Jim Blake - Trolleybus Twilight

First published in Great Britain in 2017 by

Pen & Sword Transport

An imprint of Pen & Sword Books Ltd

47 Church Street, Barnsley, South Yorkshire S70 2AS

Copyright Jim Blake 2017

The right of Jim Blake to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording or any information storage and retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the publisher, nor by way of trade or otherwise shall it be lent, re-sold, hired out or otherwise circulated without the publishers prior consent in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.

ISBN 978 1 47386 146 6

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Design and typesetting

by Juliet Arthur, www.stimula.co.uk

Printed and bound by Replika Press Pvt. Ltd.

Part One:
Travelling by Trolleybus Remembered

Part Two:
Trolleybus Twilight

Part Three:
A brief look at Trolleybus operation
in the United Kingdom

COVER PHOTO: Bournemouth Corporation had the last new trolleybuses built for use in the United Kingdom, built late in 1962. Sadly, however, the system was abandoned only six and a half years later. Here, on 5 September 1965, their No.240, a Weymann-bodied BUT 9641T built in 1950 is seen at The Square terminus. In common with many Bournemouth vehicles, this had been built with a rear entrance and forward exit, but by now the latter had been taken out of use.

TITLE PAGE: To me, as someone born and brought up in the heart of London's once vast trolleybus system, their final day of operation was one of the saddest days of my life. Here on that final afternoon of Tuesday, 8 May 1962, the last one to run in that evening, Class L3 MCCW-bodied chassisless AEC No.1521, carries a special blind display when posed outside Fulwell trolleybus depot.

I was born at the end of 1947, just five days before the Big Four railway companies, and many bus companies including London Transport were nationalised by Clement Attlees Labour government.

Like most young lads born in the early post-war years, I soon developed a passionate interest in railways, the myriad steam engines still running on Britain's railways in those days in particular. However, because my home in Canonbury Avenue, Islington, was just a few minutes walk from North London's last two tram routes the 33 in Essex Road and the 35 in Holloway Road and Upper Street my parents often took me on these for outings to the South Bank, particularly to the Festival of Britain which was held there in the last summer they ran, in 1951. Moreover, my father worked at the GPOs West Central District Office in Holborn and often travelled to and from work on the 35 tram. As a result, I knew many of the tram crews, who would let me stand by the driver at the front of the trams as they travelled through the Kingsway Tram Subway. This was an unforgettable experience for a 4 year old! In addition, my home was in the heart of North London's trolleybus system, with route 611 actually passing my home, and one of the busiest and most complicated trolleybus junctions in the world Holloway, Nag's Head a short ride away along Holloway Road. Here, the trolleybuses overhead almost blotted out the sky! Thus, from a very early age, I developed an interest in buses and trolleybuses, which was equal to my interest in railways, and I have retained both until the present day.

I was educated at my local Highbury County Grammar School, and later at Kingsway College, by coincidence a stones throw from the old tram subway. I was first bought a camera for my fourteenth birthday at the end of 1961, which was immediately put to good use photographing the last London trolleybuses in North-West London on their very snowy last day a week later. Three years later, I started work as an administrator for the old London County Council at County Hall, by coincidence adjacent to the former Festival of Britain site. I travelled to and from work on bus routes 171 or 172, which had replaced the 33 and 35 trams mentioned above.

By now, my interest in buses and trolleybuses had expanded to include those of other operators, and I travelled throughout England and Wales between 1961 and 1968 in pursuit of them, being able to afford to travel further afield after starting work. I also bought a colour cine-camera in 1965, with which I was able to capture what is now very rare footage of long-lost buses, trolleybuses and steam locomotives. Where the latter are concerned, I was one of the initial purchasers of the unique British Railways Pacific locomotive 71000 Duke of Gloucester, which was the last ever passenger express engine built for use in Britain. Other preservationists laughed at our group, which had purchased what in effect was a cannibalised hulk from Barry scrapyard at the end of 1973, but they laughed on the other side of their faces when, after extensive and innovative rebuilding, it steamed again in 1986. It has since become one of the best-known and loved, preserved British locomotives, often returning to the main lines.

Although I spent thirty-five years in local government administration, with the LCCs successor, the Greater London Council, then Haringey Council and finally literally back on my old doorstep, with Islington Council, I also took a break from office drudgery in 1974/5 and actually worked on the buses as a conductor at London Transport's Clapton Garage, on local routes 22, 38 and 253. Working on the latter, a former tram and trolleybus route, in particular was an unforgettable experience. I was recommended for promotion as an inspector, but rightly thought that taking such a job with the surname Blake was unwise in view of the then-current character of the same name and occupation in the On The Buses TV series and films, and so declined the offer and returned to County Hall!

By this time, I had begun to have my transport photographs published in various books and magazines featuring buses. I had also started off the North London Transport Society, which catered for enthusiasts interested in the subject. In conjunction with this group, I have also compiled and published a number of books since 1977, featuring many of the 100,000 or so transport photographs I have taken over the years.

Also, through the North London Transport Society, I became involved in setting up and organising various events for transport enthusiasts in 1980, notably the North Weald Bus Rally, which the group took over in 1984; it has raised thousands of pounds for charity ever since. These events are still going strong today.