Trolleybuses in Ashton-under-Lyne
Encyclopedia
The Ashton-under-Lyne trolleybus system once served the market town
of Ashton-under-Lyne
, now in the Metropolitan Borough of Tameside
, Greater Manchester
, north west England
.
Opened on , the Ashton system gradually replaced the Ashton-under-Lyne tramway network. By the standards of the various now-defunct trolleybus
systems in the United Kingdom
, it was a small one, with a total of only five routes, and a maximum fleet of 19 trolleybuses. It was closed on .
The Ashton trolleybus system also served the city
of Manchester
.
Two of the former Ashton system trolleybuses are now preserved. One of them is at the Greater Manchester Transport Museum in Cheetham, Manchester, and the other one is based at the East Anglia Transport Museum
, Carlton Colville
, Suffolk
.
Market town
Market town or market right is a legal term, originating in the medieval period, for a European settlement that has the right to host markets, distinguishing it from a village and city...
of Ashton-under-Lyne
Ashton-under-Lyne
Ashton-under-Lyne is a market town in the Metropolitan Borough of Tameside, Greater Manchester, England. Historically a part of Lancashire, it lies on the north bank of the River Tame, on undulating land at the foothills of the Pennines...
, now in the Metropolitan Borough of Tameside
Tameside
The Metropolitan Borough of Tameside is a metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester in North West England. It is named after the River Tame which flows through the borough and spans the towns of Ashton-under-Lyne, Audenshaw, Denton, Droylsden, Dukinfield, Hyde, Mossley and Stalybridge. Its western...
, Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 2.6 million. It encompasses one of the largest metropolitan areas in the United Kingdom and comprises ten metropolitan boroughs: Bolton, Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford, Wigan, and the...
, north west England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
Opened on , the Ashton system gradually replaced the Ashton-under-Lyne tramway network. By the standards of the various now-defunct trolleybus
Trolleybus
A trolleybus is an electric bus that draws its electricity from overhead wires using spring-loaded trolley poles. Two wires and poles are required to complete the electrical circuit...
systems in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, it was a small one, with a total of only five routes, and a maximum fleet of 19 trolleybuses. It was closed on .
The Ashton trolleybus system also served the city
City status in the United Kingdom
City status in the United Kingdom is granted by the British monarch to a select group of communities. The holding of city status gives a settlement no special rights other than that of calling itself a "city". Nonetheless, this appellation carries its own prestige and, consequently, competitions...
of Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
.
Two of the former Ashton system trolleybuses are now preserved. One of them is at the Greater Manchester Transport Museum in Cheetham, Manchester, and the other one is based at the East Anglia Transport Museum
East Anglia Transport Museum
The East Anglia Transport Museum is an open air transport museum, with numerous historic public transport vehicles . It is located in Carlton Colville a suburb of Lowestoft, Suffolk...
, Carlton Colville
Carlton Colville
Carlton Colville is an area in the suburbs of Lowestoft in the Waveney District of the English county of Suffolk, located south-west of the centre of the town. Significant residential development has occurred in the area since the 1960s, including more than 1,000 homes built in Carlton Park...
, Suffolk
Suffolk
Suffolk is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in East Anglia, England. It has borders with Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south. The North Sea lies to the east...
.
See also
- History of ManchesterHistory of ManchesterThe history of Manchester encompasses its change from a minor Lancastrian township into the pre-eminent industrial metropolis of the United Kingdom and the world. Manchester began expanding "at an astonishing rate" around the turn of the 19th century as part of a process of unplanned urbanisation...
- Transport in ManchesterTransport in ManchesterThe transport infrastructure of Manchester is built up of numerous transport modes and forms an integral part of the structure Greater Manchester and North West England...
- List of trolleybus systems in the United Kingdom
External links
- SCT'61 website - photos and descriptions of Ashton-under-Lyne trolleybuses and early motorbuses
- British Trolleybus Society, based in Reading
- National Trolleybus Association, based in London