East Birmingham History Lesson Req'd

[monkeyjoe]

Just again curious and wasting time because of the project i'm working on

I know that the current 90 service used to be the 590 and 171 before that.

The 71 used to be the 166??

What did the 94 used to be or has that been around for a lifetime?

The 55 has been around since Shard End was created?? Is this true.

The 14 has been around for a lifetime too??

[Mike K]

I believe the 94 used to be the 56 many years ago.

[Tony]

I believe the 94 used to be the 56 many years ago.

The 94 was a combination of the BCT 56 which terminated at the Clock Garage and the Midland Red 194 which terminated at Arran Way by doing the Winward Way/Aukland Drive loop, which is why until recently the 94 went different routes in each direction

Tony
(In Minehead, no First, I  would not want to sit on an S reg dart for 1 hour 20 min to Taunton)

[Justin Tyme]

The 71 did used to be the 166, which Midland Red started in 1969.

As Tony says, the 94 was a merger of ex-Birmingham Corporation 56 and ex-Midland Red 194, and started in 1975.  A 93 to Kingshurst started at the same time, which was a combination of the 56 and 160 (Kingshurst).

You're right about the 55.  It started as City - Shard End in the 1950s, while the estate was being built, and was extended to Kingshurst in 1974 and then to Chelmsley Wood in more recent times.

The 14 started in the 1930s as Alum Rock - Glebe Farm, then City - Glebe Farm, and was extended to Lea Village in 1938 and Tile Cross in 1949.

[monkeyjoe]

Interesting didn't know the 55 was around that much longer.

Suppose that puts head to my idea of renumbering the 55 = 95 etc. Would probably cause so much confusion if they are that long established.

[Mike K]

Interesting stuff Tony and Justin. Were these Midland Red routes operated by Sutton garage? I seem to recall an old picture of a WMPTE Ailsa on the 194 after operations had passed to the PTE. And one more question. What about those mammoth old ex Midland Red routes the 165 and 185, Cotteridge / Kings Heath to Chelmsley Wood. Which MR garage ran these routes?

[Gareth]

It probably would have been Sutton. They had some running boards on the 93/4 in the early days

Here is a photo of 5259 at Sutton Garage with blinds set for the 93.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/discogareth/6216651257/
Buses Extra magazine (issue 3) has a photo of an Ailsa on the 93 and there is a photo on flickr somewhere of an Ailsa on the 94.

Sadly all this was before I was born, so missed out on these great sights until Tame Valley operated Ailsas on the 94 in the early 90's

[monkeyjoe]

I never realised that Sutton ran some of the 93/94 services. What were WH running then if that was the case I thought that was the bulk of their running boards?

It doesn't seem so bad that Perry Barr are running the 94 nowadays.

[Gareth]

I think at the time WH only had the 26, 55, 93 and 94. The 28 still being run by LH? CV?
Lea Hall also had running boards on the 55. Again, there is a photo somewhere on flickr of a Twin door  ex Midland Red fleetline on the 55.

I'd imagine at the time and because of the extension of the 56 to Kingshurst and Chelmsley Wood as the 93/4, then WH just didnt have room for the extra buses required. The side of the garage being used for many years for withdrawn buses. As a small child, I do only remember service buses being parked at the side, and then ultimately the extension happened in 1985. By then, they had the 28 and 'new'(ish) 56 along with the 161/171 from CV

[Tony]

You're in my specialist area here, I lived in Castle Bromwich until 1991.the 71 was originally the 175, it was renumbered 166 when the new 175 started which was Chelmsley Wood North to Solihull.
Sutton garage, where my dad worked ran the old 175 later 166, and the 194. When the 194 finished they jointly ran the 93&94 with WH. Sheepcote Street ran the 160 which became the 93

Sutton also ran the 162 to Chelmsley, and had runnings on the 163, 193 & 195

[Justin Tyme]

The Midland Red services were run by Sutton and, I think, also Digbeth (Moseley Road in PTE days) and Sheepcote Street garages.  Moseley Road and Sheepcote Street closed when the 93/94 started, so Washwood Heath took on most duties and Sutton had a minority share until WH had room for them all a few years later.

The 28 was run by Lea Hall and Liverpool Street.

The 165/185 were actually started by WMPTE, and were operated by Yardley Wood and Lea Hall.  At first there were the 164 and 165, Chelmsley Wood - Wythall, which were basically an extended ex-Midland Red 175 (Chelmsley Wood - Shirley Station) and also part replaced ex-MR 170/172 (Acocks Green - Wythall).  These started in 1975.  The Maypole - Wythall section was withdrawn in 1977 when the two services became just 165, and in 1978 it was extended to Cotteridge.  The 185 started a little later, partly replacing a short-lived 167, and also the Marston Green - Solihull section of 166 (Sutton - Solihull) except during peak hours. 

I think that Digbeth mainly ran the 170/172 and probably Sutton the 175 in Midland Red days, but I stand to be corrected - in fact Tony's posted with more info while I've been drafting this.

[Mike K]

Thanks all, you certainly know your stuff.

[monkeyjoe]

Cheers peeps. Interesting stuff. What about the 26 and 17. I know that latter used to be a X city with the 16 going to Lea Hall (old 15/13).

Also the 99 serving Lancaster Way (Only remember that service being full at School out times and from the Bham markets).

[Justin Tyme]

Cheers peeps. Interesting stuff. What about the 26 and 17. I know that latter used to be a X city with the 16 going to Lea Hall (old 15/13).

Also the 99 serving Lancaster Way (Only remember that service being full at School out times and from the Bham markets).

The 26 started in 1967 and for some years ran only between Bromford Bridge and Alum Rock Road (Highfield Road junction).  Passengers for Town had to change either there or on Washwood Heath Road.  Needless to say this was very unpopular, but it was only in 1974 that the 26 was extended to the City Centre.

The 17 City - Garretts Green started just before the war, actually numbered 15B.  It was renumbered 17 in the 1950s, when it was extended to the Meadway roundabout.   In 1967 a service 68 started, following the same route to the college then via Sheldon Heath Road to The Radleys.  Generally, alternate journeys ran as 17 and 68.  I think it was around 1986 that the 17 was rerouted to The Radleys instead and ran cross city to Hamstead like the 16, but the cross city bit only lasted for a couple of years or so before being cut back again to City - The Radleys and Tile Cross.

The 99 started in 1976, at the same time as the 97 and 98.  It initially ran via Cattell Road, Bordesley Green, Meadway, Lea Hall Station and Cooks Lane to "Chelmsley Wood North" at Lanchester Way, as you say, and replaced part of ex-BCT 54 (Stechford) and ex-MR 195 (over virtually the same route).  It was rerouted later on to serve Small Heath and Yardley.

[monkeyjoe]

Arh right cheers. When you say 98, do you mean 96? Not being pedantic I just don't remember the 98 along the meadway.