Old bus stop flags and routes that served them.

[j789]

Whilst going up Cross Farm Road recently (Between Metchley Lane and Harborne Park Road, in Harborne I saw an old Midland Red West bus stop flag on a lamppost. There can't be many left of these in Birmingham now, if any others!!!!
Does anyone know what route used to go up that road as growing up in Harborne I never knew of a route going that way?

[Westy]

There's a Twm era flag in High Street Bloxwich which refers to the 560, 562 & 568!

[Cheese]

Whilst going up Cross Farm Road recently (Between Metchley Lane and Harborne Park Road, in Harborne I saw an old Midland Red West bus stop flag on a lamppost. There can't be many left of these in Birmingham now, if any others!!!!
Does anyone know what route used to go up that road as growing up in Harborne I never knew of a route going that way?

Possibly the 445 or 453/454 at some point? These routes seemed to operate in the vicinity around the QE in my 1994 Midland Red timetable book but weren't using Cross Farm Road but I am sure I might have seen a timetable myself at some point of a bus using Cross Farm Road.

[MasterPlan]

It's not there now, but I remember when I was a kid I saw a bus stop for route 30, but I never saw it. Turned out it had been discontinued for ages lol

[j789]

It's not there now, but I remember when I was a kid I saw a bus stop for route 30, but I never saw it. Turned out it had been discontinued for ages lol

Was that in Harborne? If so, that 30 went from Quinton to the QE Hospital. It changed to become the 636 in the late 90s and now is the 99.

[MasterPlan]

Was that in Harborne? If so, that 30 went from Quinton to the QE Hospital. It changed to become the 636 in the late 90s and now is the 99.

Pretty sure I saw it on Barnes Hill. Although it was a long time ago now so who knows. I think it was that route though.

[JPC]

Pretty sure I saw it on Barnes Hill. Although it was a long time ago now so who knows. I think it was that route though.

There was a 30 service (certainly during the late 80s to mid 90s at least) which was a positioning route: Quinton Garage, Ridgacre Road, West Boulevard, Barnes Hill, Shenley Lane, Bell Lane, Northfield
Limited service, journeys mainly at peak times utilising buses coming on/off the 29 route at Northfield.

[j789]

There was a 30 service (certainly during the late 80s to mid 90s at least) which was a positioning route: Quinton Garage, Ridgacre Road, West Boulevard, Barnes Hill, Shenley Lane, Bell Lane, Northfield
Limited service, journeys mainly at peak times utilising buses coming on/off the 29 route at Northfield.

Yes there was another 30 service, I think it was a school service for Hillcrest Girls school for people living in Quinton as there was a bus stop on the dual carriageway opposite Barnes Hill (Towards Quinton Road West). My sister used to catch it and I think it became a 103 in Quinton.

[MasterPlan]

Yes there was another 30 service, I think it was a school service for Hillcrest Girls school for people living in Quinton as there was a bus stop on the dual carriageway opposite Barnes Hill (Towards Quinton Road West). My sister used to catch it and I think it became a 103 in Quinton.

The 103 is what the 24 is now, right? I'm pretty sure the 103 went to Woodgate Valley North.

[MasterPlan]

There was a 30 service (certainly during the late 80s to mid 90s at least) which was a positioning route: Quinton Garage, Ridgacre Road, West Boulevard, Barnes Hill, Shenley Lane, Bell Lane, Northfield
Limited service, journeys mainly at peak times utilising buses coming on/off the 29 route at Northfield.

Yeah that was probably it actually. So it went all the way down Shenley Lane and Barnes Hill? I have to say I've lived there all my life and I'm surprised that stretch of dual carriageway hasn't been used completely for a bus route. Would be ideal as you rarely get traffic congestion.

[j789]

Yes the 24 was the 103 and before that the 3. I am surprised too, I thought they may have extended some 24s to the new asda on Barnes hill to provide a link to Quinton.

[MasterPlan]

Yes the 24 was the 103 and before that the 3. I am surprised too, I thought they may have extended some 24s to the new asda on Barnes hill to provide a link to Quinton.

Yeah that's true actually and you can turn around on yourself easily enough on Barnes Hill like the 29 does.

Maybe a 24A?

[Mike K]

Yes the 24 was the 103 and before that the 3. I am surprised too, I thought they may have extended some 24s to the new asda on Barnes hill to provide a link to Quinton.

With the large loop the 24 does around Woodgate Valley the logistics of extending it down to Barnes Hill Asda are difficult. Unless the route was changed so it didn't do a loop, if you lived along Simmons Drive and wanted to travel into the city, you'd have to catch the bus, stay on it until it got to Asda and turned around, and waited for the return journey back towards city. If they did away with the loop then large parts of Quinton Rd West would be omitted.

[Matt77]

Thinking this might be the Midland Red West 653/4 service from Great Barr to Harborne from the early 1990's?

[j789]

Thinking this might be the Midland Red West 653/4 service from Great Barr to Harborne from the early 1990's?

Was this 654 similar to the modern day one that NXWM ran from Scott Arms? Midland red west sure had some odd routes back in the day! I wish I could drive them now rather than endless 35s round Worcester!