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Midland Red
Midland Red, also known as the Birmingham & Midland Motor Omnibus Company (BMMO), was a bus company that operated in the Midlands of England from 1905 until 1981. It was one of the largest English bus companies, operating over a large area between Gloucester in the south and Derbyshire in the north, and from Northampton to the Welsh border. The company also manufactured buses.
In 1899, British Electric Traction (BET) acquired the assets of the Birmingham General Omnibus Company, which had been formed three years earlier to acquire a number of horse bus operations in Birmingham. When the BET ordered new buses for Birmingham the next year, they were painted red to make them stand out. In 1902, the BET acquired the City of Birmingham Tramways Company, which operated horse buses as well as trams.
The Birmingham & Midland Motor Omnibus Company (BMMO) was formed by local businessmen in November 1904 to operate motor bus services in Birmingham. When the directors failed to attract sufficient investors, the BET acquired control of the new company, and in 1905 transferred its local horse bus operations to it. The company also acquired a motor bus company which had started in 1903. BMMO started operations under its own name in July 1905. However, the company experienced problems with its motor buses, and in 1907, reverted all its motor bus services to horse bus operation.
In 1912, the company purchased some Tilling-Stevens petrol-electric buses. Further motor buses followed, and by June 1913, only 17 horse buses remained. The company adopted for its motor buses the red livery used by Birmingham General, and the buses carried the fleetname "Midland". They soon acquired the nickname Midland Red.
By 1912, the Birmingham Corporation Tramways had used its statutory powers to acquire the city's tramways which it did not already own, and wanted to consolidate the operation of bus and tram operations in the city. Since it was going to be difficult for BMMO to expand in the city, it reached agreement with the corporation to operate services from outside Birmingham into the city and transfer its services within the city to the corporation. The company then expanded outside Birmingham, and moved its headquarters to Bearwood in Smethwick.
During World War I, the company took over BET operations in Worcester and elsewhere, and after the war opened depots in Walsall, Coventry, Wolverhampton, Hereford, Stafford, Banbury, Bromsgrove, Shrewsbury, Nuneaton, Leamington Spa and Leicester. Starting with the replacement of services in Worcester in June 1928, during the late 1920s, the tramways owned by BET in the Black Country were gradually replaced by Midland Red buses.
In 1930, the Great Western Railway and the London Midland & Scottish Railway together acquired 50% of the company. The few GWR bus services in the area were transferred to Midland Red.
Midland Red started express coach services in 1921 with routes to Weston-super-Mare and Llandudno. Coach services expanded, and after the acquisition of long-distance Cheltenham coach operator Black and White Motorways Ltd in 1930, in 1934, Midland Red became a founder member of the Associated Motorways consortium.
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Midland Red
Midland Red, also known as the Birmingham & Midland Motor Omnibus Company (BMMO), was a bus company that operated in the Midlands of England from 1905 until 1981. It was one of the largest English bus companies, operating over a large area between Gloucester in the south and Derbyshire in the north, and from Northampton to the Welsh border. The company also manufactured buses.
In 1899, British Electric Traction (BET) acquired the assets of the Birmingham General Omnibus Company, which had been formed three years earlier to acquire a number of horse bus operations in Birmingham. When the BET ordered new buses for Birmingham the next year, they were painted red to make them stand out. In 1902, the BET acquired the City of Birmingham Tramways Company, which operated horse buses as well as trams.
The Birmingham & Midland Motor Omnibus Company (BMMO) was formed by local businessmen in November 1904 to operate motor bus services in Birmingham. When the directors failed to attract sufficient investors, the BET acquired control of the new company, and in 1905 transferred its local horse bus operations to it. The company also acquired a motor bus company which had started in 1903. BMMO started operations under its own name in July 1905. However, the company experienced problems with its motor buses, and in 1907, reverted all its motor bus services to horse bus operation.
In 1912, the company purchased some Tilling-Stevens petrol-electric buses. Further motor buses followed, and by June 1913, only 17 horse buses remained. The company adopted for its motor buses the red livery used by Birmingham General, and the buses carried the fleetname "Midland". They soon acquired the nickname Midland Red.
By 1912, the Birmingham Corporation Tramways had used its statutory powers to acquire the city's tramways which it did not already own, and wanted to consolidate the operation of bus and tram operations in the city. Since it was going to be difficult for BMMO to expand in the city, it reached agreement with the corporation to operate services from outside Birmingham into the city and transfer its services within the city to the corporation. The company then expanded outside Birmingham, and moved its headquarters to Bearwood in Smethwick.
During World War I, the company took over BET operations in Worcester and elsewhere, and after the war opened depots in Walsall, Coventry, Wolverhampton, Hereford, Stafford, Banbury, Bromsgrove, Shrewsbury, Nuneaton, Leamington Spa and Leicester. Starting with the replacement of services in Worcester in June 1928, during the late 1920s, the tramways owned by BET in the Black Country were gradually replaced by Midland Red buses.
In 1930, the Great Western Railway and the London Midland & Scottish Railway together acquired 50% of the company. The few GWR bus services in the area were transferred to Midland Red.
Midland Red started express coach services in 1921 with routes to Weston-super-Mare and Llandudno. Coach services expanded, and after the acquisition of long-distance Cheltenham coach operator Black and White Motorways Ltd in 1930, in 1934, Midland Red became a founder member of the Associated Motorways consortium.