City of Nottingham Omnibus & Trolley Bus route map, 1939 : from the City of Nottingham Official Handbook, 1939
Tipped into the city's 1939 Official Handbook is this folding plate that shows the Transport Department's motor omnibus and trolleybus route map. Nottingham, originally a tram operator since 1897, had like many other undertakings chosen to look to replace the first generation tramway system with more flexible and 'modern' means of transport duringt he late 1920s and early 1930s. The city's first trolleybuses ran in 1927 and although there was early enthusiasm for a complete changeover from one form of electric traction to another, the council seems to have increasingly hedged their bets as the technology of motor buses improved dramatically during the '30s. Nevertheless other trolleybus routes followed - however the last two tram route abandonments, including the final service to Mapperley, saw conversion complete by September 1935.
This map therefore shows the municipal trolleybus system at its fullest extent - but not all trolleybus routes int he city. The privately owned Nottinghamshire & Derbyshire Tramways Company, an almost inter-urban affair, unusually decided to convert its lengthy route to Ripley from tram to trolleybus between 1931 and 1933. This connected with the City system at Cinderhill (route 41) and took a more direct trajectory into the city centre. Nottingham's system lasted until 1966, the company's offering having been replaced by motorbuses in 1953.
Mention should also be made of another 'missing link' on this map - the strongly independent and neighbouring West Bridgford Urban District Council who, slighly unusually for a UDC, had its own Transport undertaking than ran buses from 1914 until being sold to Nottingham in 1968. Competition from private operators in the 1920s had forced Nottingham and West Bridgford to agree to joint operation of routes across Trent Bridge and these appear on the map as services 11 - 15 and 24.
In recent years Nottingham has been one of the most succesful UK cities in reintroducing a tramway system - here's hoping it lasts longer than the 39 years both the first generation tram system and trolleybus network lasted!
City of Nottingham Omnibus & Trolley Bus route map, 1939 : from the City of Nottingham Official Handbook, 1939
Tipped into the city's 1939 Official Handbook is this folding plate that shows the Transport Department's motor omnibus and trolleybus route map. Nottingham, originally a tram operator since 1897, had like many other undertakings chosen to look to replace the first generation tramway system with more flexible and 'modern' means of transport duringt he late 1920s and early 1930s. The city's first trolleybuses ran in 1927 and although there was early enthusiasm for a complete changeover from one form of electric traction to another, the council seems to have increasingly hedged their bets as the technology of motor buses improved dramatically during the '30s. Nevertheless other trolleybus routes followed - however the last two tram route abandonments, including the final service to Mapperley, saw conversion complete by September 1935.
This map therefore shows the municipal trolleybus system at its fullest extent - but not all trolleybus routes int he city. The privately owned Nottinghamshire & Derbyshire Tramways Company, an almost inter-urban affair, unusually decided to convert its lengthy route to Ripley from tram to trolleybus between 1931 and 1933. This connected with the City system at Cinderhill (route 41) and took a more direct trajectory into the city centre. Nottingham's system lasted until 1966, the company's offering having been replaced by motorbuses in 1953.
Mention should also be made of another 'missing link' on this map - the strongly independent and neighbouring West Bridgford Urban District Council who, slighly unusually for a UDC, had its own Transport undertaking than ran buses from 1914 until being sold to Nottingham in 1968. Competition from private operators in the 1920s had forced Nottingham and West Bridgford to agree to joint operation of routes across Trent Bridge and these appear on the map as services 11 - 15 and 24.
In recent years Nottingham has been one of the most succesful UK cities in reintroducing a tramway system - here's hoping it lasts longer than the 39 years both the first generation tram system and trolleybus network lasted!