Trolleybuses in Reading
Encyclopedia
The Reading trolleybus system once served the town of Reading
, Berkshire
, England. Opened on , it gradually replaced the Reading tramway network
.
By the standards of the various now-defunct trolleybus
systems in the United Kingdom
, the Reading system was a moderately sized one, with a total of four routes, and a maximum fleet of 63 trolleybuses, which it managed between 1st December 1950 and 27th March 1952. It was closed on .
Five of the former Reading trolleybuses are now preserved. They are owned by the British Trolleybus Society, which was founded in 1961 as the Reading Transport Society, and are kept at the Trolleybus Museum at Sandtoft
, Lincolnshire
.
Reading, Berkshire
Reading is a large town and unitary authority area in England. It is located in the Thames Valley at the confluence of the River Thames and River Kennet, and on both the Great Western Main Line railway and the M4 motorway, some west of London....
, Berkshire
Berkshire
Berkshire is a historic county in the South of England. It is also often referred to as the Royal County of Berkshire because of the presence of the royal residence of Windsor Castle in the county; this usage, which dates to the 19th century at least, was recognised by the Queen in 1957, and...
, England. Opened on , it gradually replaced the Reading tramway network
Reading Transport
Reading Transport Ltd is a bus operator serving the towns of Reading, Newbury and the surrounding area in the English county of Berkshire. The company is wholly owned by Reading Borough Council and operates under the brands Reading Buses, Newbury Buses and Goldline Travel...
.
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 Reading system was a moderately sized one, with a total of four routes, and a maximum fleet of 63 trolleybuses, which it managed between 1st December 1950 and 27th March 1952. It was closed on .
Five of the former Reading trolleybuses are now preserved. They are owned by the British Trolleybus Society, which was founded in 1961 as the Reading Transport Society, and are kept 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
- Reading TransportReading TransportReading Transport Ltd is a bus operator serving the towns of Reading, Newbury and the surrounding area in the English county of Berkshire. The company is wholly owned by Reading Borough Council and operates under the brands Reading Buses, Newbury Buses and Goldline Travel...
- List of trolleybus systems in the United Kingdom
External links
- SCT'61 website - photos and descriptions of Reading trolleybuses and early motorbuses
- Reading trolleybuses picture gallery
- British Trolleybus Society, based in Reading
- National Trolleybus Association, based in London