British Trolleybuses Preserved in the UK
Part of the Trolleybuses Galore site


return to trolleybus museums

John Zebedee wrote:

A number of other transport museums around the country besides the ones mentioned on the previous page house trolleybuses as static exhibits. Many others are owned by individuals or small groups and are kept at locations which are generally not open to the public. Note that a vehicle's location does not necessarily indicate its ownership. There is some fluidity in the situation as vehicles are moved around from time to time; either for renovation at a specific location or for operation at an event at one of the working museums. The three museums mentioned previously all hold special events at various times and welcome participation of visiting vehicles.

In researching this subject, the first question that arose was not where they were but exactly how many were there? Sandtoft houses by far the most with 46. Whatever number I came up with, I am sure some people would disagree, question it, or tell me I got it all completely wrong! For a vehicle to be counted as a trolleybus it must comprise of both chassis and bodywork, even if bits have rusted away or dropped off. Electrical equipment is an optional extra! There are several chassis only in preservation and the odd body – these are not included. However, the total is now 115. Surprising isn’t it?

Several vehicles are preserved overseas, although most are in a later guise. It was not the intention to include these in the table. In addition, note that the table does not include overseas trolleybuses preserved in Britain.

Table of Preserved British Trolleybuses in the British Isles by Location

Believed to be correct at 1st January 2011

Location

No.

Fleet List

Trolleybus Museum at Sandtoft,
Belton Road, Sandtoft, Nr. Doncaster,

North Lincolnshire DN8 5SX and offsite storage at Thorpe and Westgate.

Various owners, including BTS, DO&LRS, STC, RTG and other groups and individuals.

46

Bournemouth 99; Bradford 562; 706; 743; 746; 758;
Bradford 792; 834; 845; 846* & 847; Cardiff 203;
Cleethorpes 54; Cleethorpes 59**; Derby 172 &175**;
Doncaster 375; Glasgow TB78; Hastings 57;
Huddersfield 541; 619 & 631; London 1348 & 1812;
Maidstone 56 & 72; Manchester 1344; Mexborough &
Swinton 34;Newcastle 501; Nottingham 367; 466; 493 &
506; Reading 113; 144; 174; 181 & 193. Rotherham 37 &
44*; South Shields 204; St. Helens 387; S. Yorkshire PTE
2450; Walsall 342* & Walsall 864.

* stored at Thorpe     ** stored at Westgate

East Anglia Transport Museum,
Chapel Road, Carlton Colville,
Nr. Lowestoft, Suffolk NR33 8BL and Ellough (off-site storage location).

Various owners, including EATMS, LTPS & NTA

13

Ashton Under Lyne 87; Belfast 246: Bournemouth 202 & 286; Derby 237; Hastings 34, London 260; 796; 1201; 1521; Maidstone 52: Portsmouth 313; Newcastle 628.

Black Country Living Museum,
Tipton Road, Dudley, West Midlands.

6

Bournemouth 297; Bradford 735; Teesside T291; Walsall 862; Wolverhampton 78; & 433.
Ipswich Transport Museum, Cobham Road, Ipswich, Suffolk. IP3 9JD

6

Ipswich 2; 9; 26; 46; 105 & 126
Private Ownership – Boughton, Notts.

5

Derby 224; Nottingham 502 & 578; Notts & Derby 307 & 357
Bournemouth Heritage Transport, Parkstone, Dorset

4

Bournemouth 212; Bradford 711 & 712; Notts & Derby 353
Cardiff & S. Wales Trolleybus Project, East Cardiff, South Wales.

3

Bradford 704: Cardiff 243 & 262
London Transport Museum, Acton, London

3

London 1, 1253 & 1768
Hastings Trolleybus Restoration Group, Bexhill-on-Sea, East Sussex

2

Hastings 3** & 45
Greater Manchester Transport Museum, Boyle Street, Cheetham, Manchester

2

Ashton under Lyne 80; Manchester 1250
Keighley Bus Museum, Riverside Depot, Keighley, West Yorkshire

2

Bradford 844; Keighley 5
Science Museum, Wroughton, Nr. Swindon, Wilts.

2

Brighton & Hove 6340; Ipswich 44
Tramway Museum Society Ireland, Castleruddery, Ireland

2

Bournemouth 299
Ulster Folk & Transport Museum, Cultra, Holywood, Co. Down, N.I.

2

Belfast 98 & Belfast 112
Aston Manor Road Transport Museum, Witton Lane, Birmingham B6 6QE

1

Walsall 872
B&MMOT, Wythall, N. Warwickshire

1

Wolverhampton 616
NTA Warnham, Horsham, W. Sussex

1

Belfast 168
Bradford Industrial Museum, West Yorkshire

1

Bradford 737
British Commercial Vehicle Museum, Leyland, Lancashire.

1

Bournemouth 301
Glasgow Museum of Transport

1

Glasgow TBS 13
Kirkleatham Old Hall Museum

1

Teesside 5
Hampshire Museums, storage, East Meon, Hants.

1

Portsmouth 201
National Transport Museum of Ireland Howth, Dublin, Republic of Ireland

1

Belfast 183
NMGW, Nantgarw

1

Cardiff 215
North of England Open Air Museum, Beamish, Co. Durham

1

Keighley 12
NTA Ashton, Northants

1

Wolverhampton 654

Private Ownership – Beith

1

Glasgow TBS 21
North East Aircraft Museum, Washington, Sunderland

1

Bradford 835
Rotherham Trolleybus Group, Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire

1

Rotherham 73
Private Ownership - Wath, Barnsley

1

Bradford 713
Featherstone, South Staffordshire

1

Derby 215 (Private)
Totals:          Locations 32

115

Operators 30