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Newcastle Trolleybus No. 501
will be extending its stay into the 2006 season.
501 is a Sunbeam S7, three-axle trolleybus with Northern Coachbuilders bodywork. It is one of a batch of 30 similar vehicles delivered new to Newcastle in 1948. 501 arrived at The Museum just before The
Gathering on 31st July 2005, on loan from The Beamish North of England Open Air
Museum. After
passing the Museum's strict safety tests it entered service, as a preview,
on Saturday 30th July. Although not advertised as an operating vehicle,
501 did operate during The Gathering day. Although only operating for the
first and last hour of the day, huge queues formed for a ride, with 501
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TOP: Newcastle 501 is hooked up to the wires for the
first time during testing. RIGHT: 501 draws a huge queue of excited travelers as it makes a surprise service run at The Gathering on Sunday 31st July 2005. |
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| 204 in 2001 before work started. | |
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| 204 (far left) posses with (L to R) Bournemouth 99, Reading 113, Liege 425 and Derby 172 as one of the prewar trolleybuses in operation. | |
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South Shield 204 - Back in service! South Shields 204 was built in 1937, it is a Karrier E4 with Weymann body and 80HP electric motor. 204 was in service from 1937 to 1963 when it when it was purchased by the BTS, and stored in Reading. In 1971, 204 was moved to the Museum, it's present home, in a sorry state. The roof was holed, all the top deck had been stripped out and left empty. Four years ago work started in earnest to restore 204 with £50,000 of funding from the BTS. A new canvas was fitted to the roof and the body frame gradually replaced. Now, in 2005, 42 years since she last ran, 204 is back in service. |
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As part of the Museum's Southern
Weekend on the May Day Holiday, Maidstone 72 was re-launched back into
service having undergone restoration. Despite running in 2002 in Golden
Jubilee livery, and even visiting The Queen (read
it here), 72 was never fully returned to its best working order. Now,
proudly bearing it's original brown livery, Maidstone's last trolleybus is
back in service fully restored. The relaunch took place on Sunday 1st May as part of the Southern Weekend at The Trolleybus Museum. Also in service was sister vehicle Maidstone 56 with fellow southerners Reading 113 and Bournemouth 99. Also paying a visit, on the Monday, was a brand new Scania Omni-Decker, all the way from Brighton & Hove buses. |
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5 new vehicles in and 1 goes on tour. It's been busy time at The Trolleybus Museum.
On the last update we reported that The Trolleybus Museum at Sandtoft had taken delivery of two new arrivals. These were Bournemouth 297and Reading 174. Well, since then more vehicles have also arrived for what will be the best year to date at The Museum.
In late February 2006 Bournemouth 297 arrived for restoration work to be carried out by the experts here at the world's largest trolleybus museum. Bournemouth 297 is a Sunbeam MF2B with Weymann body. It formed part of the last ever batch of brand new trolleybuses in the UK when delivered to the south coast in 1962, seven years before the end of the Bournemouth system. It is not planned for 297 to operate whilst at The Trolleybus Museum but it just might so keep watching this space!
On Sunday 5th March 2006 Reading 174 arrived at The Museum for the first time ever from its home close to its Berkshire roots. New in 1950, number 174 is a Sunbeam with Park Royal bodywork and formed part of the same batch as Museum resident Reading 181. The arrival of 174 marks the start of our preparations to commemorate 70 years since Reading's first trolleybus. Reading 193 arrived shortly after and Reading's last trolleybus, number 144, has come out of storage. Number 193 is a Sunbeam vehicle with Burlingham bodywork and was the last trolleybus, numerically, to be delivered to Reading Corporation. Number 144 is a BUT trolleybus with Park Royal bodywork. This vehicle is significant as it was the last trolleybus to operate on the Reading network, when it closed in November 1968. Now, 70 years since Reading's first trolleybus The Trolleybus Museum will commemorate this popular network with a special dedicated event over the Spring Bank Holiday weekend on Saturday 27th May, Sunday 28th May and Monday 29th May to relive the heyday of Reading transport. All 5 Reading Trolleybuses are anticipated to operate and Reading Corporation Motorbuses are also expected to attend the event. This is an event not to be missed.
On our last update we also teased you with news another surprise visitor was due to arrive shortly. Well we are proud to announce that Teeside RTB 5 has now arrived on loan at The Museum. Number 5, a Sunbeam Trolleybus with Roe bodywork, is a sister vehicle to Museum resident Teeside RTB 2. Number 5 will feature at the North East Weekend on Saturday 29th April, Sunday 30th April and Monday 1st May. Fellow Northerners South Shields 204, Newcastle 501 will feature too with Bradford numbers 792 and 834 whose chassis are from Darlington Trolleybuses.
Finally, South Shields 204, which re-entered service at The Museum in 2005 returned home to South Shields for an openday at the local Stagecoach bus depot on Saturday 1st and Sunday 2nd April. Number 204 is now back at The Museum for our North East Weekend. Newcastle 501 has extended its stay from Beamish to attend this event too, but it may be your last chance so hurry down to Sandtoft for that event!
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| Reading 174 arrives on tow. | Reading 174 reunited with 181 and 113. | Bournemouth 297. | Reading 144 now at The Museum | Reading 193 now also at The Museum | Teeside 5 has also arrived. |
A new attraction currently being built is the Pelham building. This bungalow was originally located in Pelham Road, Immingham and was one of four such buildings constructed to house managers during the construction of Immingham Docks. It was dismantled in 2004 and is currently being re-erected at The Museum in the disused area between the Axholme Stores building and The Regal Lecture Theatre. When complete it will house a recreation of its original internal furnishings together with space for temporary exhibitions. It is hoped for this building to be officially opened in September 2006.
Click on the links below to see photos of the
building work as it progresses.
Sunday 27th March - Front corner by
Trolleybus Stop
Sunday 27th March - Front corner by
Axholme Stores building
Sunday 27th March - Rear of building
seen from Car Park.
Sunday 9th April - work continues.
Sunday 28th August - Roof and doorway now
in place.
Easter 2006 - Exterior almost complete and interior work progresses quickly.
Marseille trolleybus no. 202 is the latest arrival at The
Trolleybus Museum at Sandtoft. This Renault ER100, registered 8319 JD 13,
is bimodal, meaning that it also has a diesel engine. No. 202 last ran on
service two years ago before the Marseille trolleybus system closed in
2004. Now No. 202 joins fellow French trolley Limoges 5 and our other
continental vehicles. Now with 5 foreign trolleybuses (2 French, 1
Belgian, 1 German & 1 Portuguese) The Museum has once again proven it
is the leading trolleybus museum in Europe. Click
here for a picture of 202.
With a European themed event planned for 2007, there may be other additional European
trolleybuses arriving at The Museum very soon!
| Bournemouth Corporation trolleybus number 297 was re-launched back into public service over the Spring Bank Holiday at The Trolleybus Museum. Number 297 is Sunbeam MF2B with Weymann bodywork, new in 1962. The vehicle was badly damaged in an accident whilst on tour in Europe but after a meticulous restoration we are proud to have 297 back in service at The Trolleybus Museum. |  |
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Happy Birthday!!
Maidstone Corporation trolleybus no. 72 turns 60 this year. Since new in 1947 number 72 has achieved many things - more than most trolleybuses! Number 72 spent 20 years working on the streets of Maidstone before having the rather dubious honour of being Maidstone's last ever trolleybus in April 1967. More recently, in 2002 number 72 was painted in a gold and purple livery to celebrate the Queen's golden jubilee year. During that year number 72 also had the honour of meeting the queen when she visited Normanby Hall near Scunthorpe (click here for full story). Now after a massive restoration project Maidstone number 72 is back in full service at The Trolleybus Museum. This year saw no. 72 pass officially into the ownership of The Trolleybus Museum which means the future of this fine vehicle is secured. This fine achievement was celebrated over the Spring Bank holiday weekend when a special birthday cake was prepared - in the shape of the bus itself! Number 72 took the afternoon off work and thanked all those who have played any part in maintaining and funding her over the last 60 years and is looking forward to many more years of service. |
The Trolleybus Museum at Sandtoft, is pleased to announce the addition of 2 historic trolleybuses into its own collection. Maidstone Corporation number 72 and experimental South Yorkshire PTE trolleybus number 2450 have both passed into Museum ownership. Although both vehicles have been residents at the Museum for many years, their formal acquisition will secure their future amongst the world’s largest collection of other historic trolleybuses.
Maidstone Corporation number 72 is a 1947 Sunbeam trolleybus. It became the last ever trolleybus to operate in Maidstone when the system closed in April 1967. Number 72 was loaned to the Trolleybus Museum by Maidstone Borough Council in August 1977 and remained so until now. Around 5 years ago a small group of dedicated enthusiasts from the Maidstone area set out to raise funds for the restoration of the vehicle. Over five years that group raised over £42,000 aided by sales of DVD’s, postcards, Christmas cards and more. These funds have been well spent and number 72 is now a fully working fully restored vehicle and operates at the Museum on certain opendays. The Trolleybus Museum is pleased to have been able to work with Maidstone Borough Council to facilitate the transfer of ownership and secure the future of this vehicle. Number 72 will be in service at The Museum on Saturday 26, Sunday 27 & Monday 28 May.
