Synopsis
In 1939, shortly before the outbreak of World War 2, Birmingham City Transport was the biggest municipal operator in England, with a fleet that comprised 701 trams, 847 motorbuses and 78 trolleybuses. It possessed the largest fleet of 3ft 6in gauge trams in the country and had a been a pioneer in trolleybus development, the first tram to trolleybus conversion being Birmingham's Nechells route in the early 1920s. The Corporation's involvement with public transort dated back to the early years of the century, when powers were obtained to operate trams; its role expanded prior to World War 1 with the take-over of the routes operated by the City of Birmingham Tramways Co and over the next two decades there were to be many significant developments and extensions. By the 1930s, however, the tramcar was on the decline, being replaced by the bus and, to a lesser extend, by the trolleybus.
In the first of two volumes covering the history of municipal operation from the first Corporation tram routes of 1906 through to the take-over by West Midlands PTe at the end of 1969, Paul Collins examines the development of the Corporation's tramways from the earliest days, through the expansion of the period up to 1930 and the gradual conversion of the 1930s. Also covered are Birmingham's pioneering work with the trolleybus and the growth in the municipal bus fleet. The book covers not only the vehicles operated but also the routes over which they ran and the depots, making the book a detailed and comprehensive account of the development of one of the most important providers of public transport in the UK. The second volume, covering the period post 1939, is scheduled for publication in early 1999. Profusely illustrated and highly detailed. Ian Allan Transport Library. Birmingham Corporation Transport pre 1939 will become the standard work on the subject; it will be of interest to enthusiasts and local historians alike.
