New Front - Deckers

[Tim Williams]

In the early 1950's Birmingham City Transport wanted to modernise the appearance of it's fleet of buses. They had, incidentely a total fleet of around 1,700 - 1,800 buses, of which only 35 were single deckers.
So, seeing the great advances in frontal styling Midland Red had made, the General Manager of BCT wrote the GM of Midland Red seeking his approval to similarly come up with a "new front" design - the actual design work was done by Guy at Wolverhampton, just north of Birmingham. In the end, this new front style was produced, in large numbers, by Daimler, Crossley, and Guy - all slightly different, but virtually the same in appearance.

The photo is from BCT's official photographer - enthusiasts used to able to buy them!! The bus is a Guy Arab IV with an MCW body H30/25R, built 1952/53 - some of these buses had operational lives well in excess of 25 years!

[Tim Williams]

One of the last of the BCT "Standards", as they were called has been overhauled and preserved by the successors to BCT, National Express West Midlands and his based at their Yardley Wood bus garage. The bus is a Daimler CVG6 with a Crossley body and the condition of this bus is amazing - I rode in it from the Whythall Transport Museum to Yardley Wood, a few years ago - it is virtually rattle free!

The photo has been on the Net for quite a while - not sure who took it, I will try and find out for acknowledgements etc - but it does show the old Birmingham livery well.