Old bus routes

[nitromatt1]

What about some really old routes

732         Halesowen - Hagley RC School

I used to catch the 732 back in the day, when it was Londonderry - Hagley operated by D10M's

[Justin Tyme]

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

We're in danger of getting a little mixed up here.  All of the top list were transferred from Midland Red to West Midlands PTE as part of the big sale in 1973, although the 732 was actually numbered 132 at that point (it became 732 around 2 years later).

The second list is a bit older.  The 237, 250, 257, 259/60/1, 263, 266 and 279 transferred to WMPTE in 1973, as was the 882 (renumbered 256 before then).  The rest stayed with Midland Red except for the 278 and 883/4/5 which had gone by 1973.

In the final list, 245-8 transferred to WMPTE and 316, 318 and 319 stayed with Midland Red.

[lynx1103]

For more infomation on OLD TWM Routes visit this Flickr site which is slowley being updated

http://www.flickr.com/photos/59615439@N03/sets/72157631987803783/

[monkeyjoe]

I think the original 70  Oxhill - City could work giving the Grove Lane reisdents a faster service into the city and extra working for Soho Road.
Bring it back as the 76. Miles away from the Solihull one and they seem to like duplicating numbers these days.

[lynx1103]

There was a 70 Birmingham-Handsworth(Oxhill Road) via Hockley and sohoroad
Former central coachways operation in 1994 which lasted until 1995
Then was withdrawn.

[Trident 4609]

What about some really old routes

732         Halesowen - Hagley RC School

I used to catch the 732 back in the day, when it was Londonderry - Hagley operated by D10M's

Back in the day? ;) You make it sound as if you are an old man ;)

[the trainbasher]

I remember the fun filled days of Midland Red Plaxton Verdes on the 234 running past the end of my street between Dudley and Stourbridge. Those were the days.

Another route I remember was the 610 Halesowen to Kingswinford via Merry Hill and Hawbush.

One final one was the 412 Dudley to Gornal via Merry Hill and Dudley!

[nitromatt1]

What about some really old routes

732         Halesowen - Hagley RC School

I used to catch the 732 back in the day, when it was Londonderry - Hagley operated by D10M's

Back in the day? ;) You make it sound as if you are an old man ;)

I feel like it sometimes, wish I could go back in time

[old50niner]

Miller Street 66 service from B'ham city centre to Hansons Bridge Road, Pype Hayes.

[fleetline6477]

I think the original 70  Oxhill - City could work giving the Grove Lane reisdents a faster service into the city and extra working for Soho Road.
Bring it back as the 76. Miles away from the Solihull one and they seem to like duplicating numbers these days.

Pre - deregulation there were 2 routes
70 - Oxhill Road - Grove Lane - Soho Road - Snow Hill Qeensway
96 - Winson Green (opposite prison) - Lodge Road - Jewellery Quarter - City centre

which was replaced by
76 Oxhill Road - Grove Lane - Winson Green - Lodge Road - Jewellery Quarter - City centre

this eventually became

101 when the Centrebus was  stopped after the demolition of Masshouse Queensway in Dale End where the Centrbus terminated.

In the early days of competition a 70 was run using a minibus by an independent (I think the same guy who now operates Hi-Ride) along the old 70 route?

[Stuharris 6360]

I always liked Birmingham in the rush hour in the mid 70s, lots of buses going round with the destination "SERVICE EXTRA"

[Ossie]

Seeing mention of the old no 4 route reminded me of the even older no 2 route that side of the city, back in the BCT days.  It started at the Ivy Bush (Hagley Road) then took Richmond Hill Road to the University and the QE Hospital - then on via Vincent Drive to Selly Oak, and finally (I can't recall the precise route) through Bournville to terminate up Kings Heath way.

I'm not sure which depot operated it - Selly Oak, perhaps - but I do remember various rush-hour turns brought Rosebery Street depot vehicles onto the route, they had a number of "JOJ" registration double deckers in the 22** fleet number range.  That depot's long gone, I think it was off Spring Hill or Dudley Road close to City Hospital.

[monkeyjoe]

I think the original 70  Oxhill - City could work giving the Grove Lane reisdents a faster service into the city and extra working for Soho Road.
Bring it back as the 76. Miles away from the Solihull one and they seem to like duplicating numbers these days.

Pre - deregulation there were 2 routes
70 - Oxhill Road - Grove Lane - Soho Road - Snow Hill Qeensway
96 - Winson Green (opposite prison) - Lodge Road - Jewellery Quarter - City centre

which was replaced by
76 Oxhill Road - Grove Lane - Winson Green - Lodge Road - Jewellery Quarter - City centre

this eventually became

101 when the Centrebus was  stopped after the demolition of Masshouse Queensway in Dale End where the Centrbus terminated.

In the early days of competition a 70 was run using a minibus by an independent (I think the same guy who now operates Hi-Ride) along the old 70 route?

HY did run the 70 for a short period of time in the 90's i think after they took over the temporary Central Coachways operations (Miller St) depot.

[Justin Tyme]

Seeing mention of the old no 4 route reminded me of the even older no 2 route that side of the city, back in the BCT days.  It started at the Ivy Bush (Hagley Road) then took Richmond Hill Road to the University and the QE Hospital - then on via Vincent Drive to Selly Oak, and finally (I can't recall the precise route) through Bournville to terminate up Kings Heath way.

I'm not sure which depot operated it - Selly Oak, perhaps - but I do remember various rush-hour turns brought Rosebery Street depot vehicles onto the route, they had a number of "JOJ" registration double deckers in the 22** fleet number range.  That depot's long gone, I think it was off Spring Hill or Dudley Road close to City Hospital.

The 2 did run between the Ivy Bush and Kings Heath - via the QE, Selly Oak and basically what is now the 76 route.  It was cut back to Selly Oak - Kings Heath in the late 1960s, and in the early 1970s operation was transferred from Harborne to Selly Oak Garage.  In 1980 it was extended from Selly Oak to Weoley Castle, and around Deregulation it was extended from Kings Heath to Yardley Wood via Hollybank Road and Chinn Brook Road.  It eventually became part of the 69.

Rosebery Street was indeed off Spring Hill.  It was a former tram depot and closed in the late 1960s, a year or so before BCT became part of WMPTE.  The 22** JOJ double deckers were Leyland PD2s.

[Ossie]

Thanks for that, JT .... brought back a few memories of a service that I used to use as a schoolkid  :)

I should have remembered that the Rosebery Street d/ds were Leyland PD2s.  Distinctive bodywork, and a fair old turn of speed as well!