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St. Leger Rally Historic Vehicle Rally
A nostalgic day out for all the family can be enjoyed on Sunday 16 October when vintage buses and other historic vehicles are brought to life at the Trolleybus Museum at Sandtoft.
Visitors will be whisked back in time as a fine array of cars and commercial vehicles, representing modes of transport from a bygone age, are put through their paces, as the museum hosts one of its biggest events of the year.
The event will get under way with a procession of historic motor vehicles from Aero Venture, the South Yorkshire Aircraft Museum, along a 15 mile route between Doncaster and Sandtoft.
The convoy will travel through the town centre, via Hall Gate, Silver Street and East Laith Gate, before heading west along Thorne Road, passing through Edenthorpe and Hatfield en-route to the museum. On arrival at Sandtoft, the vehicles will take part alongside the centre’s varied collection of vintage trolleybuses in a running-day event, aiming to recreate the 50's, 60's and 70's.
The cavalcade begins at 11.15am, when drivers will receive the order to start their engines, but before then, the vehicles will be on display at the Aero Venture's Dakota Way site (off Airborne Road, Doncaster) from 10am.
A special free bus service is also being laid on to Sandtoft at 11.25am from the rally site, for those who wish to enjoy the fine spectacle of the vehicles moving off and ‘stretching their legs’.
Light refreshments and a children’s play area will be available at the museum site, and for those who like to browse, there’s always the bric-a-brac stalls and souvenir shop.
A spokesman for the Trolleybus Museum said: "There is sure to be something to appeal to everyone, whether they have an interest in transport, or are just someone who enjoys a Sunday afternoon out."
"Sandtoft recreates an atmosphere from days gone by. You can watch the old style shop fronts flash past as you take a free ride on a trolleybus, or enjoy the local countryside from the ‘upstairs’ of a double-decker on a tour of the Isle of Axholme."
"It’s amazing how much nostalgia can be felt when someone recognises the old bus they went to school on!"
The Trolleybus Museum at Sandtoft is open from 11am until 5pm and a free bus service is available, departing from Doncaster Interchange, stand C6, at 11.30am and 12 noon. The service returns to Doncaster from Sandtoft museum at 4pm and 5pm.
Entrance charges: £8.00 adults, £6.00 children/senior citizens, or £25.00 family. Free car parking is available, but why not take advantage of the free bus service, which takes just 40 minutes?
Bournemouth 297 joins Museum collection
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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. No. 297 enjoyed a brief stay at The Trolleybus Museum in 2007 (see our archive here) when our experts performed some restoration work. No. 297 left The Trolleybus Museum to live elsewhere but has now returned to The World's Largest Collection of Preserved Trolleybuses. No. 297 will not be operated initially and is anticipated to go into off site storage whilst some interior renovation work is undertaken. |
Gathering 2012 date announced
The annual Sandtoft Gathering is the biggest annual event held at The Trolleybus Museum. It is traditionally held on the last Sunday in July. The Trolleybus Museum has decided that in 2012 this event will take place over the weekend 14/15th July 2012. This decision has been taken in order to avoid a clash with the opening weekend of the Olympic Games in London.
Sandtoft Gathering 2011 takes place Sunday 31 July 2011
Sandtoft Gathering 2012 takes place Sunday 15 July 2012
The Sandtoft Gathering will return to being held on the last Sunday of July in 2013, which will be Sunday 28 July 2013
Teeside T291 returns to The Trolleybus Museum
Teeside No. T291 (VRD186) was new to Reading Corporation as no. 186 in 1961. It is a Sunbeam F4A trolleybus with Burlingham bodywork. No. T291 has just returned to The Trolleybus Museum after spending several years living at another UK trolleybus museum. Restoration work will be required before this bus can operate at The Trolleybus Museum, a full assessment is underway. |
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Manchester 1344 comes home
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Manchester 1344 (ONE744) is B.U.T type trolleybus with Burlingham bodywork. No. 1344 ran on the streets of Manchester from December 1955 until withdrawal in 1964. No. 1344 did, however, become the last trolleybus to operate on the Manchester system in December 1966. The bus entered preservation and spent some time at The Trolleybus Museum in the early 1970's. It has also lived and operated at other trolleybus museums in the UK. The ownership of No. 1344 became clouded and long discussions took place before the issue was resolved in 2010. The outcome being that the British Trolleybus Society took on the vehicle and immediately began a restoration programme. No. 1344 will return to service at The Trolleybus Museum on Sunday 29 May 2011. For a more detailed history of this vehicle please visit the British Trolleybus Society. |
Trolleybus Museum gains national quality standard
The Trolleybus Museum at Sandtoft has been officially ‘Accredited’ by the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (MLA). The Trolleybus Museum at Sandtoft is home to the world’s largest collection of preserved trolleybuses, opening selected weekends throughout the year. Visitors on open days can take a journey back in time on one of many finely preserved working trolleybuses in the collection. Visitors can also wallow in the nostalgia of our 1950’s/60’s pre-fab bungalow and shop window displays and discover the various exhibits which extend well beyond the transport theme. The MLA’s Museum Accreditation Scheme sets nationally agreed standards for all museums in the UK. The Trolleybus Museum’s award proves it measures up, meeting the guidelines on how it is run; how it looks after its collection and services it provides its visitors. Graham Bilbé, Museum Chairman, said, “I was delighted to hear the news that we have been awarded Accreditation. It is a significant advance in the continued development of our museum and a hearty thank you to all those dedicated volunteers involved.” Andrew Motion, Chair of MLA, said, “Being awarded Accreditation is an impressive achievement. It recognises the high standard and service that The Trolleybus Museum at Sandtoft provides and acknowledges the hard work of its volunteers.” |
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Huddersfield 541 re-enters public service
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New to Huddersfield Corporation in 1947 as trolleybus number 541, it saw service in the West Yorkshire town until 1966 when it then entered into preservation. Restoration first began in 1993 and a full rewire has also been completed during the 17 year of work. On Sunday 29 August 2010 at 1400 a ceremony was held to reintroduce this bus back into passenger carrying service at The Trolleybus Museum. The vehicle is owned by the National Trolleybus Association and the restoration has been funded by donations from members. There were a record number of visitors for an August Bank Holiday weekend and it was the busiest of the 2010 bank holiday weekends.
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London 1348 joins collection
Following agreement between the Transport Museum Society of Ireland and The Trolleybus Museum at Sandtoft, London K2 class trolleybus no 1348 returned to the UK on the evening of 1st July, arriving by ferry at Liverpool from Dublin. 1348 reached its new home at Sandtoft the following day. The Gathering event at the end of July will be the first occasion the vehicle has been seen in public since it was withdrawn from service in 1961. Much work needs to be done if it is to run again 50 years after the closure of the world's largest trolleybus system on 8th May 1962. Built by Leyland in 1939 it is an all metal construction with standard Metro-Vic electric's. A full assessment of the work that will be needed to completely restore this vehicle has yet to be completed but some cost such as new panels, window rubbers, glazing, upholstery, tyres will be unavoidable. The Trolleybus Museum has opened a fund for the restoration. Donations can be made online or by sending a cheque made payable to "The Trolleybus Museum" to 1348 Restoration Fund, 8 Woods Terrace, Gainsborough, DN21 2RP |
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Cardiff no. 203 re-enters public service
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The city of Cardiff began running trolleybuses on 1st March 1942, replacing trams on the route between Wood Street and Clarence Road. On Sunday 30th May 2010, at 1403h (i.e. 2.03pm), one of these original Cardiff trolleybuses (no. 203) returned to passenger carrying service at The Trolleybus Museum at Sandtoft, following a long period of restoration. |
