Teesside Railless Traction Board No.5 Sunbeam F4
As a result of family members being involved with the Festival of Thrift at the Kirkleatham Museum near Redcar I went along to provide transport, but not really knowing what I would find to keep me occupied. I certainly had no idea that this Sunbeam F4 Trolleybus was an exhibit there. New in 1950 with an East Lancs body, it was rebodied with this Roe example in 1960, thus becoming the last trolleybus body built, barring latter day one off prototypes. When trolleybus operation ceased in 1971 it became the property of the Teeside Museum Service and was put on display at Stockton. Unfortunately it was heavily vandalised, including an arson attack on the top deck. Subsequently it moved around various locations in the area but it seems none were too keen on what was now dubbed an eye-sore. Hence it was sold off privately and later some restoration work was done although this was not complete by the time the owner emigrated. It was then purchased by Langbaurgh -on- Tees Musem Service and a home was found at Kirkleatham Old Hall Museum. Further restoration work was done and most encouragingly, a purpose built "shed" (visible behind in one photo) was errected. This is also a museum store and contains various other seemingly unrelated (to each other) museum items including, I noted, a cutaway Cummins V6 diesel. Apparently there is an aspiration that one day TRTB No. 5 will provide rides around the grounds, but I wondered how much of a priority the electrical works had been during the restoration and whether the museum was prepared for the enormity of funding such a project as a whole.
Teesside Railless Traction Board No.5 Sunbeam F4
As a result of family members being involved with the Festival of Thrift at the Kirkleatham Museum near Redcar I went along to provide transport, but not really knowing what I would find to keep me occupied. I certainly had no idea that this Sunbeam F4 Trolleybus was an exhibit there. New in 1950 with an East Lancs body, it was rebodied with this Roe example in 1960, thus becoming the last trolleybus body built, barring latter day one off prototypes. When trolleybus operation ceased in 1971 it became the property of the Teeside Museum Service and was put on display at Stockton. Unfortunately it was heavily vandalised, including an arson attack on the top deck. Subsequently it moved around various locations in the area but it seems none were too keen on what was now dubbed an eye-sore. Hence it was sold off privately and later some restoration work was done although this was not complete by the time the owner emigrated. It was then purchased by Langbaurgh -on- Tees Musem Service and a home was found at Kirkleatham Old Hall Museum. Further restoration work was done and most encouragingly, a purpose built "shed" (visible behind in one photo) was errected. This is also a museum store and contains various other seemingly unrelated (to each other) museum items including, I noted, a cutaway Cummins V6 diesel. Apparently there is an aspiration that one day TRTB No. 5 will provide rides around the grounds, but I wondered how much of a priority the electrical works had been during the restoration and whether the museum was prepared for the enormity of funding such a project as a whole.