Reg No: JOJ 245 – new 1950
Operator: Birmingham City Transport
Chassis: Leyland Tiger PS2/1
Engine: Leyland O600 9.8 litre 6-cylinder diesel
Gearbox: Synchromesh
Body: Weymann 34 seats (to operator’s specification)
BIRMINGHAM LEYLAND SINGLE-DECK BUS
Birmingham City Transport had few needs for single-deck buses and an order placed in 1947 for 35 Leylands would renew the small fleet. There was a huge demand for new buses after World War Two and these buses finally arrived in 1950.
Their main use was on route 27, worked by Selly Oak garage, passing under the railway bridges at Bournville and Northfield stations. These small buses coped for almost 20 years with huge numbers of Cadbury’s staff at shift change times. They also handled special contracts for Birmingham’s Education Department and this bus, no. 2245, was later allocated to Perry Barr garage for these jobs. Nominally replaced by new buses in 1965, they were too useful and tough to be rejected and most ran until at least 1969 when 2245 was finally retired.
Preservation
2245 was sold to a school in January 1971 and then to an 18 Plus group in Long Eaton. It was bought by the Acocks Green Bus Preservation Group in November 1978. A painstaking restoration was undertaken at Wythall, mainly by Dick Lolley and Fred Withers, who formally passed the bus to the Museum in 2015.