TWM routes 99,109,138,139 and 525

[Trident 4609]

Just a couple of questions about these routes?

Could anybody give me the history of the 109/138/139 eg Lines of route,vehicle allocations etc.

Also did the old 99 use Manor Lane/Way or Mucklow Hill?

And finally if anyone can tell me, I remember the 525 going to Dudley in the early/mid 2000's but can't remember the exact line of route it did from Bilston-Dudley  (I remember it went up Oxford St then Loxdale St)

Cheers :)

[nitromatt1]

99 used Manor Way, I remember seeing the Enviros on there when they were brand new... those were the days...

[the trainbasher]

Just a couple of questions about these routes?

Could anybody give me the history of the 109/138/139 eg Lines of route,vehicle allocations etc.

Also did the old 99 use Manor Lane/Way or Mucklow Hill?

And finally if anyone can tell me, I remember the 525 going to Dudley in the early/mid 2000's but can't remember the exact line of route it did from Bilston-Dudley  (I remember it went up Oxford St then Loxdale St)

Cheers :)

The 525 was replaced IIRC by the 283/583/parts of the current 82.

[bususer12]

From what I remember, 139 was Merry Hill to Birmingham, via the current 141 route (might be a few little changes i forgot)
138 was evening and weekend variant of 139, which went Colmore Row - Merry Hill - Russells Hall Hospital via High Oak.

138 Got scrapped when the 2008 changes happened I think?

Allocation was Presidents, then Tridents. Then the 139 became 99 with the branded e400's.

[the trainbasher]

Line of routes for the 109, 138 and 139

138 - http://goo.gl/maps/6pwC2

139 - http://goo.gl/maps/sY9T0 (although at one stage PE Did a 139 trip as this route IIRC as follows - http://goo.gl/maps/1bgKL - but i need to check the route descriptions i have for the exact routing)

109 - http://goo.gl/maps/MbKW8

[winston]

The 9, 109, 139,& 919 were all introduced in Feb 1998 along with purple Hagley Road branding on Volvo B10L's 1443-1467, supplemented by Scania L113/Wright 1398/99 all were allocated to BC.

Hourly 139E's went as far as Pensnett High Oak Mon-Sun Eves

See extract of original timetable for Route Description / route maps etc.

The Hagley Road corridor was later upgraded back to double deckers with new B7TL/Plaxton Presidents in the shape of 4023-4041 & 4108/9 Nov 1999.

[Sh4318]

If I remember correctly... This is like 10 years ago, so I would've been 12.
9, 109, 139 were originally allocated B10Ls, then when the Presidents/Spectras were introduced, these were the main allocation. A few years later, you had everything on these routes, Tridents, B7/ALXs, Spectras, Presidents, I remember the 109 running off peak, the 9 hasn't really changed that much, and has previously mentioned, the 141 is virtually the old 138.
The 139 was renumbered 99 to fit the numbering scheme (some numbering scheme, it went 9, 99, 138(?), 140(?)). I remember when the new Enviros were introduced, the 9 ran every 10 minutes (7/8 peaks), every 15 in the evening, the 99 was every 15, the 138 was half hourly evenings, every 20 on Sundays, and hourly Sunday evenings. Mon-Sat evening journeys went to Russell's Hall Hospital, the Sunday evenings went to High Oak, Pensnett. The Sunday daytime journeys only ran to Merry Hill.
Those days you had 6 buses (between the 9 and 138) an hour from Quinton Church to Birmingham.
The Enviros were completely new to me when they were introduced, I just thought they were fancy new crap, I rid my first ever Enviro on the 138 from Russell's Hall to Bearwood. I always thought the first Hagley Road branding was the best, but then the 99 was withdrawn and the branding went downhill from there, in my opinion

[P419 EJW]

Vehicle allocation for 109, 138, 139 were B10Ls, as far as I can remember back in the days, they were Hagley Road branded 9/109/139/919. 1443 - 1467.

See pictures of branded B10Ls here.

1444, P144 KOF.
1460, P460 JOX.

Then a couple of years later, I remember there were Presidents serving 138 and 139. Tridents came, stopped 138. 139 continued for a bit more until it got changed to 99 operated by E400s. 99 changed 141 and operated by Pensnett, used to be a rare B6, Mercs, E400s.

138 used to go to Russells Hall Hospital from Birmingham.

For 525, from Bilston Bus Station: Oxford Street, Loxdale Street, Bank Street, Wilkinson Avenue, Rose Street, Brierley Lane, Harding Street, Gough Road, Tunnel Street, Castle Street, Vicarage Road, Birmingham New Road, Vicarage Road W, George Street, Sedgley Road W, Parkes Hall Road, Wrens Nest Road, Summer Road, Laurel Road, Limes Road, Priory Road, Fisher Street (Dudley Bus Station).

[Mike K]

From what I remember, 139 was Merry Hill to Birmingham, via the current 141 route (might be a few little changes i forgot)
138 was evening and weekend variant of 139, which went Colmore Row - Merry Hill - Russells Hall Hospital via High Oak.

138 Got scrapped when the 2008 changes happened I think?

Allocation was Presidents, then Tridents. Then the 139 became 99 with the branded e400's.

Original allocation of the 109 and 139 was B10Ls 1443 to 1467, and Scanias 1398/99, all of which were branded for the Hagley Road group of services 9, 109, 139 and 919. When these were replaced by Presidents, only 4035 to 4041 carried the purple Hagley Road branding.

[the trainbasher]

@Winston IIRC the 139 also was on the TMH 236/237 timetable when they ran to Bearwood. That also shows the PE trip on the 139

[Sh4318]

Vehicle allocation for 109, 138, 139 were B10Ls, as far as I can remember back in the days, they were Hagley Road branded 9/109/139/919. 1443 - 1467.

See pictures of branded B10Ls here.

1444, P144 KOF.
1460, P460 JOX.

Then a couple of years later, I remember there were Presidents serving 138 and 139. Tridents came, stopped 138. 139 continued for a bit more until it got changed to 99 operated by E400s. 99 changed 141 and operated by Pensnett, used to be a rare B6, Mercs, E400s.

138 used to go to Russells Hall Hospital from Birmingham.

For 525, from Bilston Bus Station: Oxford Street, Loxdale Street, Bank Street, Wilkinson Avenue, Rose Street, Brierley Lane, Harding Street, Gough Road, Tunnel Street, Castle Street, Vicarage Road, Birmingham New Road, Vicarage Road W, George Street, Sedgley Road W, Parkes Hall Road, Wrens Nest Road, Summer Road, Laurel Road, Limes Road, Priory Road, Fisher Street (Dudley Bus Station).

@P419 EJW the 99, 138 got withdrawn at the same time ;) (all routes were operated by BC at this point). They were both replaced by the 141. The 141 was originally fully Enviro. Until it got transferred to PE, then it was fully Merc for a while, then leading up to Christmas, the same year, the 141 was allocated Enviros over the weekend, and it eventually became fully Enviro again, and it's been like that ever since, with the odd Trident and B7RLE

[winston]

@Winston IIRC the 139 also was on the TMH 236/237 timetable when they ran to Bearwood. That also shows the PE trip on the 139

@the trainbasher I haven't got a timetable for TMH 236/237 only TWM 236/237 from 19th May 2002 which were Dudley - Halesowen via Gornal Wood, Merry Hill & Cradley Heath by then.

I do have a TMH 123 Merry Hill - Bearwood via Dudley Wood, Cradley, Blackheath, Hurst Green, Causeway Green & Warley though from 22nd March 1998

[P419 EJW]

Vehicle allocation for 109, 138, 139 were B10Ls, as far as I can remember back in the days, they were Hagley Road branded 9/109/139/919. 1443 - 1467.

See pictures of branded B10Ls here.

1444, P144 KOF.
1460, P460 JOX.

Then a couple of years later, I remember there were Presidents serving 138 and 139. Tridents came, stopped 138. 139 continued for a bit more until it got changed to 99 operated by E400s. 99 changed 141 and operated by Pensnett, used to be a rare B6, Mercs, E400s.

138 used to go to Russells Hall Hospital from Birmingham.

For 525, from Bilston Bus Station: Oxford Street, Loxdale Street, Bank Street, Wilkinson Avenue, Rose Street, Brierley Lane, Harding Street, Gough Road, Tunnel Street, Castle Street, Vicarage Road, Birmingham New Road, Vicarage Road W, George Street, Sedgley Road W, Parkes Hall Road, Wrens Nest Road, Summer Road, Laurel Road, Limes Road, Priory Road, Fisher Street (Dudley Bus Station).

@P419 EJW the 99, 138 got withdrawn at the same time ;) (all routes were operated by BC at this point). They were both replaced by the 141. The 141 was originally fully Enviro. Until it got transferred to PE, then it was fully Merc for a while, then leading up to Christmas, the same year, the 141 was allocated Enviros over the weekend, and it eventually became fully Enviro again, and it's been like that ever since, with the odd Trident and B7RLE

@Sh4318 Ahh, thank you for the clarification. I wasn't sure about 138/139 when it changed to 99. Thought 138 stopped first. My bad. Glad it is only about 138/139. ;) I was half correct, I think. :P

Yeah, now you say about the Mercs being regular on 141 before Christmas, I remember that. Feels like it was years ago haha. I miss the old 258 - but that's totally a different topic. :)

Thanks again, Sh4318.

[Sh4318]

Vehicle allocation for 109, 138, 139 were B10Ls, as far as I can remember back in the days, they were Hagley Road branded 9/109/139/919. 1443 - 1467.

See pictures of branded B10Ls here.

1444, P144 KOF.
1460, P460 JOX.

Then a couple of years later, I remember there were Presidents serving 138 and 139. Tridents came, stopped 138. 139 continued for a bit more until it got changed to 99 operated by E400s. 99 changed 141 and operated by Pensnett, used to be a rare B6, Mercs, E400s.

138 used to go to Russells Hall Hospital from Birmingham.

For 525, from Bilston Bus Station: Oxford Street, Loxdale Street, Bank Street, Wilkinson Avenue, Rose Street, Brierley Lane, Harding Street, Gough Road, Tunnel Street, Castle Street, Vicarage Road, Birmingham New Road, Vicarage Road W, George Street, Sedgley Road W, Parkes Hall Road, Wrens Nest Road, Summer Road, Laurel Road, Limes Road, Priory Road, Fisher Street (Dudley Bus Station).

@P419 EJW the 99, 138 got withdrawn at the same time ;) (all routes were operated by BC at this point). They were both replaced by the 141. The 141 was originally fully Enviro. Until it got transferred to PE, then it was fully Merc for a while, then leading up to Christmas, the same year, the 141 was allocated Enviros over the weekend, and it eventually became fully Enviro again, and it's been like that ever since, with the odd Trident and B7RLE

@Sh4318 Ahh, thank you for the clarification. I wasn't sure about 138/139 when it changed to 99. Thought 138 stopped first. My bad. Glad it is only about 138/139. ;) I was half correct, I think. :P

Yeah, now you say about the Mercs being regular on 141 before Christmas, I remember that. Feels like it was years ago haha. I miss the old 258 - but that's totally a different topic. :)

Thanks again, Sh4318.

@P419 EJW I miss the 258 too :(. But I think the Warley corridor has benefitted from it's withdrawal and other changes in the area.

[the trainbasher]

@Winston I will have a look sometime tomorrow after work but i know that TMH did a B6 working on the 139 as shown here - https://www.flickr.com/photos/99593182@N08/9619214013/