Old bus routes

[uniquicity]

80 did actually run via Jewellery Quarter for a period, but didn't last too long

[CL]

Thanks. :) Appreciate the help; I thought I was going mad, as I didn't remember it going through JQ for the entirety of the time before it ran through Ladywood. Just brushing up on my old route knowledge, thanks guys. :)

[BusFan94]

Which 78 do you mean the only one I can think of is the route that was withdrawn and replaced by the 79 to Birmingham if you mean that one not sure who operated it but I think went down Darlaston Road now withdrawn 38 Route then 79 route to West Bromwich then if what my mum told me is correct current 74 Route to Birmingham
If you didn't mean that 78 I can't help you I'm afraid.

[Mike K]

Which 78 do you mean the only one I can think of is the route that was withdrawn and replaced by the 79 to Birmingham if you mean that one not sure who operated it but I think went down Darlaston Road now withdrawn 38 Route then 79 route to West Bromwich then if what my mum told me is correct current 74 Route to Birmingham
If you didn't mean that 78 I can't help you I'm afraid.

It was the 7B he was asking about chap, not the 78.

[Kevin]

Thanks. :) Appreciate the help; I thought I was going mad, as I didn't remember it going through JQ for the entirety of the time before it ran through Ladywood. Just brushing up on my old route knowledge, thanks guys. :)

Don't have relevant maps to hand at the moment but from memory I think it went as per 101 route (Newhall Hill to Pitsford st) then carried on round to Western Road to come out by city hospital

[Lukeee]

I'm intrigued by where the 7B went as ive never heard of it

[John]

2) Does anybody remember anything of the old 7B route? "Who operated it, where did it go" type of general background information

I'm intrigued by where the 7B went as ive never heard of it

Was it the Midland Rider service?

[Squiz1971]

Was it the Midland Rider service?

BCT ran the 7 for years and their short services were lettered A-J I think and it ran from Portland Road to Perry Common possibly as a 5 one side. The 7B would of been a short journey from town to maybe Witton Square or Six ways Aston though I maybe totally wrong and there was a standard 7B route @Lukeee @John @clayderman run by another bus company

[Tony]

BCT ran the 7 for years and their short services were lettered A-J I think and it ran from Portland Road to Perry Common possibly as a 5 one side. The 7B would of been a short journey from town to maybe Witton Square or Six ways Aston though I maybe totally wrong and there was a standard 7B route @Lukeee @John @clayderman run by another bus company

BCT used letters A-L with every turning point along a route being lettered in turn, normally from the City end of a route. The suffix letter referring to a bus turning in either direction. The 7 was the Portland Road to Perry Common part of the 5/6/7 group of services, so I would imagine 7B would be the secon turning point from the Portland Road end

[Squiz1971]

BCT used letters A-L with every turning point along a route being lettered in turn, normally from the City end of a route. The suffix letter referring to a bus turning in either direction. The 7 was the Portland Road to Perry Common part of the 5/6/7 group of services, so I would imagine 7B would be the secon turning point from the Portland Road end

Cheers @Tony I wasn't fully sure if the letters were A-K/L or as I had put, also I realised after I posted it could also be from the Portland Road end too maybe to the Ivy Bush or 5 Ways depending on the distance each letter represented

[Walsall1955]

Birmingham City Transport letters applied to service 7 (current around 1965/66) were as follows:
7A To Town Hall Only
7B To Five Ways Only
7C To Ivy Bush (Hagley Road) Only
[Source: British Bus Fleets 14 (Ian Allan)]

Here is a service 50K destination example in use, in this case the destination blind shows just "SERVICE EXTRA":
https://www.flickr.com/photos/walsall1955/5274921102/
...and here is the "code list" to identify where a 50K terminated:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/walsall1955/8450547497/in/photolist-dSKgmM-938mgy

[Tony]

Birmingham City Transport letters applied to service 7 (current around 1965/66) were as follows:
7A To Town Hall Only
7B To Five Ways Only
7C To Ivy Bush (Hagley Road) Only
[Source: British Bus Fleets 14 (Ian Allan)]

Here is a service 50K destination example in use, in this case the destination blind shows just "SERVICE EXTRA":
https://www.flickr.com/photos/walsall1955/5274921102/
...and here is the "code list" to identify where a 50K terminated:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/walsall1955/8450547497/in/photolist-dSKgmM-938mgy

In reply to the comment about suffix letters on the 11, I don't think they were used on there until A, C, E, N, S, W replaced A-L

[Stuharris 6360]

A question for @Tony , is it still possible for a SERVICE EXTRA to operate or does everything have to be timetabled?

[Justin Tyme]

In reply to the comment about suffix letters on the 11, I don't think they were used on there until A, C, E, N, S, W replaced A-L

That is correct, and also applied to the 8 Inner Circle.  Short workings on both services simply showed blank number blinds.  Sometimes buses could appear showing SERVICE EXTRA (probably because the destination was not on the blinds) and no numbers, which wasn't very helpful!

[Tony]

A question for @Tony , is it still possible for a SERVICE EXTRA to operate or does everything have to be timetabled?

In BCT days they did regularly

Nowadays, they can only operate within 5 minutes of a scheduled departure, and there must be a proven demand for it. You are not allowed just to put a duplicate out 5 minutes after a service bus to annoy another operator, it must be required by passenger demand.

That is how the V Festival service works. It is a registered 15 minute frequency, so those buses run however many passengers are on them, but extras slot in between if a bus doesn't clear the waiting queue.