Buses and Trams In Colour
It was a real surprise to find that we had boxes of full colour slides
as well as all the prints. There aren't a huge amount of bus and
tram photo's, but there are a few of interest. Sadly, there are
no pictures of Birmingham trams in their primrose and cobalt blue
livery as my father didn't start taking slides until 1955. By
that time the network had been shut down.
Old colour pictures really make an impact on me. With black and
white it's easy differentiate between the past and the present. A
fifty year old colour picture starts to blur the distinction...
Bus Terminus Haunch Lane - 22/5/55
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The bus terminus at Haunch
Lane. Yardley Wood Road disappears into the distance while an
18A, complete with an advert for Old Charlie Rum, sits at the stop.
I happened to be driving past this site on my way to a friends 40th
birthday BBQ and I couldn't resist stopping to capture this
shot of the scene today.
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Bus HOV 928 - 27/5/56
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HOV 928 at
Cotteridge. Numbered 45, the sign on the front says, "West Heath
Alvechurch Road", although it is facing the into city direction.
Thanks to Mike for pointing out that it was Birmingham City Transport
practice to show the outer terminus destination all the time.
A chap downstairs in having a nap in the sunshine!
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Wilts & Dorset Bus 518 K.N. - 7/8/55
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Two Wilts
& Dorset buses parked up at Kings Norton railway station. The
registration number is HWV 946.
The
sign in the front window of bus 518 says, "Birmingham", but who hired
them remains a mystery. However, an anonymous emailer said
this, "The Wilts and Dorsets used to bring troops to Bham (I think on a
friday night) from Salisbury Plain, returning Sunday evening. They
parked up on Saturday.........usually by Bingley Hall in Broad
Street.....I bet these are the same.". Since the photo was taken
on a Sunday he could well be correct!
To back this up, Nigel got in touch to say, "Those are the same buses
that used to bring me home for the weekend when I was in the RAF at
Middle Wallop". Seems pretty conclusive to me...
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981 UHW at Ledbury Station - Date unknown
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This picture
was among the last my father took so he never catalogued it in his
normal, thorough way. All I can say is that is was taken
somewhere between August 1964 and August 1965. Although the
station building has now gone the ornate wall survives as this
picture from April 2007 shows.
An otherwise idyllic rural scene is spoilt by the incongrous intrusion
of a very 1960's style concrete lamppost!
The bus is a Bristol and there is lots of useful information about
these on the Classic
Bristol Buses website.
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Trolleybus Nr Cardiff Castle - 10/6/64
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When I found
this picture of a trolleybus in Cardiff, I assumed my father was
capturing the last days of a doomed system as he had done with the trams of Birmingham. I was
amazed to discover that trolleybuses continued operating in Cardiff
until January 1970! This site has
some more photo's
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Trolleybus Nr Cardiff (Gen) Stn - 10/6/64
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Trolleybus
DUH 725 photographed close to Cardiff General Station. Note the Royal Hotel behind.
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Tram 202 Fleetwood - 1/4/56
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An Easter
break in Blackpool provided my father with the opportunity to capture a
few shots of the town's iconic tram system. I doubt he would have
imagined that it would still be in operation over 50 years later!
Note the North Euston Hotel in the background.
If anyone can provide some interesting notes about these trams, I'd be
very grateful.
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Tram 244 Talbot Sq - 3/4/56
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Tram 317 Talbot Sq - 3/4/56
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