 day 274/275 nights and sunday plus 266

[Mike K]

Didn't the 19 go to Hasbury?

I remember it as a peak-time service only, couple of morning and evening journeys only.

It used to run all day Mon -sats using the Quinton by pass. Was reduced to a peak only service. Think for a short time was the 919??

When the 19 was first introduced to replace the Birmingham to Hasbury section of the 900 it also ran at night, albeit with a slightly unusual every 90 minutes service. The evening service didn't last all that long. I caught the 19 the second day after it was first introduced. The silver livery roll out across the fleet was still in its very early days, but Quinton garage made an effort to use its silver painted vehicles on the 19 to begin with, presumably because it was replacing silver Timesaver buses on the route.

The buses that day included 2373, 2400 and 2410 (all ex Harborne and in silver) and 2526 (cream and blue).

[Liverpool Street]

Didn't the 19 go to Hasbury?

I remember it as a peak-time service only, couple of morning and evening journeys only.

It used to run all day Mon -sats using the Quinton by pass. Was reduced to a peak only service. Think for a short time was the 919??

When the 19 was first introduced to replace the Birmingham to Hasbury section of the 900 it also ran at night, albeit with a slightly unusual every 90 minutes service. The evening service didn't last all that long. I caught the 19 the second day after it was first introduced. The silver livery roll out across the fleet was still in its very early days, but Quinton garage made an effort to use its silver painted vehicles on the 19 to begin with, presumably because it was replacing silver Timesaver buses on the route.

The buses that day included 2373, 2400 and 2410 (all ex Harborne and in silver) and 2526 (cream and blue).

Wasn't the every 90minutes to do with the reduction on buses used? I can't remember the round trip time but I think that was the reason.

[Mike K]

Didn't the 19 go to Hasbury?

I remember it as a peak-time service only, couple of morning and evening journeys only.

It used to run all day Mon -sats using the Quinton by pass. Was reduced to a peak only service. Think for a short time was the 919??

When the 19 was first introduced to replace the Birmingham to Hasbury section of the 900 it also ran at night, albeit with a slightly unusual every 90 minutes service. The evening service didn't last all that long. I caught the 19 the second day after it was first introduced. The silver livery roll out across the fleet was still in its very early days, but Quinton garage made an effort to use its silver painted vehicles on the 19 to begin with, presumably because it was replacing silver Timesaver buses on the route.

The buses that day included 2373, 2400 and 2410 (all ex Harborne and in silver) and 2526 (cream and blue).

Wasn't the every 90minutes to do with the reduction on buses used? I can't remember the round trip time but I think that was the reason.

I would think so LS, I think it must have just about got by with a single bus on a 90 min frequency? IIRC it took 50 odd mins for a one way daytime trip in those days.

[Stuharris 6360]

What about some really old routes

D1/D11   Dudley - Priory Estate
D3/D4     Dudley - Russells Hall
D5/D9     Dudley - Cradley Heath
S46         Stourbridge - Norton Estate
S47         Stourbridge - Wynall
S48/9      Stourbridge - Pdemore Fields Circular
S50         Stourbridge - High Park
S52/3      Stourbridge - Wollaston Farm
S56         Stourbridge - Norton Estate
137         Birmingham - Kingswinford
138         Birmingham - Gornal Wood
226         Bilston - Halesowen
234/5      Cradley Heath - Hasbury
236         Stourbridge - Wordsley via Lye Cross & Brierley Hill
238/9      Dudley - Fatherless Barn
244         Cradley Heath - Wednesbury
732         Halesowen - Hagley RC School

[Westy]

Didn't the 19 go to Hasbury?

I remember it as a peak-time service only, couple of morning and evening journeys only.

It used to run all day Mon -sats using the Quinton by pass. Was reduced to a peak only service. Think for a short time was the 919??

When the 19 was first introduced to replace the Birmingham to Hasbury section of the 900 it also ran at night, albeit with a slightly unusual every 90 minutes service. The evening service didn't last all that long. I caught the 19 the second day after it was first introduced. The silver livery roll out across the fleet was still in its very early days, but Quinton garage made an effort to use its silver painted vehicles on the 19 to begin with, presumably because it was replacing silver Timesaver buses on the route.

The buses that day included 2373, 2400 and 2410 (all ex Harborne and in silver) and 2526 (cream and blue).

Wasn't the every 90minutes to do with the reduction on buses used? I can't remember the round trip time but I think that was the reason.

I would think so LS, I think it must have just about got by with a single bus on a 90 min frequency? IIRC it took 50 odd mins for a one way daytime trip in those days.

Was there a similar thing for Walsall's 341 at some point?

I seem to recall that service went to every 90 minutes evenings & Sunday's before West Midlands Travel (as was) gave up & it went to tender as the 342.

[Roy]

What about some really old routes

D1/D11   Dudley - Priory Estate
D3/D4     Dudley - Russells Hall
D5/D9     Dudley - Cradley Heath
S46         Stourbridge - Norton Estate
S47         Stourbridge - Wynall
S48/9      Stourbridge - Pdemore Fields Circular
S50         Stourbridge - High Park
S52/3      Stourbridge - Wollaston Farm
S56         Stourbridge - Norton Estate
137         Birmingham - Kingswinford
138         Birmingham - Gornal Wood
226         Bilston - Halesowen
234/5      Cradley Heath - Hasbury
236         Stourbridge - Wordsley via Lye Cross & Brierley Hill
238/9      Dudley - Fatherless Barn
244         Cradley Heath - Wednesbury
732         Halesowen - Hagley RC School

Stu

You've got two the wrong way round - the 137 went to Gornal Wood and the 138 to Kingswinford (Mount Pleasant).  There was a short version numbered 139 from Cradley Heath to Pensnett.  Some others from that era in the Stourbridge/Kingswinford area were

237 Cradley Heath to Bromley Lane (Standhills Road)
250 Stourbridge to Kinver
254 Stourbridge to Bridgnorth via Enville
255 Stourbridge to Bridgnorth via Bobbington
257 Stourbridge to Wall Heath
259, 260, 261 Dudley to Swindon/Kingswinford/Wall Heath
263 Brierley Hill to Kingswinford via Brockmoor
266 Brierley Hill to Kingswinford via Bromley
278, 279 Prestwood Hospital - Wednesbury / Smethwick
282 Brierley Hill to Wall Heath via Wordsley
311 Stourbridge to Kidderminster
315 Stourbridge to Worcester via Kidderminster
882 Wolverhampton to Stourbridge
883/884 Wolverhampton to Kidderminster via Kingswinford and Kinver
885 Wolverhampton to Kidderminster via Stourbridge

[monkeyjoe]

The whole of Dudley and the D numbering system, was that when they NXWM bought out Metrowest (Green buses) so they could have more localised operations in Dudley. I could be wrong.

The Metrowest vs West Midlands travel. I think got nasty when they started running a 125 between Dudley & Wolverhampton.

[Roy]

The whole of Dudley and the D numbering system, was that when they NXWM bought out Metrowest (Green buses) so they could have more localised operations in Dudley. I could be wrong.

The Metrowest vs West Midlands travel. I think got nasty when they started running a 125 between Dudley & Wolverhampton.

The D numbers were well before Metrowest days.  Prefix letters were used by Midland Red for local services in many towns and cities (B for Brierley Hill (as in the B39 Brierley Hill to Upper Pensnett) or Bromsgrove, D for Dudley, K for Kidderminster, R for Redditch, S for Stourbridge, W for Worcester, M for Malvern etc.)

[Stuharris 6360]

What about some really old routes

D1/D11   Dudley - Priory Estate
D3/D4     Dudley - Russells Hall
D5/D9     Dudley - Cradley Heath
S46         Stourbridge - Norton Estate
S47         Stourbridge - Wynall
S48/9      Stourbridge - Pdemore Fields Circular
S50         Stourbridge - High Park
S52/3      Stourbridge - Wollaston Farm
S56         Stourbridge - Norton Estate
137         Birmingham - Kingswinford
138         Birmingham - Gornal Wood
226         Bilston - Halesowen
234/5      Cradley Heath - Hasbury
236         Stourbridge - Wordsley via Lye Cross & Brierley Hill
238/9      Dudley - Fatherless Barn
244         Cradley Heath - Wednesbury
732         Halesowen - Hagley RC School

Stu

You've got two the wrong way round - the 137 went to Gornal Wood and the 138 to Kingswinford (Mount Pleasant).  There was a short version numbered 139 from Cradley Heath to Pensnett.  Some others from that era in the Stourbridge/Kingswinford area were

237 Cradley Heath to Bromley Lane (Standhills Road)
250 Stourbridge to Kinver
254 Stourbridge to Bridgnorth via Enville
255 Stourbridge to Bridgnorth via Bobbington
257 Stourbridge to Wall Heath
259, 260, 261 Dudley to Swindon/Kingswinford/Wall Heath
263 Brierley Hill to Kingswinford via Brockmoor
266 Brierley Hill to Kingswinford via Bromley
278, 279 Prestwood Hospital - Wednesbury / Smethwick
282 Brierley Hill to Wall Heath via Wordsley
311 Stourbridge to Kidderminster
315 Stourbridge to Worcester via Kidderminster
882 Wolverhampton to Stourbridge
883/884 Wolverhampton to Kidderminster via Kingswinford and Kinver
885 Wolverhampton to Kidderminster via Stourbridge

Thanks Roy, i always used to get those two the wrong way round.

Few to add

316   Stourbridge - Kidderminster via Norton.
318   Stournridge - Redditch
319   Stourbridge - Charford

Also when WMPTE tookover from Midland Red, they had a lot of routes that needed condensing

for example

245 Stourbridge to Wednesbury
246 Stourbridge to Dudley
247 Dudley to Wednesbury
248 Stourbridge/Dudley - Harts Hill Garage