YARDLEY WOOD 70
Birmingham City Transport opened Yardley Wood bus garage in November 1938. These were massive premises, capable of holding 150 buses of the then dimensions. The opening allocation sported petrol AEC Regents and (diesel) Daimler COG5s, including fifty new ones. Single-deckers were present from 1939, transferred from Tennant Street, until the work passed to Selly Oak in 1949. Wartime buses in form of the 'Johannesburg' Daimler COG6s, Daimler CWG5s and Guy Arabs ran from Yardley Wood but the early post-war years saw the arrival of the PD2s in the form of the prototype, 296, and a huge number of the Brush-bodied batch, including 1685. Daimler CVD6s and 'New Look' CVG6s followed, including 3225. Single-deckers returned with the new generation of one-man-operated feeder services, beginning with the 4 from Cotteridge to Pool Farm. The buses weren't new, though, as the Leyland Olympics were the initial stock. Single and double-deck Fleetlines soon followed. Some of the Fleetlines were transferred to Hockley when one-man operation extended to double-deckers. Yardley Wood got BCT's eleven Leyland Atlanteans in return.
In WMPTE days, ex-Midland Red services from Digbeth, including those to Wythall, eventually wound up at Yardley Wood, along with BMMO S17s and LS18 Leyland Leopards that would be replaced by Nationals. Standard WMPTE Fleetlines were numerous, including 4613. With its Leyland history, Yardley Wood had Leyland-engined 4558-79 from new and gathered in some from Dudley when buses like 4613 were exchanged for 6311 and others. Metrobuses were numerous as the garage moved into the West Midlands Travel era.
Commendably the staff organised a splendid 70th birthday celebration on Saturday 29 November and four buses went from the Museum to the event. Just for once, it took us longer to get the buses out of the sheds than to drive to an event! Pride of place was BCT 1685 which ran from Yardley Wood from 1948 to 1968. We were thanked particularly for bringing it - amazing that it was 1685's first visit inside the garage since we collected it 40 years ago. 4613 was another very appropriate visitor but 2245 and 2976 also looked just right under the traditional roof trusses of the garage! They were accompanied by other preserved buses, making a brave sight.
Yardley Wood garage has its own well-known Bus Club and they must be congratulated on the large room full of memorabilia, full all day with visitors being reminded of the people and buses in the pictures. No public event seems to cope without loud music and this was no exception. It was made much more acceptable, however, by the excellent Elvis impersonator. Elvis and the backing band turned out to be Yardley Wood employees. I presume he's an impersonator, otherwise Elvis is alive and well, and driving the 69 bus route.
Let's hope Yardley Wood continues to survive to celebrate at least its 75th birthday in this era of open parking and minimal garage facilities. Like Tamworth's celebration a few months ago, a proper bus garage - Happy Birthday!
Malcolm Keeley
Chapel Lane, Wythall, Worcs B47 6JX
Tel : 01564 826471 e-mail us
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