The Bradford
trolleybus system operated from 1911 to 1972 making it the system that ran for
the longest time in the United Kingdom.
It closed on Friday 24th March 1972 when trolleybus 843
completed its final fare-paying journey.
Over the weekend of the 25th and 26th March 1972 special
pre-booked tours were operated. On
Sunday 26th the final tour of the day at 11.30 in the morning,
featured trolleybuses 845, 706 and 712 with 845 being last trolleybus in public
service. The last trolleybus of all was
844 which departed the City Hall at 3pm carrying the dignitaries and invited
guests for the official ending, not only for Bradford, but also for the United Kingdom.
Exactly fifty years to the actual day, 26th
March 2022, The Trolleybus Museum at Sandtoft in North Lincolnshire put on an
excellent weekend event of trolleybus rides to mark the occasion. The final trolleybus 844 (FWX 914), a 1946
Sunbeam F4, new to Mexbrough & Swinton as a single-decker and rebodied in
1962 with an East Lancs H66F double-deck body, is resident at the Keighley Bus
Museum and was loaned to Sandtoft for the event. This DVD programme takes you
on a journey from the final days of operation of these fine vehicles in
Bradford to the re-enactment of the final day fifty years on. Our programme begins with cine film from the independent
transport videos collection of the trolleybuses running in service on a
number of routes and through all weathers up unto the final day. It is followed by another short cine film
from the camera of transport photographer Malcolm King with his visit to
Bradford, also capturing the final moments of 844 entering Thornbury depot for
the last time. We then jump forward
fifty years to The Trolleybus Museum at Sandtoft for the weekend of running
featuring two Bradford trolleybuses.
Apart from 844, the other Bradford trolleybus in service was 746 (EKU
746), a 1949 B.U.T. 9611T with a Roe H56R body.
They were also joined by London Transport K2 trolleybus, 1348 (EXV 348),
with a Leyland chassis and a Leyland H70R body.
The event began with a re-enactment of the final run, with 844 operating
the Sandtoft circuit and a Bradford Corporation Bedford tower wagon following, just
like it was fifty years ago.
Our cameras then travel
on both Bradford trolleybuses with views from the passenger’s eye on both decks
as well as the driver’s view as we fixed another camera in the cabs of both
Bradford vehicles to give another perspective on the proceedings for you to
enjoy. On the Sunday the trolleybuses
were accompanied by a preserved West Yorkshire Bristol LL5G single-decker with an
ECW B39R body, SGL16 (JWU 886). This
type of bus was a familiar sight in the Bradford area in the 1950s and 1960s
operating alongside the Bradford Corporation buses and of course the trolleybuses. Our programme concludes with a photo album of
still images of the final Sunday featuring the trolleybuses on the pre-booked
tours and the final arrival and departure of 844 on that day back in 1972.