Author Topic: illuminated tram.  (Read 7040 times)

peteqld

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illuminated tram.
« on: March 21, 2016, 06:49:31 AM »
Can anyone tell me when the last illuminated tram ran, I saw one after WW2, too young to know what the occasion was, others say they were stopped during the WW2 and were never run again.
Pete.   

planetmalc

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Re: illuminated tram.
« Reply #1 on: March 30, 2016, 02:47:13 PM »
Can anyone tell me when the last illuminated tram ran, I saw one after WW2, too young to know what the occasion was, others say they were stopped during the WW2 and were never run again.
Pete.
 
The last illuminated tram ran in May 1945.     Car #341 was moved from Coventry Road Depot to Kyotts Lake Road Works and then dressed up in lights to produce the 'Victory Tram'.     Mr. Lawson, the Kyotts Lake head honch, later tried to interest the Company in a 'Coronation Tram' in 1953, but they weren't interested (presumably because it was too close to the final closure of everything 'tram' in the City, and they just wanted it all gone).
 
A few years ago, we had someone else on the Forum who reckoned he'd seen an illuminated tram in the years after the war, so it's possible that an illuminated BUS was produced, but I can't find any mention of it in the literature.
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roy one

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Re: illuminated tram.
« Reply #2 on: March 30, 2016, 03:50:14 PM »
In 1937 Birmingham City Transport was created out of Birmingham Corporation Tramways. The name reflected the fact that there was now a mixture of trams, trolleybuses and motorbuses operated in Birmingham.

In 1945, to celebrate VE Day, an illuminated tram ran in the city.[1]
each day is a blessing and I bless each day when it comes

baz

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Re: illuminated tram.
« Reply #3 on: March 30, 2016, 06:15:55 PM »
 
The last illuminated tram ran in May 1945.     Car #341 was moved from Coventry Road Depot to Kyotts Lake Road Works and then dressed up in lights to produce the 'Victory Tram'.     Mr. Lawson, the Kyotts Lake head honch, later tried to interest the Company in a 'Coronation Tram' in 1953, but they weren't interested (presumably because it was too close to the final closure of everything 'tram' in the City, and they just wanted it all gone).
 
A few years ago, we had someone else on the Forum who reckoned he'd seen an illuminated tram in the years after the war, so it's possible that an illuminated BUS was produced, but I can't find any mention of it in the literature.

I was born in '41 and have a vague memory of my parents talking about an illuminated tram.

However, there definitely was an illuminated bus. I remember my Dad taking me to the Maypole
terminus to see it. It was a "single decker" and it was covered in coloured lights, I can still see the driver, sitting in the cab and smiling at me.
I'm pretty certain that I was told the bus was to celebrate VJ day.

peteqld

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Re: illuminated tram.
« Reply #4 on: April 01, 2016, 01:22:25 AM »
Thanks to everyone who replied, that question has been bugging me for years.
I would have been 5yrs. old. I now recall the VE in large illuminated letters on the front
Thanks again.
Pete

planetmalc

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Re: illuminated tram.
« Reply #5 on: April 01, 2016, 04:47:19 PM »
Thanks to everyone who replied, that question has been bugging me for years.
I would have been 5yrs. old. I now recall the VE in large illuminated letters on the front
Thanks again.
Pete
 
I'm real jealous of you guys, I'd love to have seen this!     I have a photo of the Victory Tram in a book, but it's in black-and-white and I've no way of posting an image, :'(
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roy one

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Re: illuminated tram.
« Reply #6 on: April 01, 2016, 04:55:16 PM »
hi malc
              if you can find away of scanning it in black and white I may be able to bring it to life with a bit of colour
each day is a blessing and I bless each day when it comes

planetmalc

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Re: illuminated tram.
« Reply #7 on: April 01, 2016, 05:21:43 PM »
hi malc
              if you can find away of scanning it in black and white I may be able to bring it to life with a bit of colour
 
If I could do that, Roy, I'd have loads of not-previously-posted-on-the-Internet stuff on here already! 8)
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Phil

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Re: illuminated tram.
« Reply #8 on: April 01, 2016, 06:14:44 PM »
PM

Tell me what book you have, I might have a copy it will save me looking through all my books one by one. I know I have seen a photo of the Victory bus in full colour but I just can't think where. In the meantime here is a poor black & white image of the tram along with a much better decorated one for the King & Queens visit in 1909.
Phil died in 2020. RIP.

planetmalc

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Re: illuminated tram.
« Reply #9 on: April 02, 2016, 05:40:46 PM »
PM

Tell me what book you have, I might have a copy it will save me looking through all my books one by one. I know I have seen a photo of the Victory bus in full colour but I just can't think where. In the meantime here is a poor black & white image of the tram along with a much better decorated one for the King & Queens visit in 1909.
 
It's called 'Birmingham Corporation Tramway Rolling Stock', and it's by P W Lawson.     Very specialist and out-of-print for years, but it's 'The Bible' for tram nerds.    There's a secondhand one available on Amazon for £14.99 right now!
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Phil

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Re: illuminated tram.
« Reply #10 on: April 02, 2016, 06:24:49 PM »
PM

Yes I was afraid it might be something like that as I have very few books on trains, trams & buses, I'm more interested in the history of Birmingham and it's buildings than rolling stock. I was sure that I have seen a full colour image of the Victory tram somewhere in one of my other books. The only reason I would buy a book about trams was if it had some good street shots of Birmingham in it. Thanks for the effort though.
Phil died in 2020. RIP.


 

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