"From 1914 until 1969, when it was absorbed into WMPTE, Birmingham City Transport had various periods when they hired buses for evaluation. These demonstrators were tried out for a variety of reasons such as tramway feeder route development, expansion of the bus fleet to meet increasing passenger numbers, abandonment of tramcar services and expansion into the newly built municipal housing estates in the interwar and post-war periods.
It tried out a wide variety of vehicles provided by both chassis and body manufacturers. This was to compare different manufacturers products, with a view to purchasing a substantial number of buses. BCT was the largest municipal operator in the UK, so this was a potentially lucrative opportunity for manufacturers. There were years when Birmingham had a large number of buses on hire in order to assess their performance, fuel economy and durability. 1923/4, 1929–1934, 1937, 1946/7,1955–1958 and 1960–1967 were the peak years for vehicle trials, of which very few were successful due to BCT's exacting requirements as well as their wish, where possible, to support local industry.
A fascinating selection of buses were tested over the years."
Explore Birmingham City Transport Demonstrators by David Harvey on eBooksStore by Arnlweb. Discover book details, reader ratings, reviews, release information, genres, and related digital books available through the iTunes Store.
This book is part of our growing collection of bestselling eBooks, popular digital reading materials, and trending author releases. Readers can explore similar books, discover new authors, and browse related genres including fiction, romance, mystery, fantasy, business, self-help, educational books, and more.
Our platform helps readers discover highly rated digital books optimized for smartphones, tablets, laptops, and desktop devices. Browse fast-loading book pages, reader reviews, and popular recommendations from bestselling authors worldwide.