Trolleybuses in Manchester
Encyclopedia
The Manchester trolleybus system once served the city
of Manchester
, now also the metropolitan borough
of Greater Manchester
, in north west England
. Opened on , it gradually replaced the Manchester tramway network
.
By the standards of the various now defunct trolleybus
systems in the United Kingdom
, the Manchester system was a large one, with a total of 9 routes, and a maximum fleet of 189 trolleybuses. It was closed on .
Manchester was also served by another system, the Ashton-under-Lyne trolleybus system
, between 1925 and 1966.
Two of the former Manchester system trolleybuses are now preserved. One of them is at the Greater Manchester Transport Museum in Cheetham Hill
, Manchester, and the other one is based at the Trolleybus Museum at Sandtoft
, Lincolnshire
.
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...
, now also the metropolitan borough
Metropolitan borough
A metropolitan borough is a type of local government district in England, and is a subdivision of a metropolitan county. Created in 1974 by the Local Government Act 1972, metropolitan boroughs are defined in English law as metropolitan districts, however all of them have been granted or regranted...
of 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...
, in 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 , it gradually replaced the Manchester tramway network
Manchester Corporation Tramways
Between 1901 and 1949 Manchester Corporation Tramways was the municipal operator of electric tram services in Manchester, England...
.
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 Manchester system was a large one, with a total of 9 routes, and a maximum fleet of 189 trolleybuses. It was closed on .
Manchester was also served by another system, the Ashton-under-Lyne trolleybus system
Trolleybuses in Ashton-under-Lyne
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...
, between 1925 and 1966.
Two of the former Manchester system trolleybuses are now preserved. One of them is at the Greater Manchester Transport Museum in Cheetham Hill
Cheetham Hill
Cheetham Hill is an inner city area of Manchester, England. As an electoral ward it is known as Cheetham and has a population of 12,846. It lies on the west bank of the River Irk, north-northeast of Manchester city centre and close to the boundary with the City of Salford...
, Manchester, and the other one is based 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:...
, 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...
.
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 Manchester trolleybuses and early motorbuses
- British Trolleybus Society, based in Reading
- National Trolleybus Association, based in London