letsavagoo 961 Posted December 29, 2016 Report Share Posted December 29, 2016 I am old enough to recall trolley busses here in Nottingham. Does anyone have any thoughts on why trolley busses fell out of favour and why there are none today. I assume that diesels were easier and cheaper. The cost and disruption of the tram infrastructure is huge yet a trolley bus only needs a overhead power line system, double not single like the tram. No minor requirement but no tracks/rails. Surely with pollution being a major concern there is case for considering trolley's again. I heard nottingham is going to get some electric (battery) busses again but is battery technology realistically ready. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
catfan 14,793 Posted December 29, 2016 Report Share Posted December 29, 2016 Electric buses have a limited range due to quite poor battery technology. All the electric power to run trams, trolley buses & recharge battery powered buses has to come from somewhere. Is battery power & electricical powered vehicles of any kind better for the enviroment than fossil fuel anyway ? 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Merthyr Imp 729 Posted December 29, 2016 Report Share Posted December 29, 2016 I think it was always said that the trolleybuses were abandoned in Nottingham because all the road alterations that were about to take place in the late 1960s would have meant too much disruption and cost involved in diverting the routes - as an example think of the Broad Marsh Centre being plonked squarely across the route to Trent Bridge, plus the ending of Arkwright Street as a through route for traffic. There would also have been temporary diversions while the alterations were being made which trolleybuses couldn't have coped with. Generally speaking, I understand motor buses increased in cost efficiency through the 1950s, including the fact that they were gradually allowed to become bigger from the post-war period when the usual capacity was 56 seats compared with the 70 seats of the six-wheeler trolleybuses. In Nottingham, the early (1963) Daimler Fleetlines could carry 77 seated. Also, with the increasing street congestion caused by more and more private cars trolleybuses were perhaps seen as getting in the way of these, not least with the occasional de-wiring causing traffic hold-ups while the pole was put back on the wire. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
letsavagoo 961 Posted December 29, 2016 Report Share Posted December 29, 2016 1 hour ago, Merthyr Imp said: Also, with the increasing street congestion caused by more and more private cars trolleybuses were perhaps seen as getting in the way of these, not least with the occasional de-wiring causing traffic hold-ups while the pole was put back on the wire. Thanks for your thoughts on this. However a trolley bus can move around an obstruction unlike a tram. I am sure that they could still make an environmentally sound proposition today. Googling around it seems they are still used in some parts of the world. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
letsavagoo 961 Posted December 29, 2016 Report Share Posted December 29, 2016 2 hours ago, catfan said: Electric buses have a limited range due to quite poor battery technology. All the electric power to run trams, trolley buses & recharge battery powered buses has to come from somewhere. Is battery power & electricical powered vehicles of any kind better for the enviroment than fossil fuel anyway ? Agreed but the power supplied from a power station can be better filtered and controlled from a polluting point of view. Standing on Parliament Street or several other locations in the City you choke with deisel fumes. It's quite shocking. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
LizzieM 9,507 Posted December 29, 2016 Report Share Posted December 29, 2016 The buses nowadays don't pollute the atmosphere like they used to though. Until a few years ago I would get an immediate headache if I was following a bus, the fumes were deadly. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
plantfit 7,580 Posted December 29, 2016 Report Share Posted December 29, 2016 My Grannie always called them "Trackless's" probably because she grew up when there was only trams around,hence the track,no track but overhead wires equals trolley bus,a tram without a track Rog Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Merthyr Imp 729 Posted December 29, 2016 Report Share Posted December 29, 2016 1 hour ago, letsavagoo said: Thanks for your thoughts on this. However a trolley bus can move around an obstruction unlike a tram. Yes, but not if it would mean moving out of reach of the overhead wires. But you're right, along with trams, trolleybuses continued to be used in other parts of the world when both were being abandoned in this country. With regards to the use of fossil fuels, two thoughts. First, electricity can be generated from other sources, and second, fossil fuel is going to run out one day. Not in our lifetimes, but I do wonder what changes my son will be seeing in 50 years time. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
letsavagoo 961 Posted December 29, 2016 Report Share Posted December 29, 2016 Rog mentioning 'trackless' bought back memories of my grandmother who always referred to Trolley buses as trackless. I'd forgotten that. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
roger peatman 337 Posted December 29, 2016 Report Share Posted December 29, 2016 Weren't they also called "rail-less" ? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
plantfit 7,580 Posted December 30, 2016 Report Share Posted December 30, 2016 Never heard them called that Roger but as you say they were "rail less" I was a regular on them in the 50's/mid 60's from the Meadows (Trent bridge) to Bulwell (Highbury Vale) each week visiting my Bulwell Grandmother Rog Quote Link to post Share on other sites
BulwellBrian 107 Posted December 30, 2016 Report Share Posted December 30, 2016 When I was young the General Manager of NCT was Ben England, I believe he was pro trolley buses, his successor less so. My Grandmother also called them the trackless, and sometimes "the silent death". Quote Link to post Share on other sites
plantfit 7,580 Posted January 2, 2017 Report Share Posted January 2, 2017 When talking about trackless's/trolley buses I always remember upstairs the backs of the seats they were covered in rubber,a kind of corrugated effect and at the top of the back of the seat was a "cigarette stubber" a kind of stippled metal plate about 2 inches square,the motor buses probably had them as well when you were allowed to smoke upstairs, thats all, Rog Quote Link to post Share on other sites
BulwellBrian 107 Posted January 2, 2017 Report Share Posted January 2, 2017 After overhaul the top deck ceiling was bright white, they then went yellow and then brown from the smoke.ug. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Tim in the North East 200 Posted January 4, 2017 Report Share Posted January 4, 2017 On 29/12/2016 at 5:01 PM, letsavagoo said: Rog mentioning 'trackless' bought back memories of my grandmother who always referred to Trolley buses as trackless. I'd forgotten that. The Mexborough and Swindon trolleybus network was always referred to as 'The Trackless' to distinguish it from the trams that were also run by the same operator. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Cliff Ton 10,458 Posted January 4, 2017 Report Share Posted January 4, 2017 There aren't any photos - yet - in this thread. So....one at the top end of the Market Square. And one on King Edward St. alongside the old Central Market. 4 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
PeverilPeril 3,279 Posted January 4, 2017 Report Share Posted January 4, 2017 Interestingly, battery powered trams are being introduced to Birmingham shortly. New battery technology makes this possible due to the power requirements for hills. The brief for battery powered trams in Birmingham could almost apply to Nottingham. I was amazed to read that a battery powered tram was invented in 1888. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
StephenFord 866 Posted January 4, 2017 Report Share Posted January 4, 2017 And one of the wider (8 foot) ones behind on a 39. Couple of minutes later and he'd be rattling over the cobbles down Handel Street. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
colly0410 1,181 Posted January 5, 2017 Report Share Posted January 5, 2017 I was fascinated with the trolley buses when I was in Russia, they seemed to be everywhere over there, all single deckers of course. I never got to go on one though as I only had a tour visa so had to stay with our group, & we swanned about in diesel buses all the time.. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
BulwellBrian 107 Posted January 6, 2017 Report Share Posted January 6, 2017 A photo in the Middleton Press book "Nottingham Trolleybuses" shows that the term "Railless" was officially used on the stop outside the Bell Inn, It shows route 42 to Bulwell Hall Esatate and route 43 to Bulwell Market. As a child I remember that the 42 ran Old Market Square to Bulwell Market, 43 Trent Bridge to Bulwell Market and 44 Colwick Road to Bulwell Hall Estate. The 42 was then cut back to the Northern Baths. I remember that Trolleybus stops were green and motor bus stops red, sometimes both on the same pole. Some were bus stops but most were request stops. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Cliff Ton 10,458 Posted January 6, 2017 Report Share Posted January 6, 2017 The first post of this thread https://nottstalgia.com/forums/topic/7151-nottm-bus-routes-1940s/#comment-91118 has a map showing the trolley bus routes (and motor bus routes) in the late 1940s. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
DaveN 1,118 Posted June 11, 2018 Report Share Posted June 11, 2018 Article on trolleybuses with lots of old photos https://www.nottinghampost.com/news/history/gallery/see-fascinating-photos-trolleybuses-ruled-1656750 3 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.