Reading Trolleybuses
Preserved 2018
Trolleybuses
began
operating in Reading on the 18th July 1936.
The system was operated for just 32 years, closing on the 3rd
November 1968. We are fortunate in 2018
that six former Reading trolleybuses survive in preservation.
Five of these fine vehicles can be found at ‘The
Trolleybus Museum at Sandtoft’ in
north Lincolnshire. Over the August Bank Holiday weekend in
2018
the Museum held an event to mark 50 years since the closure of the
Reading
trolleybus system that took place in 1968.
The independent transport
videos cameras
were on hand to
record the event for all to see. Filmed
on the Saturday and Sunday our cameras filmed the action of the
trolleybuses in
service as well as three preserved motorbuses, two from Reading
Corporation and
one from Thames Valley - the ‘company’ fleet in the town. The
trolleybuses you will see operating on
this programme are: 113 (ARD 676) an AEC
661T with Park Royal H56R bodywork from 1938, 174 (ERD 145) and 181
(ERD 152)
Sunbeam S7s with Park Royal H68RD bodywork from 1950 and 193 (VRD 193)
a
Sunbeam F4A with Burlingham H68F bodywork built in 1961. The
motorbuses you will see are AEC Regents
47 (RD 7127) from 1935 and 3 (MRD 146) from 1957, both with Park Royal
bodywork. The Thames Valley
double-decker is Bristol K6A 446 (DBL 154) dating from 1946 with an ECW
body. We see the trolleybuses working
alongside the motorbuses evoking a scene from days gone by.
We also take rides on all the trolleybuses in
service as well as motorbus 47 around the Museum site.
Trolleybus 144 (DRD 130) is a BUT 9611T with
Park Royal H56RD bodywork from 1949 which has been undergoing major
refurbishment and was not available to be seen during our visit.
However, David Jukes kindly supplied some
still photographs of 144 whilst it was doing a test drive around the
site on
the Bank Holiday Monday.
We conclude our
programme with some excellent cine film from the camera of Richard
Newman on one
of his visits to the system during the 1960s.
The
Trolleybus Museum at Sandtoft is
well worth a visit. They hold a number of events throughout
the
year. The subject of another event can
be found on our DVD programme entitled ‘Reading Trolleybuses Preserved
2006’,
when the anniversary of 80 years since the opening of the system was
marked. Enjoy!