BusTalk

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Sixty years ago, the last LONDON TRANSPORT trolleybuses pulled down their poles ("trolley booms") for the last time.

Huge crowds gathered to bid "farewell" to the "silent giants" (as they were often referred to); it was ironic that the newest of the trolleybuses (which were not even a decade old) had already been sold for further service in Spain, so that the last in service were among the oldest.

Some of the fleet were shipped to South Africa, where they re-entered service for some years.

The first "modern" London trolleybus was "The Diddler" (#1), which had been borrowed from Museum of British Transport was also on hand that last day, jammed to the rafters with enthusiasts and average Londoners; the last trolleybuses in regular service had been the "L3" class.

In the 1950's, there had been talk and plans to retain at least a few trolleybus lines in operation until the 1970's, as a "self contained" system, but that plan was never carried out.

Thankfully, some of London's "silent giants" are preserved today.

(Later on in this thread, I shall be focusing on the rich history of London's "Underground", also known as the "Tubes").....

"NYO"

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Here is a detailed page on London's trolleybuses; the routes once served by the "silent giants" are also listed here (the system was also the world's largest)........

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trolleybuses_in_London

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IMHO, this extensive site the best 'net site for London's trolleybuses; an outstanding collection of vintage photos and a great deal of information on London's trolleybuses (other British systems are also included here)......

www.trolleybus.net

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Scroll down this page; there are many rare b/w and color vintage photos....

www.stories-of-london.org/didnt-this-building-used-to-be-a-cinema/part-three-the-rolls-royce-of-trolleybuse/

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Here's a magnificent model of an LT "SA1/2" class trolleybus (prototype information included).......

www.little-bus.com/bus-kits/tbsa.html

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Cape Town also operated ex-LT trolleybuses.....

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trolleybuses_in_Cape_Town *

*(Here, they were known as "trackless trams")

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"LONDON TROLLEYBUSES ABROAD" (intro page).....

www.trolleybus.net/puc.htm

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The British Trolleybus Society.......

http://britishtrolley.org.uk

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The London trolleybus........

https://www.1900s.org.uk/1900s-trolley-buses.htm

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Wonderfully nostalgic colour photos of London's #1 "Diddler" on the last day of trolleybuses, May, 1962; these photos also evoke images of a long-ago London......

www.trolleybus.net/g6.htm

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British trolleybuses.......

www.trolleybus.co.uk

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The famed, iconic "ROUTEMASTER" bus, was, in part, designed to replace the remaining trolleybus lines in London; in actuality, the "RM's" also replaced some of the oldest buses then in the LT fleet; interestingly, a number of the older "RT"-type buses also helped to replace the remaining trolleybus lines.

Like the "RT" before it, the "RM", today, is one of the most iconic buses ever to operate in London......

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AEC_Routemaster

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See also:

www.countrybus.org/RM/RM1.html

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Historical note:

The late 1950's and early 1960's were indeed sad times for those enthusiasts who were dedicated to the trolleybuses in London; convoys of empty, now-redundant trolleybuses, now stripped of their roller curtains, ponderously and silently wended their way through the streets to Colindale for scrapping.

Ironically, it was at Colindale, back in 1909, where the first experiments with trolleybuses were conducted.....

"NYO"

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Here's an excellent page featuring many rare London trolleybus (and bus) photos; most trolleybus photos will be found by scrolling down the page.

Excellent collection of vintage photos, here......

https://mikesbuspages.com/londontransport.htm