If reports are correct then by October 2011 the bus museum at Aston Manor will close. For whatever reason, upon which no doubt financial
constraints will have had a bearing, this is to be regretted. With the current round of cuts and other measures placed upon various agencies
due in part to the national and world wide recessional situation, the landlord for the premises, Birmingham City Council has served a notice
to quit.
The museum has for many years been based in a former tram depot at Witton Lane Aston close to the Aston Villa Football Club. Inside is a
miscellany of vehicles all (or almost all), with a local connection to the area, namely the West Midlands. There is also much ephemera and other
artifacts of local transport history contained therein all worth holding on to. But with closure imminent there may be one last opportunity to
visit this collection with a final running day event planned on Sunday 16th October 2011.
Vehicles associated with the museum range from a 1925 AEC S type with Buckingham bodywork operated by Birmingham Corporation Tramways to a
Leyland Lynx circa 1990 operated by Midland Red West.
So with that in mind the following collection of images may either remind those who have already visited what they saw, or encourage others to
give the museum a grand send-off with one last visit.
1. A view of the main entrance off of Witton Lane of the former tram depot is shown here from the top deck of one of the museum’s working
buses, a former Birmingham City Transport Daimler CLG5.
2. Inside the building many vehicles are housed amongst other artifacts. Here a former West Midlands double-decker is flanked by two more
double-deckers, one local, the other a refugee from the English capital city, in the shape of London Routemaster RM506.
3. Cobbled setts and tram tracks are still visible within the complex.
4. Tucked up the far end of the building one of the oldest vehicles present, a Morris Commercial Dictator with Metro-Cammell bodywork acquired
by Birmingham Corporation Tramways in 1933.
5. Whilst the corporation and successors liveries were cream or white with blue hues, red is represented by several vehicles from the
Birmingham & Midland Motor Omnibus company, including this in-house built D9 class double-decker. This was the era when car travel was on the
increase and the opening of the M1 Motorway brought many towns and cities closer to one another. Thus note the advertisement between the decks
that promoted the Motorway Express service from the West Midlands to London, upon which those excellent CMt class coaches were created.
6. From further afield came this Burlingham bodied AEC Regal circa 1931 originally operated by the Provincial company based in Leicester.
In the blind box one can just make out the destination of Skegness. How about a jaunt in one of these out to the coast.
7. Representing the 1970s an Alexander bodied Leyland Leopard, number 36 with the Stratford-upon-Avon Blue Motors company. A fine view of
this and the variety of other vehicles in the collection.
8. In contrast from the same era West Midlands Passenger Transport Executive 4041 a 1970 built Daimler Fleetline CRG6LX with Park Royal
bodywork. Just visible alongside is a younger MCW Metrobus with branding for the Tracline 65 service, a route that utilized a section of
guided busway.
9. Whilst space is somewhat at a premium within the building, vehicles can be viewed from most aspects. Here a trio provides an interesting
line-up to appreciate contrast in design.
10. Nearest the camera a BMMO SON type with Willowbrook bodywork supplied to the Trent Motor Traction company in wartime 1940
as their fleet number 417.
11. Next to the Trent bus a 1951 built Sentinel STC4 demonstrator and on the far side a Walsall Corporation Sunbeam trolleybus with
Willowbrook body from 1956.
12. The museum has been run by willing volunteers throughout the years and several events include bus operating days. A regular vehicle
in such use has been this BMMO (Midland Red) S17 class Willowbrook bodied single-decker number 5479 built in 1963.
13. Birmingham City Transport bought a whole host of half-cabbed double-deckers during the 1950s including this Daimler CLG5 with locally
built Metro-Cammell bodywork. Number 3002 here rests between duties on an open day excursion programme and was indeed the vehicle from which
the front of the depot was photographed in an earlier image.
14-18. A set of five images that illustrate the interior of the Daimler 3002. Regrettably despite all efforts the inside is starting to show
its age, but despite that it still managed to evoke some interesting memories through the sights of the design and the smells from the leather.
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19. One of the many artifacts present was this interesting mirror from one of the many Birmingham area garages. Note the instructions as
regards appearance printed thereon. What company today would go to these lengths to ensure and maintain a proper dress code?
20-21. A couple of images of the working model tramway layout.
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22-23. A fine assortment of bus stops and other signage are also retained by the museum. The image with the pair of directional signs,
were affixed to the tops of respective bus stops.
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24. But finally it appears that regrettably time has run out for the museum and this historic collection.