Trams … trolley buses …… and a thank you

I am a fan of those old stately Corporation trams which trundled our towns and cities for almost half a century and were the workhorse of public transport from London to Manchester and onto Glasgow and pretty much everywhere in between.

Car 1858, route 38, destination New Cross Gate

I am told I was present as the last London Transport tram finished its last journey and with some ceremony slid into New Cross depot and into history.

Trolley bus route 696  Welling to Woolwich Ferry

I was only three and have no memory of the event, but it is just possible I travelled on one as a passenger on a journey.

That said I can own up to regular trips on a trolley bus which while it looked a bit like a motor bus was powered by electricity from overhead cables.

They were operated by most local authorities, but my experience of them was via Derby Corporation, and consisted of tortuous journeys from the town centre out to the small village of Chellaston.

I have never travelled well in cars or buses, but trips in those trolley buses were infinitely worse.

It may have been the mix of smells from the leather and fabric seats combined with the disinfectant and the heat but I never once escaped feeling sick and to this day that humming, whirring noise the engine or what passed for an engine makes still brings back horrible memories.

The terminus for the trolley bus at Chellaston was Shelton Lock which was a good ten-minute walk from Nana’s house, which gave time for a sort of recovery.

But the dread was always that there would be another journey on another day, on another trolley bus.

Still over 60 years later I can be objective about the trolley bus and recognise its place in transport history, but will always have a soft spot for its predecessor the tram.

All of which brings me to Ron Eaton who posted some wonderful images of a London tram and trolley bus with the message “Hi Andrew thought you might like these”, which of course I do.  

All the news fit to print, on car 1858, r, 

It was on the back of the story “Travelling on LCC number 1622 with memories of the Old Kent Road and Well Hall which appeared yesterday on my blog.

I have yet to ask Ron where he took them and indeed whether I have permission to reproduce them.  But as he sent them via social media, I am guessing it’s ok. 

So thank you Ron, and I hope your trolley bus experiences were better than mine.

And Ron now tells me  'they are all ianEast Anglia Transport Museum well worth a visit".

Location; the days of trams and trolley buses

Pictures; courtesy of Ron Easton, 2024

*“Travelling on LCC number 1622 with memories of the Old Kent Road and Well Hall,  https://chorltonhistory.blogspot.com/2019/11/travelling-on-lcc-tram-number-1622-with.html