Trolleybuses are no longer a selling point
I came across this period advert in my latest copy of ‘On The Buses’. Nothing to do with the vintage British TV sitcom, but a bookazine published by Vintage Roadscene that takes a deep look at the historic bus scene. Issue 13 features past adverts from the transport trade press.
The long-defunct ‘Transport World’ highlighted the recent delivery of Q1 trolleybuses to London Transport, then the world’s largest operator of this fine form of transport. London’s trolleybuses are likewise long defunct. Not so Tecalemit, however. I am delighted to see that the specialist supplier of vehicle lubrication equipment, here so proud of its association with London Transport and other trolleybus operators around the world, continues to thrive.
I remembered adverts for Tecalemit products from old issues of ‘Autocar’ and ‘The Motor’, but it is only now that I have gleaned information about its history and activities. I had long thought it had gone down the tubes, like so many companies involved in Britain’s motor industry.
French in origin, Tecalemit set up its British operation in 1922. The advert here gives Brentford, Middlesex as its contact address, but the main manufacturing operation was in Plymouth. In fact, Tecalemit was once second only to the Royal Naval Dockyard as the city’s major employer. Operating today as Tecalemit Garage Equipment Co. Ltd., the company is part of the BASE Group and is based in Langage, Plymouth.
Had I worked in the garage and motor repair business, I would have been very familiar with Tecalemit equipment.
Looking again at the 1949 advert, of the list of trolleybus operators, only Arnhem in the Netherlands remains faithful to the breed. San Sebastián in Spain is on the list: it actually acquired large numbers of Q1 trolleybuses from London Transport in 1961, running them until the late-1970s.
Trolleybuses are no longer a selling point
I came across this period advert in my latest copy of ‘On The Buses’. Nothing to do with the vintage British TV sitcom, but a bookazine published by Vintage Roadscene that takes a deep look at the historic bus scene. Issue 13 features past adverts from the transport trade press.
The long-defunct ‘Transport World’ highlighted the recent delivery of Q1 trolleybuses to London Transport, then the world’s largest operator of this fine form of transport. London’s trolleybuses are likewise long defunct. Not so Tecalemit, however. I am delighted to see that the specialist supplier of vehicle lubrication equipment, here so proud of its association with London Transport and other trolleybus operators around the world, continues to thrive.
I remembered adverts for Tecalemit products from old issues of ‘Autocar’ and ‘The Motor’, but it is only now that I have gleaned information about its history and activities. I had long thought it had gone down the tubes, like so many companies involved in Britain’s motor industry.
French in origin, Tecalemit set up its British operation in 1922. The advert here gives Brentford, Middlesex as its contact address, but the main manufacturing operation was in Plymouth. In fact, Tecalemit was once second only to the Royal Naval Dockyard as the city’s major employer. Operating today as Tecalemit Garage Equipment Co. Ltd., the company is part of the BASE Group and is based in Langage, Plymouth.
Had I worked in the garage and motor repair business, I would have been very familiar with Tecalemit equipment.
Looking again at the 1949 advert, of the list of trolleybus operators, only Arnhem in the Netherlands remains faithful to the breed. San Sebastián in Spain is on the list: it actually acquired large numbers of Q1 trolleybuses from London Transport in 1961, running them until the late-1970s.