Walsall Trolleybus 857, Coalpool, Walsall, 1970
I still don't know to this day as to whether or not Walsall Corporation still technically owned Walsall's trolleybuses during the system's final months of operation under the control of West Midlands PTE? I say this because as far as I know, West Midlands PTE did not have the powers to operate the town's trolleys, the powers having been granted by Parliament to Walsall Corporation.
Following the WMPTE takeover in October 1969, all ex corporation buses and trolleybuses had the municipal coats-of-arms displayed on their panels painted out. In place of the coats of arm were affixed the new WMPTE vinyl WM logos. However, the trolleybuses were exempted and never carried the WM logo. That said, as with the motorbus fleet the operational trolleybuses did carry the legal address for West Midlands PTE on their front lower nearside side panels indicating that the WMPTE was the operator.
It has been suggested by some that that the lack of WM logos on the trolleybuses was at the bequest of the former General Manager and Chief Engineer, Edgley Cox. Cox was against the PTE ending trolleybus operations in the town and is said not to have wanted the trolleybuses to wear the new WM logo? Anyway, someone reading this might know the answer and can hopefully enlighten us as to what the actual situation was?
The picture shows trolleybus 857 turning from Ross Road into Harden Road at Coalpool during the last summer of trolleybus operations in 1970. The Willowbrook bodied Sunbeam F4 had been new in April 1955, a remarkable vehicle when new as this batch of trolleybuses were amongst the first 30ft long, 2-axle, 8ft wide passenger vehicles in Britain.
On the last day of trolleybus operations in Walsall on 3rd October 1970, 857 had been already withdrawn and was not used again. Along with most of the other remaining trolleybuses it was eventually sold for scrap. Today, two ex Walsall trolleybuses of this particular type survive in museums, these being 862 at the Black Country Museum, Dudley, and 872 at the Sandtoft Trolleybus Museum near Doncaster. A third ex Walsall F4 of the type 864 survived for a good number of years, but it was broken up in 2016 due to its deteriorating condition through decades of standing outside.
Walsall Trolleybus 857, Coalpool, Walsall, 1970
I still don't know to this day as to whether or not Walsall Corporation still technically owned Walsall's trolleybuses during the system's final months of operation under the control of West Midlands PTE? I say this because as far as I know, West Midlands PTE did not have the powers to operate the town's trolleys, the powers having been granted by Parliament to Walsall Corporation.
Following the WMPTE takeover in October 1969, all ex corporation buses and trolleybuses had the municipal coats-of-arms displayed on their panels painted out. In place of the coats of arm were affixed the new WMPTE vinyl WM logos. However, the trolleybuses were exempted and never carried the WM logo. That said, as with the motorbus fleet the operational trolleybuses did carry the legal address for West Midlands PTE on their front lower nearside side panels indicating that the WMPTE was the operator.
It has been suggested by some that that the lack of WM logos on the trolleybuses was at the bequest of the former General Manager and Chief Engineer, Edgley Cox. Cox was against the PTE ending trolleybus operations in the town and is said not to have wanted the trolleybuses to wear the new WM logo? Anyway, someone reading this might know the answer and can hopefully enlighten us as to what the actual situation was?
The picture shows trolleybus 857 turning from Ross Road into Harden Road at Coalpool during the last summer of trolleybus operations in 1970. The Willowbrook bodied Sunbeam F4 had been new in April 1955, a remarkable vehicle when new as this batch of trolleybuses were amongst the first 30ft long, 2-axle, 8ft wide passenger vehicles in Britain.
On the last day of trolleybus operations in Walsall on 3rd October 1970, 857 had been already withdrawn and was not used again. Along with most of the other remaining trolleybuses it was eventually sold for scrap. Today, two ex Walsall trolleybuses of this particular type survive in museums, these being 862 at the Black Country Museum, Dudley, and 872 at the Sandtoft Trolleybus Museum near Doncaster. A third ex Walsall F4 of the type 864 survived for a good number of years, but it was broken up in 2016 due to its deteriorating condition through decades of standing outside.