Old bus routes

[Stuharris 6360]

When was this ;)

1976

By 1984 they had changed to

127 Cradley Heath to Birmingham (Hourly Service)
239 Dudley to Cradley Heath

[Jack2001]

miss them old routes now its just these
4M Merry hill-Walsall
24-Foxyards estate-Merry hill (hourly service)
208 Dudley-Merry hill (hourly service)
289 Old hill-West bromwich

[Stuharris 6360]

miss them old routes now its just these
4M Merry hill-Walsall
24-Foxyards estate-Merry hill (hourly service)
208 Dudley-Merry hill (hourly service)
289 Old hill-West bromwich

To be honest i think the 289 is a complete waste of time, they should find a way to run it through to Merry Hill again, everytime i see it lately, its nearly empty.

[Jack2001]

Totally agree with you. I was shocked when I read that it will no longer serve merry hill or cradley heath as I live in Rowley regis myself.
just on the edge of brickhouse farm ;)

[Rob H]

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)

[Jack2001]

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

[Jack2001]

And also the 206/207 Wrens nest/priory circular

[Matt.N0056]

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?

[Jack2001]

Think so. I remember waiting for the 55 on the brook meadow road in shard end when I was little and seeing the 689 go past. It was operated by mercs

[Liverpool Street]

The very old number 4. South Birmingham thing when Cotteridge Garage was open. Roughly the business end of the 35 is now, except it served the Green and Pershore Road South .. there must've been an agreement back then when the relief point was within spitting distance of the garage. Pre-86 I think, but I'm sure someone without a mind complaint can remember more clearly then my haze.

[Lukeee]

68A/C Miss this route

[Jack2001]

Remember the 138. It was the 139 but extended to Russells hall hospital. Never had much passengers after merry hill. I think it should have served Dudley via the 246 route. It would have been more popular then

[Justin Tyme]

The very old number 4. South Birmingham thing when Cotteridge Garage was open. Roughly the business end of the 35 is now, except it served the Green and Pershore Road South .. there must've been an agreement back then when the relief point was within spitting distance of the garage. Pre-86 I think, but I'm sure someone without a mind complaint can remember more clearly then my haze.

Yes, the 4 started around 1963 and first ran between Cotteridge and Pool Farm.  It was Birmingham Corporation's first postwar one person operated route, and was operated by Yardley Wood Garage - presumably there was no room for it at Cotteridge at the time.  The service was extended to Hawkesley in 1976, and then to Northfield via West Heath and Woodlands Road in 1978 when the cross city railway service started (Cotteridge and Yardley Wood shared the service from this time on).  I think it finished in 1986 and was replaced by an extended 27.

The 4 route was very hilly and used narrow roads - just like the 18 - so you may (or may not!) be surprised to learn that Yardley Wood's Jumbo Fleetlines (3881-3904) were mainly used on both routes in the WMPTE era.

[Sh4318]

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

What was the difference between the 127 & 258?

[Westy]

There were a few attempts to revamp the Walsall to Bloxwich routes, that didn't last long & always reverted to the previous attempts to serve the area. (303/304/305/306, replacing the 319/329 & 330, plus a 308 running Walsall, Beechdale, Four Crosses, Leamore Shops to Bloxwich!)

When the Pelsall version of the 344 was introduced originally, it was a circular service serving the likes of High Heath, Pelsall & back to Bloxwich via Lower Farm & Leamore(This cut the 372/373 back to hourly for some reason for Blakenall passengers, unless there was some E's operated?)

The original 570 from Walsall to Wolverhampton via Leamore, Bloxwich, Mossley then onto New Invention, replacing the 568 & some 370/371 journeys. (That would be a good route now, instead of the 19 & 89. In fact Chase tried a similar 561 which didn't last either!)

A few years later, there was 2 353's. The first one was between Cannock & Walsall, to compete with Stevensons, who had also introduced a 353, then later still, the second 353 ran Walsall, Reedswood Sainsburys(I think some drivers missed that section out allegedly), Four Crosses, Bloxwich, Turnberry, Lower Farm, back to Bloxwich & return to Walsall!)

To complment the 351, and also an early attempt to serve Turnberry on evening & Sunday, there was a 352 running between Walsall & Cheslyn Hay only. (That later became the 319 extension!)

(At some point on Sundays, due to a Staffs contract, the 351 & 352 got extended to Rugeley & Chase Terrace too!)

There must be some more?