Steapest hill climbs for buses within the west mids

[Ash]

What do you consider to be the steapest hill climbs either locally or on your own bus route, also what vehicle usually operates the service. I guess mostly Dudley services will be mentioned here.

One of the steapest i know within West Bromwich is Charlemount Farm when it used mostly b6le's they used to climb it at walking pace but now with mercs it seems much better.

[swifty]

Hamstead Hill which the 16 operates on can be a pain in the ass during the morning rush hour, the metros used to get stuck in crawl gear lol. Also Harborne Road going up to Warley Water Tower on the 447/448 could be a pain during the Winter Months. And Finally Portsdown Road which is on the 244/417 Route is quite steep.

[Tomjusttom]

Lodge Farm on the 81. It even made the local rag when passengers had to get off to let a PE B6 go uphill!

[swifty]

Lodge Farm on the 81. It even made the local rag when passengers had to get off to let a PE B6 go uphill!

I remember that, it was funny lol

[Ash]

The diversion around Halesowen at the moment means the 417 has to climb a very steep hill for quite a way before it starts reaching Blackheath dont know the exact name of the hill but the darts really seem to struggle but the centro's power up there no problem.

[makkacdt]

Hannover road, Powke lane, garrets lane, rowley villidge all in blackheath

[BU07 LGO]

Shocked Dyas on the 28 route has yet to be mentioned!

[Nathan4775]

Shocked Dyas on the 28 route has yet to be mentioned!

Ive always had visions of the 28 not making it up the Hill and going straight back down the hill when they give way to other drivers

[vinh1000]

Was on the 647 and remember around Kenwick road there were some hills and because the 647 can go both directions around it and they meet at the same time I remember the driver had to reverse onto curb to allow other way 647 to pass and going up that hill sometimes it flys sometimes very sluggish depending on which Midland fleet is out

[Stu]

City Road in Tividale. Modern buses don't seem to have much trouble here anymore, but back in the day Metrobuses on the 120 used to really struggle up there, and I used to dread the bus having to stop in case it rolled all the way back down!  :o

[D10]

City Road in Tividale. Modern buses don't seem to have much trouble here anymore, but back in the day Metrobuses on the 120 used to really struggle up there, and I used to dread the bus having to stop in case it rolled all the way back down!  :o

My dad used to use the 120 back in the 1950's and he says this was one of those routes where quite often passnengers had to get off and walk up the hill as the bus couldn't make it up loaded!

Also on the same hill (Turners Hill) is the nearby road of  Portway Hill used by the 205 route. This is a long straight climb which used to be great to travel up when the 88 was running with DD's.

[Discodave]

out of the west midlands but bradbury lane on the pye green 25/26 route was a steep hill had one bus 2318 the crappest of crap dennis darts booked off for years with poor power even on flat (overtook by a milkfloat thats how bad it was) when it got to the stop halfway up finially it expired and the box and engine went love to have seen it had a new engine and box which made it better but its only the b10l volvos which are the best on climbing this hill any dennis or daf forget it even the new ones just gutless crap

[Andrew1991]

Lodge Farm on the 81. It even made the local rag when passengers had to get off to let a PE B6 go uphill!

my vote goes to the 81, you can walk faster than the excels get up there

[Justin Tyme]

I don't think the Black Country hills can be beaten for steepness.  I agree that City Road and Turners Hill in Portway may well be the steepest - on a bad day a Metrobus could be down to less than walking pace going uphill.  Some roads in the Gornal Wood and Stickley area could also be contenders - the 223 particularly.   

Mucklow Hill in Halesowen (141 and others) is another notorious one, and possibly the best known in the region.  In fact, nearly 100 years ago Midland Red reassured councils across the Midlands about their buses by pointing out that they could cope with Mucklow Hill!

In Birmingham, there are several steep hills in Kings Norton, such as Parsons Hill (18), Hillmeads Road (35 and 49) and Pershore Road South up to Kings Norton Station (18, 45, 47 and 49, among others).  During the 1970s, "Jumbo" Fleetlines were used on these hills, which was rather a struggle for them.  And I remember, around 1980, all of us passengers having to get off a Leyland-engined Fleetline on Parsons Hill when it ran out of power.   Once empty it just about managed take-off, and then waited for us at the top.

[John]

The Newton Road, Great Barr is also a steep hill on the 451 toward Sutton. President's struggle up that one.