regentlad
The Daimler awaits
Awaiting its next duties at Wellhead Lane garage is Birmingham Corporation 1845, a 1948 Daimler CVG6 and young member of the HOV family of registrations brought into service by BCT in the late 1940's and a regular on Inner Circle 8 working from Highgate Road garage prior to transfer here. In all around 350 buses sported the prefixes of these number plates. In 1948 Birmingham was well into their tram replacement program (Edinburgh was murmouring about starting theirs) so demand for buses was at an all time high. So were profits from high patronage which followed the war years. A surplus of £350,000 shone in the previous financial year (£10 million in today's prices!) but alas not enough to pay for the numbers of buses required so 'shopping around' became essential and many orders went locally to Metropolitan-Cammell who built much of the fleet in that era including 1845.
The Daimler, sporting a nearside advert for Swan Vestas, is seen at Wellhead Lane garage (in today's parlance 'Perry Barr'), curiously several Birmingham garages carried alternative names. Perry Barr garage opened in 1933 with a capacity for 120 motor-buses, over the years that capacity has been well exceeded. There was little excuse for bus crews not being fit given the garage was surrounded by sports fields and clubs - running track, cricket ground, football park, tennis courts and boating lakes, not to mention a walk along Aston Lane to see football being played at Villa Park! At the time of this scene the garage had a run-out of 85 vehicles to routes 6, 7, 25, 33, 39, 42 and a good share of the 11's. This restriction was caused by its proximity to the large ex tram depots at Miller Street and Hockley both of which had the bus capacity to overshadow PB's operations but both of which it has outlasted - as today it serves as the National Express garage for the north and north east of Birmingham.
The Daimler awaits
Awaiting its next duties at Wellhead Lane garage is Birmingham Corporation 1845, a 1948 Daimler CVG6 and young member of the HOV family of registrations brought into service by BCT in the late 1940's and a regular on Inner Circle 8 working from Highgate Road garage prior to transfer here. In all around 350 buses sported the prefixes of these number plates. In 1948 Birmingham was well into their tram replacement program (Edinburgh was murmouring about starting theirs) so demand for buses was at an all time high. So were profits from high patronage which followed the war years. A surplus of £350,000 shone in the previous financial year (£10 million in today's prices!) but alas not enough to pay for the numbers of buses required so 'shopping around' became essential and many orders went locally to Metropolitan-Cammell who built much of the fleet in that era including 1845.
The Daimler, sporting a nearside advert for Swan Vestas, is seen at Wellhead Lane garage (in today's parlance 'Perry Barr'), curiously several Birmingham garages carried alternative names. Perry Barr garage opened in 1933 with a capacity for 120 motor-buses, over the years that capacity has been well exceeded. There was little excuse for bus crews not being fit given the garage was surrounded by sports fields and clubs - running track, cricket ground, football park, tennis courts and boating lakes, not to mention a walk along Aston Lane to see football being played at Villa Park! At the time of this scene the garage had a run-out of 85 vehicles to routes 6, 7, 25, 33, 39, 42 and a good share of the 11's. This restriction was caused by its proximity to the large ex tram depots at Miller Street and Hockley both of which had the bus capacity to overshadow PB's operations but both of which it has outlasted - as today it serves as the National Express garage for the north and north east of Birmingham.