DAVE HALL looks back 50 years to the closure of the last trolleybus system within striking distance of London, finds several significant traces that survive today — as the bus world rediscovers electric traction — and previews some events that will commemorate what happened in November 1968
The timing of Reading Buses’ recent trial of a Yutong E12 battery electric single-decker (see Fleet News this month) could hardly be more significant, for 50 years ago Reading Corporation was preparing to close Britain’s sixth last trolleybus system. Saturday 3 November is the actual anniversary of the closure and various events are being planned to mark the occasion.
The UK was steadily replacing its remaining trolleybuses with diesels and Reading’s fourroute system was the 21st to close since 1960, yet as recently as 1965 there seemed to be no threat of abandonment.
There were two north/south side lines, the 15 (Caversham Bridge/Stations/St Mary’s Butts-Northumberland Avenue) and 16 (Stations-Whitley Wood), and two east/west main lines, the 17 (Tilehurst-Wokingham Road) and 18 (Armour Hill, Kentwood- Liverpool Road) served by 44 postwar doubledeck trolleybuses. Twenty BUT 9611Ts with Park Royal 56-seat bodywork w…
