Old Trolleybus routes (Read 2,633 times)

[malc]

Back in the 50s we had relatives in Maltby and visited them regularly from Derby where we lived. I can still remember going to Rotherham on the single deck trolleybuses with the central door. I wonder if anyone has a route list (or map) of trolleybus routes. IIRC, it was 1 Maltby, 2 Wickersley, 3 Brecks plus others to Kimberworth, Thrybergh, Pumping Station, Silverdale Colliery plus the Mexborough & Swinton routes to Conishborough High and Low.

Doncaster trolleys IIRC, went to Balby, Bentley, Hexthorpe, Hyde Park, Leicester Ave, Racecourse and Wheatley Hills.

I'm certain someone will put me right if there are any mistakes! Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Mal

[mattw]

Feb 18, 2009 16:03:10 GMT malc said:

Back in the 50s we had relatives in Maltby and visited them regularly from Derby where we lived. I can still remember going to Rotherham on the single deck trolleybuses with the central door. I wonder if anyone has a route list (or map) of trolleybus routes. IIRC, it was 1 Maltby, 2 Wickersley, 3 Brecks plus others to Kimberworth, Thrybergh, Pumping Station, Silverdale Colliery plus the Mexborough & Swinton routes to Conishborough Conisbrough High and Low.

Doncaster trolleys IIRC, went to Balby, Bentley, Hexthorpe, Hyde Park, Leicester Ave, Racecourse and Wheatley Hills.

I'm certain someone will put me right if there are any mistakes! Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Mal

From what i've been told the routes in Mexborough / Conisbrough / Swinton ran from...

Brooke Sqaure (Conisbrough Star)
Low Road to Mexborough
Station Street in Swinton
Then to Manvers Pit

Wembley Avenue (Conisbrough)
Hill Top Road to Mexborough
Station Street in Swinton
through Rawmarsh / Parkgate to Rotherham Centre

[thrybergh]

I think it was the 37 to Thrybergh - Link Road also remember the 31/32/33 to Brinsworth from photos I have seen, when the main bus area in Rotherham was All Saints Square.

Out of interest which route did the route take to the Pumping Station at Eastwood, did it follow the 137 route or the 115 route?

[busman3]

Not able to help at moment however two (useless )points while the old depot now demolished at leicester avenue had the words trolley bus over one entrance they never used that depot - apart from 2450 of course


Sheffield had permission to operate trolley buses one was a route to dronfield but it never came to pass

[steve2006]

Well looking at some old photos of Mexborough & Swinton trolleybuses the only 2 photos there are of trolleybuses show the destinations;

C Manvers Main, Wath - Conisbrough High

Other routes mentioned are;

B Rotherham - Conisbrough Low. This was converted to a normal bus route and renumbered 9A
K Kilnhurst Road
S Sandhill

M&S Used letters for all trolleybus routes

[malc]

Feb 18, 2009 22:56:23 GMT steve2006 said:

Well looking at some old photos of Mexborough & Swinton trolleybuses the only 2 photos there are of trolleybuses show the destinations;

C Manvers Main, Wath - Conisbrough High

Other routes mentioned are;

B Rotherham - Conisbrough Low. This was converted to a normal bus route and renumbered 9A
K Kilnhurst Road
S Sandhill

M&S Used letters for all trolleybus routes

Many thanks for that, Steve!

I did remember that the (green) trolleybuses used route letters but just couldn't remember what was what. Was there ever a Route A, do you know?

Mal

[lysander]

I have a picture of a single ended, double deck ,Rotherham tram heading toward Rotherham through the Wicker Arches taken in the 30s/40s ( I think) Was this route ever taken over by trolley-buses? I am old enough to remember but cant!

[steve2006]

Found a bit more info in the many Tracky books I have.
In 1969 when Yorkshire Traction took control of M&S the had 40 vehicles and the services they operated were;
Rotherham - Manor Farm
Rotherham - Rawmarsh
Rotherham - Conisbrough
Rotherham - Mexborough
Manvers - Consibrough
Mexborough - Sheffield
Conisbrough - Rawmarsh Colliery

This is information was taken from Yorkshire Traction 1902 - 1977, 75 Years of Public Service

[maltabus]

Feb 18, 2009 17:02:32 GMT thrybergh said:

I think it was the 37 to Thrybergh - Link Road also remember the 31/32/33 to Brinsworth from photos I have seen, when the main bus area in Rotherham was All Saints Square.

Out of interest which route did the route take to the Pumping Station at Eastwood, did it follow the 137 route or the 115 route?

The Trolleybus route to Thrybergh was the 6 and terminated at Park Lane. The Silverwood Colliery route was the 49 and went via Hollings Lane and not Park Lane / Vale Road as you would expect untill it became a Bus route.

Pumping Station was 13 and went via Fitzwilliam Road and if you visualise todays road network would have taken a right turn where you get 2 lanes in each direction nr Gordans Coaches then onto Mowbray St etc

[thrybergh]

Mar 2, 2009 0:56:40 GMT maltabus said:

Feb 18, 2009 17:02:32 GMT thrybergh said:

I think it was the 37 to Thrybergh - Link Road also remember the 31/32/33 to Brinsworth from photos I have seen, when the main bus area in Rotherham was All Saints Square.

Out of interest which route did the route take to the Pumping Station at Eastwood, did it follow the 137 route or the 115 route?

The Trolleybus route to Thrybergh was the 6 and terminated at Park Lane. The Silverwood Colliery route was the 49 and went via Hollings Lane and not Park Lane / Vale Road as you would expect untill it became a Bus route.

Pumping Station was 13 and went via Fitzwilliam Road and if you visualise todays road network would have taken a right turn where you get 2 lanes in each direction nr Gordans Coaches then onto Mowbray St etc

Ah yeah, it was the 6. My teacher at school had it on his background of a Trollybus on the 6 just passing Hollings Lane outside the school.

Interesting to hear the 13 went via Fitzwilliam Road, did the 6 also run via Fitzwilliam Road or did this run via Doncaster Road?

So basically the 13 was the old 137/37* route (* up to 2003). Sadly that won't be possible much longer as they are closing off Eastwood Gap to stop traffic turning there and using Eastwood Gap to bypass traffic on Fitzwilliam Road. Being on the cards for years though, along with the new 4* hotel and fast food restaurant on Fitzwilliam Road. Doubt both will happen anytime soon, especially the latter.

[maltabus]

The 6 used Fitzwilliam Road, in those days you had the 22 ( 122/124) from Ravenfield and Braithwell which ran via Doncaster Road,

[thrybergh]

Good to hear about the 6. With the 6 also running via Fitzwilliam Road, what was the point in running the 13 route. Only purpose I can see is to create a duplicate service to improve the frequency of the services when combined through Eastwood along Fitzwilliam Road. Any ideas what both these frequencies were maltabus?

Interesting about the 22 also, did this also incorporate the 123 from Bramley slightly down Flanderwell Lane and through Dalton or was route not around back then. Can only vaguely remember the 123, but can remember the 121 and 122 services better.

[maltabus]

Hi Thrybergh,

The basic use of the 13 was to take pressure off the Thrybergh svc, sometimes (after the 6 became a bus ) the 6 would wait at Mushroom Garage ( the stop the 11 & 15 use heading into town) until the 13 passed the roundabout .

In those days the 123 wasn't around and I remember on a Saturday at 1'o'clock I think there were 2 22's at the same time one to Braithwell the other Ravenfield. We used to catch one of these sometimes ( the Thrybergh only went as far as Park Lane still) as it was nearer home. Sometimes it was flustrating if the one behind was something interesting.

[thrybergh]

Thought that would have being the case Maltabus. Interesting about the two 22's to Ravenfield and Braithwell. I assume the 22's ran down Vale Road if the 6's terminated at Park Lane?

Also where abouts on Park Lane did they terminate, was it near to the top shop (Lisa and Deano's if they still own it) or further around near to Peg's shop?

[maltabus]

The Trolleybus/Bus rte 6 used to turn around at the junction with Vale Road and the starting point was outside the Parish Hall where the Bus Shelter is today. Incidentally when the buses started going up Vale Road to terminate although they turned around and waited time at Link Road, initially you couldn't get on the bus there but had to wait at the stop on Vale Road to get on. :-)