LETTERS TO 'OMNIBUS'
Return To The End Of The World
My historian friend has come up with new facts about the Midland Red 200/201 saga, which add a good deal of interest to my previous notes on the subject.
When the 200 started operation - on 6 June 1932 - it ran through between Smethwick and Halesowen, i.e. the route we know as far as Hagley Road West, then via Quinton (Stag) and Mucklow Hill. On Sundays it was further extended to Clent. This lasted only until 26 September 1932, when the service was curtailed to run to Quinton (Stag), and only as far as Hagley Road West on winter Sundays.
From April 1933 the whole service was curtailed at Hagley Road West, though the summer Sunday extension to Clent continued. The latter was, in turn, renumbered 199 from 1935 onwards. It would seem that "Hagley Road West" was purely nominal, as it is known that buses actually turned at the junction of Stanley Road and Forest Road. This might have been because it was deemed undesirable to do a reverse manoeuvre at Hagley Road West because at that time it was still a single-carriageway.
As an exception, one early Monday-Saturday journey continued to run to Quinton (Stag). This was for employees at the electricity company SWS to their new offices at the top of Mucklow Hill, transferred from the old ex-BET power station at Downing Street, Smethwick. This journey continued into the MEB era.
The Smethwick - Pottery Road "shorts" might have been part of the service from the beginning, although my correspondent doesn't mention it.
The operation of the route was begun by Bearwood Garage, and was transferred to Oldbury Garage when it was opened in 1937. From 30 June 1951, while the Pottery Road "shorts" retained the number 200, the "Hagley Road West" journeys were allocated their own service number 201. Subsequent history, including the extension to Worlds End, was as described in Omnibus no.153.
Stan Letts
Oldbury
Help Required
Is any reader of Omnibus in a position to read the publication on to standard audiocassette tape for a visually impaired member, who can't manage printed matter? Tapes provided but not tape recorder.
Steve Richards
0121-745-4108 or stephenrichards@bigfoot.com
Wrong Part Of Derbyshire
Regarding Daimler SRB424 (Omnibus no.153), Blue Bus Services (Tailby & George) were based at WILLINGTON in Derbyshire and not Etwall.
Keith West
via e-mail
The Editor stands corrected. Blue Bus Services were based originally at Findern, then Repton, and eventually Willington, but not Etwall.
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