RATP Dev-owned Yellow Buses has marked the 50th anniversary of the last trolleybus in Bournemouth.
The electric vehicles, which took their power from overhead wires, replaced Bournemouth’s former tramway system in 1933 and ran for 36 years. At its height, the trolleybus network extended to 29 miles and was operated by a fleet of 127 vehicles. In the year ending March 1937, the trolleybuses carried 26.3 million passengers. Ten years later the figure had risen to 42.7 million.
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As was the case with other trolleybus operators, the cost of replacing infrastructure proved prohibitive and this combined with other factors led to the final trolleybuses running on Saturday 19 April 1969. In their place came diesel buses. A procession and civic ceremony marked the event.
Yellow Buses has now updated its ‘history bus’ as a tribute to the trolleybuses. The ADL Enviro200 contains display panels with archive pictures tracking the proud 117-year history of Bournemouth Transport and now has vinyls showing the trolleybuses in action from 1933 to 1969.
Yellow Buses also welcomed former driver Keith Burbidge to its Yeomans Way depot in Bournemouth. Keith and his wife, Carol, have built their own mini Bournemouth trolleybus, based on a reconditioned mobile scooter, as a tribute and it is accurate down to the last detail, including a scaled-down driver’s tea flask on the dashboard.
David Squire, Yellow Buses’ Managing Director, said: “We’ve proudly served the people of Bournemouth, and beyond, for 117 years but, without doubt, the trolleybus era was one of our finest periods. It’s amazing how even 50 years on so many people remember the trolleybuses with genuine affection.”
During his visit to Yeomans Way, former driver Keith also brought along original tickets from the last day of trolleybus services. He said: “We’ll be using our trolleybus to promote, and raise funds, for the Bournemouth Vintage Bus Rally in June. Both Carol and I travelled on the last trolleybus and this is our tribute to that time.”
The Bournemouth trolleybus system was among the last to close in Britain, having only been succeeded by Walsall, ending in 1970, Teesside in 1971 and Bradford, which ceased operating in 1972.
Visit Yellow Buses website at: www.yellowbuses.co.uk
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