Joint Trolleybus, St James Square, Wolverhamtpon, 1964
Walsall Corporation trolleybus 345 working the joint 29 service to Walsall, with a Wolverhampton Corporation Sunbeam behind. 345 was an interloper, having been new to Ipswich Corporation in 1950, and sold to Walsall in 1962, prior to the closure of the system in 1963.
The joint trolleybus service operated between Wolverhampton & Walsall had commenced in 1931, although Wolverhampton had been operating trolleybuses as far as Willenhall since 1930. It was one of the few instances of joint trolleybus working. The other notable places this occurred was between:
Manchester & Ashton
Grimsby & Cleethorpes
Rotherham & Mexborough
The picture is taken in October 1964, just 12 months before the service was converted to motorbus. At the time Wolverhampton Corporation were at an advanced stage of trolleybus abandonment, but Walsall Corporation wanted to continue trolleybus operation with Walsall trolleys on the through service.
However, the construction of the M6 motorway sealed the fate of the route. The Ministry of Transport did not want trolleybuses to cross over the motorway junction, then under construction at Bentley. I understand this to have been based on largely unfounded fears of the overhead wires falling onto the motorway in the case of a severe accident. An incident in 1965 where a Walsall trolleybus fell onto its side following an accident killing a pedestrian, did not help the situation. It was another nail in the coffin for trolleybus operation in the Black Country.
Joint Trolleybus, St James Square, Wolverhamtpon, 1964
Walsall Corporation trolleybus 345 working the joint 29 service to Walsall, with a Wolverhampton Corporation Sunbeam behind. 345 was an interloper, having been new to Ipswich Corporation in 1950, and sold to Walsall in 1962, prior to the closure of the system in 1963.
The joint trolleybus service operated between Wolverhampton & Walsall had commenced in 1931, although Wolverhampton had been operating trolleybuses as far as Willenhall since 1930. It was one of the few instances of joint trolleybus working. The other notable places this occurred was between:
Manchester & Ashton
Grimsby & Cleethorpes
Rotherham & Mexborough
The picture is taken in October 1964, just 12 months before the service was converted to motorbus. At the time Wolverhampton Corporation were at an advanced stage of trolleybus abandonment, but Walsall Corporation wanted to continue trolleybus operation with Walsall trolleys on the through service.
However, the construction of the M6 motorway sealed the fate of the route. The Ministry of Transport did not want trolleybuses to cross over the motorway junction, then under construction at Bentley. I understand this to have been based on largely unfounded fears of the overhead wires falling onto the motorway in the case of a severe accident. An incident in 1965 where a Walsall trolleybus fell onto its side following an accident killing a pedestrian, did not help the situation. It was another nail in the coffin for trolleybus operation in the Black Country.