Trolleybuses in Derby
Encyclopedia
The Derby trolleybus system once served Derby
, the county town
of Derbyshire
in central England
. The trolleybus
service started in 1932 and ran until 1967.
. The trolleybus system was opened just a year after London United Tramways
, although nearby Nottingham had started using trolleybuses five years before. The trolleybuses operated by Derby Corporation led to the last Derby tram being eventually withdrawn from regular routes at the end of June with a special last journey on 2 June 1934.
By the standards of the various, now defunct, trolleybus
systems in the United Kingdom
, the Derby system was a medium-sized one, with a total of 11 routes, and a maximum fleet of 73 trolleybuses. The system was much cheaper to run than motorbuses but the end was signalled when proposed extensions to the network were blocked by protest to the additional poles and cabling that would be required. The system was closed on .
There were over the years 165 Derby trolleybuses although this figure includes six that were second-hand. Five of the former Derby system trolleybuses are now preserved. One of them is at the Trolleybus Museum at Sandtoft
in Lincolnshire
, a second one is kept at the Westgate Transport Museum, Belton
, near Sandtoft, and a third is based at the East Anglia Transport Museum
, Carlton Colville
, Suffolk
. The other two are privately owned.
. This route continued until the trolleybus operation closed in 1967. The picture shows a trolleybus at the end of this route.
display was for route 22 to Prince Charles Avenue. As the model bus had Roe coachwork then it would have been a trolleybus made after 1960.
Derby
Derby , is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands region of England. It lies upon the banks of the River Derwent and is located in the south of the ceremonial county of Derbyshire. In the 2001 census, the population of the city was 233,700, whilst that of the Derby Urban Area was 229,407...
, the county town
County town
A county town is a county's administrative centre in the United Kingdom or Ireland. County towns are usually the location of administrative or judicial functions, or established over time as the de facto main town of a county. The concept of a county town eventually became detached from its...
of Derbyshire
Derbyshire
Derbyshire is a county in the East Midlands of England. A substantial portion of the Peak District National Park lies within Derbyshire. The northern part of Derbyshire overlaps with the Pennines, a famous chain of hills and mountains. The county contains within its boundary of approx...
in central 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...
. The 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...
service started in 1932 and ran until 1967.
History
The Derby trolleybus system opened on , and it gradually replaced the Derby tramway networkDerby Tramways
Derby Tramway was the tram system serving the city of Derby , England. It opened on 27 July 1904. It was closed nearly 30 years later, on the 29 June 1934. The four foot gauge tramways were replaced by Derby trolleybuses...
. The trolleybus system was opened just a year after London United Tramways
London United Tramways
London United Tramways Company Limited was an operator of trams and trolleybuses in the western and southern suburbs of London, UK, from 1894 to 1933, when it passed to the London Passenger Transport Board.-Origins:...
, although nearby Nottingham had started using trolleybuses five years before. The trolleybuses operated by Derby Corporation led to the last Derby tram being eventually withdrawn from regular routes at the end of June with a special last journey on 2 June 1934.
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...
, the Derby system was a medium-sized one, with a total of 11 routes, and a maximum fleet of 73 trolleybuses. The system was much cheaper to run than motorbuses but the end was signalled when proposed extensions to the network were blocked by protest to the additional poles and cabling that would be required. The system was closed on .
There were over the years 165 Derby trolleybuses although this figure includes six that were second-hand. Five of the former Derby system trolleybuses are now preserved. One of them is at the Trolleybus Museum at Sandtoft
The Trolleybus Museum at Sandtoft
The Trolleybus Museum at Sandtoft is a transport museum which specialises in the preservation of trolleybuses. It is located by the village of Sandtoft, near Belton on the Isle of Axholme in the English county of Lincolnshire.-Description:...
in Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire is a county in the east of England. It borders Norfolk to the south east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south west, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire to the west, South Yorkshire to the north west, and the East Riding of Yorkshire to the north. It also borders...
, a second one is kept at the Westgate Transport Museum, Belton
Belton, Lincolnshire
Belton is a village in the civil parish of Belton and Manthorpe, in the South Kesteven district of Lincolnshire, England. It lies north of Grantham, on the A607 road.The Saxon meaning of Belton is a bell-shaped hollow.-The Village:...
, near Sandtoft, and a third 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...
. The other two are privately owned.
Services
Route 22 extended to the outer ring road until 1952, when it was extended to the Mackworth EstateMackworth Estate
Mackworth Estate is a large council estate situated to the north-west of Derby near to Markeaton Park and the suburb of Mickleover and also the village of the same name but which is linked by no other means....
. This route continued until the trolleybus operation closed in 1967. The picture shows a trolleybus at the end of this route.
Culture
A Derby Corporation Roe trolleybus was die cast in 1:76 scale by the Corgi Toy company. The limited-edition model advertised the Wardwick Restaurant and electricity. The indicatorDestination sign
A destination sign or destination indicator is a sign mounted on the front or side of a public transport vehicle, such as a bus, tram/streetcar or light rail vehicle, that displays the vehicle's route number and destination, or the route's number and name on transit systems using route names...
display was for route 22 to Prince Charles Avenue. As the model bus had Roe coachwork then it would have been a trolleybus made after 1960.
See also
- History of Derby
- Transport in Derby
- List of trolleybus systems in the United Kingdom
External links
- SCT'61 website - photos and descriptions of Derby trolleybuses and early motorbuses
- British Trolleybus Society, based in Reading
- National Trolleybus Association, based in London