London Trolleybuses - Hardcover

Glyn Kraemer-Johnson & John Bishop

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0711029490 ISBN 13: 9780711029491

Publisher: Ian Allan Publishing, 2003

Synopsis

Although there were initial experiments with trolleybus operations in London prior to the outbreak of World War 1, it was not until 1931 that the London United Tramways introduced this hybrid form of transport to the streets of the Metropolis, when routes in and around Kingston were converted from tram to trolleybus operations. With the creation of the London Passenger Transport Board in 1933, the momentum of the conversions was accelerated and, over the next seven years, much of the capital's tramway network in North, West and East London was converted, resulting in the largest trolleybus network in the world. As it was, World War 2 and the period of postwar austerity meant that, once tramway abandonment again became official policy, it was the diesel bus that was the preferred alternative. From the mid-1950s onwards it became apparent that the trolleybus was living on borrowed time in London and, from the late 1950s, conversion to bus operation became the policy, in May 1962, London bade farewell to the trolleybus, with the final service, ironically, operating over the self-same routes that had seen the trolleybuses introduction more than three decades earlier. In this latest co-operation between these two well-known road transport authors we see their attention turn towards the history of the trolleybus. Focusing primarily on the period of the 1950s, when large numbers were drawn to the Metropolis to see the variety of trolleybuses operated - including, possibly, the system's only two-axle vehicle - the book includes a stunning collection of colour and mono photographs recalling in the many services over the trolleybuses operated during these years. The book will be of obvious interest in and around Greater London. The London trolleybus network served places as far apart as Uxbridge and Crystal Palace. A number of London trolleybuses survive in preservation; these can be found, at Sandtoft, Carlton Colville, in Ireland and at the London Transport Museum.

About this title

About the Author

John Bishop and Glyn Kraemer-Johnson both live in Sussex. The pair have previously co-operated on the production of an earlier volume in the series Glory Days: Southdown, which was a huge success (being reprinted within months of publication), and, more recently, on The Heyday of Southdown.

Edition details

• Publisher: Ian Allan Publishing
• Publication date: 2003
• ISBN 10: 0711029490
• ISBN 13: 9780711029491
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English