Earliest memories?

[Stu]

Some of you grizzly old-timers might help out with this one...

When I was a small child, one of my earliest memories was being flung from the back-seat of a very old double-decker down the aisle, when it braked suddenly. Was there an old route 43, that ran from Nechells to Londonderry, via Smethwick, or did I imagine it all?

[Roy]

I'm not sure I should answer this having been called a grizzly old timer.  ;)

There was a 43.  In the early days of WMPTE, it ran from Nechells to City Centre, but by 1979 it had been extended over the old 95 route via Bath Row, Five Ways and Icknield Park Road to Soho.  It was still operating this route in 1988.

I think it was superceded by the 66/66A services.  However, I have no recollection of it ever going to Smethwick or Londonderry although it may have done at some time. 

[Justin Tyme]

Yes Stu, your memory is good.  The 43 did run Nechells - Londonderry for a number of years from around 1980.  The route between the City Centre and Smethwick was via Five Ways, Ladywood, Heath Street and Soho  (which was its terminus before being extended to Soho as a result of Sandwell area revisions).

[KayP]

Probably being on an MK1 on the 11A from Handsworth to Bearwood, they were beauties.

Yes Stu, your memory is good.  The 43 did run Nechells - Londonderry for a number of years from around 1980.  The route between the City Centre and Smethwick was via Five Ways, Ladywood, Heath Street and Soho  (which was its terminus before being extended to Soho as a result of Sandwell area revisions).

[Stevo]

I must be a real old-timer because I remember going on the 43 in 1962 when it had the first Fleetlines and Atlanteans - they seemed marvellous then, buses with the engine where the platform should be...

[Ossie]

Oh yes, I remember that too .... there was initially a demonstrator, wasn't there? I think it was 3230 and it plied its trade on route 96 - City (back of the Council House) to Lodge Road?

[Stevo]

Yes - 3230 (460 MTE) was the demonstrator and worked with Atlanteans 3231 - 3240 on the 96 from Congreve Street, just outside Birmingham City Transport HQ in the Council House extension, to the middle of nowhere next to Soho junctions. Then the Fleetlines 3241-3250 came in 1962 and half came onto the 96, replacing half of the Atlanteans to the 43 with the other half of the Fleetlines. Happy days!

[windy miller]

Back in the halcyon days of the joj & Mof they (usually) carried a notice at the front of the top deck. these were "no standing on the upper deck" and "NO SPITTING ALLOWED" . what I find amusing is the word Vandalism never got a look in! I mean, Its almost as though a good old fashioned "gob fight" between consenting schoolboys was more anti-social than carving your name on the back seats!!? :) :) :)

[Tony]

This was before I was born, but I would love to have been able to see things like this at work
http://wmbusphotos.com/Trains/other/10201.html

[andy]

My earliest memories....When I was a toddler there were still rear platforms of some sort running past Warley Woods on the 129..by the time I was old enough to travel on buses with my nan it was Ailsas and once I remember catching one of the rare Titans on it and nearly being thrown through the windscreen when the driver stood on the brakes at Paradise Circus!

My other nan lived at Kingstanding so it was Fleetlines on the 33. I remember letting the newer ones go so that I could travel on an earlier example as I preferred the interiors...Finchley Rd was the terminus at that time so I could stand there and take my pick of whatever was on the stand and simply wait for it!

Also remember going to work with my Mom and having to sit in the office with her while she worked as a Secretary...I would be staring out of the window intently for hours at Oldbury bus garage which was next door.

[arrifirststage]

Most buses in the old days had a notice saying NO SPITTING ALLOWED................I always wondered whether you could spit quietly.

[winston]

My earliest memories would be of catching routes 131 & 132 from the Bull Ring bus station back to Hasbury, Liverpool Street garage used to serve Hasbury with the Limited Stop 902 route to/from Birmingham in the peaks. I think we also used to have a 242 & possibly a 297 serve the estate. Further up the estate we also had the 415 which linked Hayley Green - Oldbury with Volvo Alisa's and their distinctive sound.........

I can remember passing Selly Oak garage in WMPTE day's on route to Cotteridge passing on the number 11, passing Oldbury garage on route to Savacentre shopping & also remember Stourbridge garage

[D10]

Ahhh the Bull Ring Bus Station. Even now every time I get a sniff of diesel or exhaust fumes in a confined space I remember that place. Awful lighting and ventilation, horrible toilets and one wall in a foul yellow colour for Midland Express.

Yet many happy memories of catching the 120 or 140 to visit either set of grandparents or or catching the X20 back to Stratford with my parents to where we used to live at the time!

[JIM H]

My earliest memories are of buses starting on the 96 Lodge Road route. They took over from the trams on the same route in 1947.
The tram route number was 32. The first buses used were usually pre-war Daimler COG5's, but in 1949 about 65 new Leyland Titans
PD2/1's were delivered to Hockley and all appeared on the 96. They were superb buses, the last 15 had Park Royal bodies.

[richie]

my earliest memories are 246's and 245's running together along Brierley hill high street a mix of Fleetlines, Metro buses and the odd Leyland National all in different livery! Oh how the times have changed ???