Charabanc made in Birmingham

Discussions about the vehicles operated by Birmingham and Midland Motor Omnibus Company Limited (BMMO — Midland "Red" Motor Services).
Post Reply
Lincolnian
Posts: 1
Joined: 17:05 Monday 1st March 2021

Charabanc made in Birmingham

Post by Lincolnian » 17:14 Monday 1st March 2021

Image

Can anyone identify these two vehicles. I believe they were made and registered in Birmingham. Then sold on. This picture is at Scarborough station. Thanks
Attachments
633D3EF7-BAF4-431B-A6DC-9199B819A556.jpeg

ANDREW
Posts: 765
Joined: 00:38 Monday 4th July 2016
Location: Bromsgrove.

Re: Charabanc made in Birmingham

Post by ANDREW » 14:30 Tuesday 2nd March 2021

Nice old photograph but a little before my time !! ;)

TimBrown
Posts: 1280
Joined: 05:59 Monday 4th July 2016
Location: Worcester

Re: Charabanc made in Birmingham

Post by TimBrown » 17:29 Tuesday 2nd March 2021

Lincolnian wrote:
17:14 Monday 1st March 2021
Image

Can anyone identify these two vehicles. I believe they were made and registered in Birmingham. Then sold on. This picture is at Scarborough station. Thanks
Just checked on the internet and registration letters BT were issued by East Yorkshire authority from December 1903 until August 1926. Regret I am unable to identify the chassis type.

Birmingham commenced using BT registration letters in 1960.

JustinTyme
Posts: 121
Joined: 20:20 Monday 4th July 2016
Location: Solihull

Re: Charabanc made in Birmingham

Post by JustinTyme » 18:16 Tuesday 2nd March 2021

I googled "Charabanc BT255" and, miraculously, the answer appeared! Thanks to The Local Transport History Library, this link has all the details about the vehicles and operation: -

http://www.lthlibrary.org.uk/library/PDF-118-1.pdf

Briefly, BT212 was a Saurer new in 1906, and BT255 was a Durkopp new in 1907. They were operated by the North Eastern Railway, which started running buses in 1903 and charabancs two years later.

Saurer was a Swiss firm and Durkopp was German, so there is no Birmingham connection - except that BMMO had a few between 1905 and 1907, as detailed on MidlandRed.net - see: http://midlandred.net/vehicles/fleetlis ... rator=bmmo.

TimBrown
Posts: 1280
Joined: 05:59 Monday 4th July 2016
Location: Worcester

Re: Charabanc made in Birmingham

Post by TimBrown » 14:07 Thursday 4th March 2021

JustinTyme wrote:
18:16 Tuesday 2nd March 2021
I googled "Charabanc BT255" and, miraculously, the answer appeared! Thanks to The Local Transport History Library, this link has all the details about the vehicles and operation: -

http://www.lthlibrary.org.uk/library/PDF-118-1.pdf

Briefly, BT212 was a Saurer new in 1906, and BT255 was a Durkopp new in 1907. They were operated by the North Eastern Railway, which started running buses in 1903 and charabancs two years later.

Saurer was a Swiss firm and Durkopp was German, so there is no Birmingham connection - except that BMMO had a few between 1905 and 1907, as detailed on MidlandRed.net - see: http://midlandred.net/vehicles/fleetlis ... rator=bmmo.
I have been waiting for others to reply, but a thank you does not seem to be forthcoming. However, I appreciate the information you found on the internet, I tried but without success! Later Lancia chassis had a similar style of radiator and bonnet so it was a surprise that one was a Swiss Saurer and the other a German Durkopp - we live and learn even at my advanced years.

These were very early petrol-powered motor buses and the open charabanc layout plus solid tyres would restrict the distance covered to a few miles from base at the then limit of 12 MPH.

JustinTyme
Posts: 121
Joined: 20:20 Monday 4th July 2016
Location: Solihull

Re: Charabanc made in Birmingham

Post by JustinTyme » 20:34 Thursday 4th March 2021

Thanks Tim. If it's any consolation I live and learn too - and I think that's a good thing!

It's a great photo. It looks like it was specially posed - perhaps for the start of a new tour or a new season (1907?) at Scarborough railway station. Forge Valley was less than five miles away and Filey less than 8 miles, so probably tolerable on solid tyres - although I have yet to have the "pleasure" of a ride on a solid-tyred vehicle: I live in hope!

I believe it was rare to have destination boards for excursions, which makes the photo even more interesting.

Post Reply

Return to “Midland "Red" Fleet”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 10 guests