Trolleybuses in Belfast

The Belfast trolleybus system served the city of Belfast, Northern Ireland. It was the only trolleybus system built in Ireland. Opened on 28 March 1938 (1938-03-28), it gradually replaced the city’s tramway network.

The Belfast system was the second largest trolleybus system in the United Kingdom, after the London system. It had a total of 17 routes, and a maximum fleet of 245 trolleybuses. It closed on 12 May 1968 (1968-05-12).

History

In 1936, Belfast Corporation's tramway committee recommended that an experimental trolleybus service be inaugurated after inspecting the Birmingham, Bournemouth, London, Nottingham, Portsmouth and Wolverhampton systems.^[1][2] Seven pairs of chassis from AEC, Crossley, Daimler, Guy, Karrier, Leyland and Sunbeam were acquired. These were fitted with six types of electric motor with coachwork by five different builders, and were supplied on the proviso that should the trial be a success, Belfast Corporation would purchase them, and should it fail they would be returned.^[3][4]

On 28 March 1938, operations commenced out of Falls Park depot along Falls Road. This was chosen as being a virtually stand-alone route.^[5][6][7]

Judged a success, Belfast Corporation decided to replace the entire tramway network. An order was placed with AEC for 114 trolleybuses; however, wartime constraints resulted in only 88 being delivered.^[3][8]

On 13 February 1941 operations began in East Belfast when the Cregagh route commenced from the new Haymarket depot. The network gradually expanded, with the last of the tram network closing in 1954. Further sections were added until 1959 to a total of 37.5 miles. In order to speed up the conversion, eleven second-hand trolleybuses were purchased from Wolverhampton in 1952.^[7] In 1958 a prototype Sunbeam was acquired with a view to replacing the earlier vehicles; however, shortly afterwards the first section of the network closed, with the final section closing on 12 May 1968.^[3][5][6][9]

Fleet

Trolleybuses were initially painted in a blue and white livery. After World War II this was changed to red and white with silver wheels.^[3]

In preservation

Five former Belfast trolleybuses have been preserved:^[10]

• AEC 664T 98 and Guy BTX 112 at the Ulster Folk & Transport Museum, Cultra
• Guy BTX 168 at the Keighley Bus Museum^[11]
• Guy BTX 183 at the National Transport Museum of Ireland, Dublin
• Sunbeam F4A 246 at the East Anglia Transport Museum, Carlton Colville^[12]

Depots

Trolleybuses operated from three depots:^[3]

• Falls Park
• Haymarket
• Short Strand

See also

• Buses portal
• Northern Ireland portal

• History of Belfast
• Transport in Belfast
• List of trolleybus systems in the United Kingdom

References

Notes

1. Trolleybuses for Belfast Commercial Motor 23 October 1936 page 60
2. Operating Aspects of Passenger Transport Commercial Motor 18 December 1936 page 48
3. Harvey, David (2010). Belfast Trolleybuses. Stroud: Amberley Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84868-466-9.
4. Meeting Belfast's Special Conditions in Trolleybus Manufacture Commercial Motor 24 December 1937 page 8
5. Joyce, J.; King, J. S.; and Newman, A. G. (1986). British Trolleybus Systems, pp. 22–26, 159. London: Ian Allan Publishing. ISBN 0-7110-1647-X
6. Short, Peter. "Former UK systems". British Trolleybus Society. Retrieved 18 March 2011.
7. Russell, Michael (2014). The Colours of Yesteryear's Trolleybuses. Crowthorne: Capital Transport Publishing. pp. 252–256. ISBN 9781854143860.
8. Belfast to buy 114 trolleybuses Commercial Motor 2 June 1939 page 50
9. Half-way Stage i Belfast Scheme Commercial Motor 29 November 1963 page 38
10. Zebedee, John (30 November 2010). "A List of Preserved Trolleybuses in the UK". British Trolleybus Society. Retrieved 18 March 2011.
11. Belfast 168 National Trolleybus Association
12. East Anglia Transport Museum Fleetlist East Anglia Transport Museum

Further reading

• Belfast Corporation Transport. London: PSV Circle / Omnibus Society. 1968. OCLC 505168814.
• Maybin, Mike (1996). A nostalgic look at Belfast trolleybuses, 1938-1968. Wadenhoe, East Northamptonshire, UK: Silver Link. ISBN 978-1-85794-068-8.
• Maybin, Mike (2006). Ireland in the age of the trolleybus: Belfast: 1938-1968. Kettering, Northamptonshire, UK: Silver Link. ISBN 978-1-85794-256-9.
• Montgomery, W H (2001). Belfast Corporation Buses 1926-1973. Newtownards, County Down, Northern Ireland, UK: Colourpoint Press. ISBN 978-1-898392-64-4.
• Newman, Richard (2007). Irish Buses in the Mid 1960s. Newtownards, County Down, Northern Ireland, UK: Colourpoint Press. ISBN 978-1-904242-88-8.

External links

Media related to Trolleybuses in Belfast at Wikimedia Commons

• National Trolleybus Archive
• British Trolleybus Society, based in Reading