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The charming cover to the Midland "Red"'s illustrated guide to their vast operating territory, motor bus and coach services and holiday tours. Showing one of the Company's own built "QL" type buses passing Bidford Church this was the first edition to carry the words "Railways Joint Motor Services" as 1930 was the year that two of the main line railways, the London Midland & Scottish and Great Western, acquired a shareholding in the company. This was now legally allowed to enable the railways to gain a financial foothold in the rapidly growing bus industry as well as helping companies such as the BMMO to have access to capital.
The guide, a gazetter illustrated with many photographs, also conatins adverts for companies and services associated with the company and places served.
For many years Midland Red, the dominant bus and coach operator based in Birmingham but whose operating territory spanned across many Midland counties, issued an annual publication; A gazetter of the Midlands with a supplement of inland and seasise pleasure resorts. The former included many places accessible by Midland Red's massive service bus network, and a range of day and weekend 'rover' tickets were available to facilitate such outings whilst the latter included day trips, excursions and coach holidays the company also ran.
The back cover has this fine advert issued by the Darwen, Lancashire, based Walpamur Company who had started as paper manufacturer and who had successfully branched into paint manufacturing. This advert makes use of a artwork commissioned by the well known artist Ronald Lampitt ( 1906 - 1988) who in post-war years somewhat specialised in these almost idyllic British countryscenes that were also often used for greetings cards and calendars.
For many years Midland Red, the dominant bus and coach operator based in Birmingham but whose operating territory spanned across many Midland counties, issued an annual publication; A gazetteer of the Midlands with a supplement of inland and seaside pleasure resorts. The former included many places accessible by Midland Red's massive service bus network, and a range of day and weekend 'rover' tickets were available to facilitate such outings whilst the latter included day trips, excursions and coach holidays the company also ran.
This is the cover to the 1953 edition showing what looks like a vaguely Cotswold scene, the company running services into the northern fringes of the area. The guide also includes many pages of adverts for suppliers to Midland Red (in case you too wanted to buy oil for your bus fleet) as well as for establishments such as caterers and entertainments whose services you may well use on a trip out.
The title page refers to the "Birmingham and Midland Red Motor Omnibus Co. Ltd.", a variation I have not seen before and that I suspect was Littlebury Brothers, the publisher and printer, getting carried away!
During the late 1920s and into the 1930s it was quite the vogue for the new, up and coming motor bus operators, to issue official guide books to their network; these describe the routes and attractions available from their expanding network of bus and coach services. This example was issued by Derby based Trent Motor Traction and it lists their stage services in some detail and includes a diagram or map of the bus services across Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire.
The front cover shows an increasingly old fashioned vehicle but it is one of interest. By this date the company was part of the British Electric Traction group (BET) and this allowed them to purchase buses famously constructed by fellow BET subsidiary, the Birmingham & Midland Motor Omnibus Company, better known as teh "Midland Red". This looks very much like a BMMO 'SOS" type motor bus.
A fine bold cover to this 1972 timetable leaflet from the newly "National" North Western Road Car Company for their express coach services between Manchester and London via the Potteries and Birmingham. Such express routes, including those that used the Motorway network as well as the 'traditional' A road routes, were profitable operations for the various regional bus and coach operators - in time, following amalgamation into the National Bus Company after nationalisation brought the vast majoity together in 1968 such services would be branded and marketed as National Express with the individual operators being 'relegated'. These services were in fact a joint operation with the Birmingham based Birmingham & Midland Motor Omnibus Company, the Midland Red. Given the operation through the territory of the Potteries Motor Traction Company it's a surprise they did not have a share.
The cover takes the boldness of the post 1964 design of UK traffic signs and adapts it for use with the calling points.
The Midland Red, officially named the Birmingham & Midland Motor Omnibus Co. Ltd., had its origins in early Edwardian years when a local company formed in 1904 was acquired by the mighty British Electric Traction company in 1905; the new BMMO started service with motor buses that year although by 1907 it had reverted to horse buses until 1913 when it again started to operate motor vehicles.
Midland Red grew to become one of the largest provincial bus and coach operators in the UK and, for many years, it built its own vehicles. This advert appears in a 1934 pageant guide for Shropshire and so promotes the company's Shrewsbury and county services along with bus and coach hire services.
An old amateur photograph (just 2" x 2") from an enthusiasts old tram/bus photo and postcard album, the latest pictures dating to c1950. This one was taken by 'JRM - Rex' and is of scrap Midland Red buses (left) No. 902, registration HA4841, and No. 948, registration HA4859.
I assume that the photo album belonged to a young person because at the front is a list of initials indicating the photographers. CC - C. Carter, HOD - Haynes of Dulwich (W. J. Haynes), JRM - Rex, WRGA - Robin Anderson of South Birmingham, MM - Mummy, JKM - Daddy, CJDM - Me, LOS - Lens of Sutton.
HA4841 and HA4859 were built by the 'Birmingham and Midland Motor Omnibus Co.' (BMMO) in 1928 comprising Ransomes, Sims and Jeffries bodies seating 37 (B37F), and BMMO SOS “QL” (“Queen Low”) chassis. They underwent an ambulance bus conversion in 1940, returned to bus service in 1945 (still B37F seating), and were withdrawn from service in 1949 and 1948 respectively.
If there are any errors in the above description please let me know. Thanks.
📷 Any photograph I post on Flickr is an original in my possession, nothing is ever copied/downloaded from another location. 📷
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An old amateur photograph (just 2" x 2") from an enthusiasts old tram/bus photo and postcard album, the latest pictures dating to c1950. This one was taken by 'JRM - Rex' and is of Midland Red bus No. 2107, registration DHA725, at Moreton-in-Marsh terminus.
I assume that the photo album belonged to a young person because at the front is a list of initials indicating the photographers. CC - C. Carter, HOD - Haynes of Dulwich (W. J. Haynes), JRM - Rex, WRGA - Robin Anderson of South Birmingham, MM - Mummy, JKM - Daddy, CJDM - Me, LOS - Lens of Sutton.
The description written next to the photo is "BMMO No 2107 at Moreton-in-the-Marsh terminus 19 Aug 1951".
DHA725 was built by the 'Birmingham and Midland Motor Omnibus Co.' (BMMO) in 1938 comprising a English Electric body seating 38 (B38F), and a BMMO 'Saloon Onward' chassis. It underwent an ambulance bus conversion in 1939, returned to a bus in 1940 (still B38F seating), and was withdrawn from service in 1956. I have no location/date for its further use or scrappage.
If there are any errors in the above description please let me know. Thanks.
📷 Any photograph I post on Flickr is an original in my possession, nothing is ever copied/downloaded from another location. 📷
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Preserved 1968 Birmingham and Midland Motor Omnibus Company (BMMO) S23 Midland Red single decker bus RHA919G outside Loughborough Railway Station in the County of Leicestershire (UK).
On this day RHA919G is operating a free shuttle bus between Loughborough Main Line Station and Loughborough Central Station on the heritage Great Central Railway.
History of RHA919G ltht.org.uk/rha-919g/
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Midland_Red
My Bus and Coach album flic.kr/s/aHsjJgWqCA
Photograph taken by and copyright of my regular photostream contributor David and is posted here with very kind permission.
Midland Red BMMO S22 ,PHG505G,arrives at Daventry Market Square for the Heritage Bus Rides event.
1968-1980: Life with Midland Red
No. 5905 was new in August 1968 to the Birmingham & Midland Motor Omnibus Company, who used the trading name ‘Midland Red’. It was part of a batch of thirty-seven class ‘S22’ 45-seat dual-purpose buses built by the company at its Carlyle Road Works at Edgbaston, Birmingham.
Although fitted for one man operation from new, the duties for the class ‘S22’ vehicles included the company’s longer distance stage carriage services and private hire work. Accordingly, they were fitted with very comfortable Vynide bucket seats which incorporated a grab rail along the top edge. They also had a large luggage pen at the front offside as well as a good size boot.
No. 5905 was initially allocated to Banbury garage and then re-allocated to Nuneaton depot in December 1971 where it spent the rest of its Midland Red working life. It was withdrawn in June 1980.
1980-1982: After withdrawal by Midland Red
5905 was sold to Derbyshire Constabulary in September 1980 as a non-PSV for riot control transport and as a training vehicle. It was used by the Derbyshire force for about 18 months and was then acquired by Brian Waldon, who resided in Bromsgrove, for preservation.
1982-Date: In preservation
Brian Waldon carried out some early restoration work but then sold the bus to Peter Exton of Stafford in 1995. Peter continued with some restoration before selling the bus on to Robert Rowley in Yelverton, Devon in the late 1990s. In 2009 Roger Burdett brought 5905 back to the Midlands, passing it on to Paul Hodgkins in May 2010. Paul gave the bus a comprehensive mechanical overhaul together with a high quality external restoration. This was completed when the S22 was expertly repainted in to the 1971 Midland Red livery style by Kevin Hill at The Transport Museum, Wythall, towards the end of 2013. Paul’s real joy is in the restoration side of things and with another project in mind he agreed to sell the S22 to the Leicester Transport Heritage Trust, in April 2014, to ensure that the bus will see regular use and also to ensure it will have a more secure long-term future.
BMMO ‘Midland Red’ and it’s successors running day, to mark forty years since the spilt of Midland Red.
BMMO ‘Midland Red’ and it’s successors running day, to mark forty years since the spilt of Midland Red.
BMMO ‘Midland Red’ and it’s successors running day, to mark forty years since the spilt of Midland Red.
BMMO ‘Midland Red’ and it’s successors running day, to mark forty years since the spilt of Midland Red.
BMMO ‘Midland Red’ and it’s successors running day, to mark forty years since the spilt of Midland Red.
BMMO ‘Midland Red’ and it’s successors running day, to mark forty years since the spilt of Midland Red.