Vintage bus ride from Snow Hill Queensway to the Birmingham Museums Collection Centre, September 2018

A look back to my vintage bus ride in September 2018 when an open day was again held at the Birmingham Museums Collections Centre on Dollman Street. Was a long wait on Snow Hill Queensway before the bus came! But was well worth the wait. 2222 aka JOJ 222.

A long wait on the 16th September 2018 during Heritage Open Week in Birmingham. After a visit to Highbury Hall, next on the agenda was a return visit to the Birmingham Museums Collection Centre, on Dollman Street. I heard about the free vintage bus ride, so I wanted to go. A 50 minute wait at bus stop SQ3 outside of Lloyd House, but it was worth it!

Seen arriving on Snow Hill Queensway was former Birmingham City Transport bus 222. JOJ 222. Made by Leyland. To "Saltley". Passing Three Snowhill.

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It was approaching bus stop SQ3. Worth the wind and rain to see it and ride it!

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Birmingham City Transport with Birmingham's Forward coat of arms.

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Top deck. The seats are a bit different to modern buses and the ceiling is much lower! I sat on the left.

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The steps are at the back of the bus, not near the front. Similar to old London buses!

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Reflection in Lloyd House, the West Midlands Police Headquarters.

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I believe this section is now a little exhibition with the history of the West Midlands Police.

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"Spitting strictly prohibited offenders will be prosecuted". One of the signs I saw on the top deck! What was their litter policy back in the day?

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"Any passenger leaving this omnibus without paying the fare and with intent to avoid payment is liable to prosecution". To be fare / fair, it was a free bus ride, so no ticket, and I don't think my Swift Card would have been accepted!

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If you wanted to stop the bus to get off, press this button. I would think that the light would come on?

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Close up look at the button. The metal has rusted a bit. You have modern equivalents of these on modern buses!

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2222 the buses ID. Modern buses have ID numbers like this too.

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After leaving Snow Hill Queensway, the bus went via Colmore Circus Queensway, Steelhouse Lane, Corporation Street (near the Aston Expressway), Dartmouth Circus, Dartmouth Middleway, then up Vauxhall Road, Great Francis Street, Duddeston Mill Road and down Dollman Street.

Once the bus had parked near the Birmingham Museums Collections Centre, it was time to get off. On the way down the steps I saw theses signs. "Beware of approaching vehicles when leaving or passing behind this vehicle. Safety First".

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Bus destinations used to be on rollable blinds like the one below (modern buses have digital ones). It was still like this until at least the 1990s! Bottom sign says "Passengers are requested not to alight except at authorised stopping places". These buses didn't have automatic doors, in fact they had no door at the back, but only a conductor to collect tickets!

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View of the other side of JOJ 222 / 2222 from after I got off the bus, and before I went into the Birmingham Museums Collections Centre for my second time in over 6 years!

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Photos taken by Elliott Brown