Trolleybuses in Brighton

The Brighton trolleybus system formerly served the town of Brighton, East Sussex, England. Opened on 1 May 1939 (1939-05-01),[1][2] it gradually replaced the Brighton Corporation Tramways network.

This article is about the former trolleybus network in Brighton, England. For the former trolleybus routes in Brighton, Boston, Massachusetts, see Trolleybuses in Greater Boston § History.
Brighton trolleybus system
Model of former Brighton trolleybus no 51, in Maidstone system livery.
Operation
LocaleBrighton, East Sussex, England
Open1 May 1939 (1939-05-01)
Close30 June 1961 (1961-06-30)
StatusClosed
Routes9
Operator(s)Brighton Corporation Transport
(1939–1961)
Brighton, Hove & District Omnibus Co. Ltd.
(1945–1961)
Infrastructure
Electrification(?) V DC parallel overhead lines
Stock52 (maximum) (BCT)
11 (B,H&D)

By the standards of the various now defunct trolleybus systems in the United Kingdom, the Brighton system was a moderately sized one, with a total of nine routes.[1] It was also unusual, in that it had two operators.

The main operator of the system was Brighton Corporation Transport, which owned the wires, and at its peak had a fleet of 52 trolleybuses. The other operator, Brighton, Hove & District Omnibus Co. Ltd., introduced a fleet of eight trolleybuses to the system on 1 January 1945 (1945-01-01) with three more following later, and ran them on four of the system's routes.[1] The whole system was closed relatively early, on 30 June 1961 (1961-06-30).[1][2]

Two of the former Brighton trolleybuses are now preserved. One is at the Science Museum annexe at Swindon, and the other is at the East Anglia Transport Museum, Carlton Colville, Suffolk.[3] The latter vehicle, no 52, is preserved in the livery of Maidstone Corporation, which acquired it and used it on the Maidstone trolleybus system, following the closure of the Brighton system.[4]

See also

References

Notes
  1. Short, Peter. "Former UK systems". British Trolleybus Society website. Retrieved 9 April 2011.
  2. Bruce, Ashley. "British Trolleybus Systems". British Trolleybuses website. Retrieved 9 April 2011.
  3. Zebedee, John (30 November 2010). "A List of Preserved Trolleybuses in the UK". British Trolleybus Society website. Retrieved 9 April 2011.
  4. Piatt, AJ (2011). "The Online Fleet List – fleet no 52". Brighton Corporation Transport fan website. Retrieved 9 April 2011.

Further reading
  • Henbest, Andrew (2005). Brighton Trolleybuses. Midhurst, West Sussex, UK: Middleton Press. ISBN 978-1-904474-34-0.
  • Kaye, David (1967). The Trolleybuses of Brighton and Hove. Hastings, East Sussex, UK: Reading Transport Society. OCLC 155923514.
  • Kraemer-Johnson, Glyn; Bishop, John (2007). Trolleybus Memories Brighton. Hersham, Surrey, UK: Ian Allan Publishing. ISBN 978-0-7110-3199-9.
  • Roberts, John (1984). British Bus & Trolleybus Systems: Brighton Hove & District. Glossop, Derbyshire, UK: Transport Publishing Company. ISBN 0-86317-109-5.

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