At close of trading on Saturday 30th September 1939, Black Country tram operations along the Dudley Road in to Birmingham were withdrawn. Replacement bus Service B87 was introduced from the following day, being operated as a join service by Birmingham City Transport (BCT), and Birmingham and Midland Motor Omnibus Company Limited (BMMO—Midland “Red” Motor Services).
Service B87 operated between Birmingham City Centre (Edmund Street) and Dudley (Birmingham Road), via Oldbury, with a frequency of up to every 5-minutes during the peak-time period. A number of short-working variations were also operated, bringing the frequency to every 2 to 3-minutes on certain parts of the routes.
Short-working journeys used route numbers in the range B80–B86, plus B88 and later B89, depending on which part of the former tram route covered. As part of the “Dudley Road agreementâ€, routes that operated wholly within the Birmingham Corporation boundary, Services B80–B83, were operated by BCT, while those outside the boundary, Services B84–B89, were operated by BMMO. *1
*1 Although the division of routes shown above were generally correct, BMMO also operated occasional journeys on Service B82, during peak-times and Saturdays, and BCT operated occasional journeys on Service B85.
Service B85 was introduced on Sunday 1st October 1939, as a short-working variation to new Service B87, running only between Birmingham City Centre (Edmund Street) and Spon Lane.
See Service B87 for more information on this group of services.