Origins of the Trolley bus System
By the mid-1930s the new Cleadon Park housing estate was spreading ever eastwards towards Marsden. The western side of the estate was served by the Ridgeway tram service but the eastern side lacked a bus service. A new Transport Manager reviewed the comparative costs of trams, trolleys and buses to serve the newer parts of the estate and settled on a new trolley bus route to run from the Market – Laygate – Chichester – Mortimer Road – King George Road – Prince Edward Road – Freemantle Road where a turning circle was provided, at a cost of £14,500.
The South Shields Transport Bill was passed in August 1935 and gave the Corporation powers to abandon the tramways and construct no less than 13 trolley bus routes. The first trolley bus was driven ceremonially by the mayor on 12 October 1936 from the Market and the public service commenced after the ceremony. The service operated by 4 buses was an instant success.
Trolleys Replace the Trams
It was never the intention to replace the trams immediately but the state of the track in Stanhope Road brought about a premature end to the towns figure of eight tram service when comparative prices showed that converting the route to trolley bus operation including the cost of the buses would be cheaper than replacing the tram track.
The new service from the Market to Stanhope Road commenced on 3rd May 1937, and the other service had been extended to Marsden Bar via the Marsden Inn the previous day. The decision was then taken to replace the remaining town services but to retain the trams on the Ridgeway service and along Ocean Road to cover busy holiday traffic. Final conversion of the town service took place on 14 April 1938 which saw the end of the town tram services.
Two more extensions to the system were made before the outbreak of war, when Sea Road and the Coast Road were wired from the Pier Head to Marsden Bay, and at the Marsden end the service was extended to the Marsden Grotto. Services along the Coast Road commenced in July 1938.
New Routes and Proposed Routes
With the shortage of fuel during the war, trams and trolley buses were a godsend as they were powered by electricity produced from an abundant supply of local coal. Motor buses were only used where absolutely necessary and as the trolley buses did not serve the shipyards, motor buses had to be used despite the fuel shortages. Some of the single decker motor buses were even converted to run on coal gas which was carried in huge bags on the roof of the bus. So in 1942 the trolley network was extended to run from Tyne Dock to the Market along Commercial Road and from Laygate to High Shields. At the same time, Centenary Avenue was wired from Prince Edward Road to Horsley Hill to give greater cover to more new housing.
After the war, trolley buses were seen as the way forward and there was a remarkable number of proposed new routes. Those that came to fruition were the alternative route to Marsden along Horsley Hill Road – Horsley Hill and Marsden Road to the Marsden Inn. Finally, was another new route to run from the Lawe to the Ridgeway replacing the trams which were by now in need of replacing. This service was planned to run up Lawe Road and use the roundabout by the Beacons as a turning circle but local residents objected to the unsightly traction poles.
Of the many other proposed trolley routes that were given serious consideration were, Boldon Lane, Harton Lane, Prince Edward Road, Sunderland Road, Marsden Road, Mowbray Road, Tadema Road, Cheviot Road, Chichester Road and the remainder of Dean Road. Unfortunately, despite this foresighted policy that would have created a modern extensive transport system, it never came about for a number of reasons. These included objections from rival operators such as Northern and the Economic services, objections regarding the wiring and traction poles. The plans were to operate an integrated service and without being able to operate the system as a whole, a fragmented service would not have worked or been economical.
Some Interesting Facts
By 1950 the system had reached its peak with a total route mileage of just over 31 miles and with 67 trolley buses. By the mid 1950s the fares were either 2d or 3d and the maximum fare was 4d and that would take you from Tyne Dock to Marsden via the Coast Road. A child’s fare was ½ d.
During the war three trolley buses were severely damaged yet war time circumstances meant that they were rebuilt. To accommodate shortages, the Corporation borrowed trolleys from Bournemouth and Bradford. They later purchased redundant trolleys from Pontypridd (with the wooden seats upstairs) and the more modern trolleys from St Helens (This bus is 8′ wide). As a war time emergency, it also acquired a single decker trolley which it retained after the war and ran it on the Coast Road route. This was the only single decker trolley bus ever to run in the UK.
The South Shields trolley bus network also possessed the only Grand Union Junction of overhead in the UK. It connected King Street, Mile End Road, Ocean Road and Fowler Street which meant that the bus had access to all four roads from any of the four roads. The running wire and supporting wiring weighed 20 tons and was suspended from specially reinforced traction poles.
At the Lawe, as there was no turning circle, the system had a reverser where buses coming out of Fort Street ran on to the wrong side of Lawe Road, and then reversed before running forward back into Fort Street.
On 24 November 1962 a newly qualified driver on his first shift lost control of the bus in Marsden Lane just down from the Marsden Inn. The bus mounted the pavement and overturned onto the road. Fortunately, none of the ten passengers and crew was hurt but the bus number 245 was a write off and was scrapped.
All Weather Buses
The trolleys never seemed to be disrupted by weather as some of the attached photos show. In February 1959 work commenced on the modernisation of the Dean Road Depot at a cost of £40,000. During the works, some 40 trolley buses had to be parked along King George Road between the Ridgeway and Prince Edward Road every night. For all it was work on the motor bus depot, it was considered that the trolleys would be less affected by the weather.
The End
On the 10 February 1958, the first trolley bus abandonment took place and motor buses took over the number 10 service along the Coast Road and the wiring was removed from the New Crown to the Marsden Inn although the wires were kept in place from the Pier Head as far as the New Crown for summer services and the Flower Show.
By 1960 the overhead wiring had seen better days and dewiring was becoming common place. The Ministry of Transport placed a 20 MPH speed restriction on the whole system following an inspection.
The next service to be abandoned by the trolleys was the number 5 service from the Lawe to the Ridgeway, this in October 1961. Next to go were the services serving Marsden and Horsley Hill on 1st May 1963 when these were replaced by motor buses. The stage was now set for the final abandonment of the trolley bus system as more motor buses came on service
The end was rather sad for the enthusiast or the romantic. On 29 April 1964 only three trolley buses were in service and at 1051 pm trolley bus number 260 departed from the Pier Head on service 1 for Stanhope Road and entered the depot at 1117 pm. The next day the current was simply not switched on. There were only just enough motor buses to maintain the service. Had anything untoward happened that rendered a motor bus inoperative, trolley buses would have returned to service. Sadly, this wasn’t to be as more new buses were delivered. So no farewell ceremony and not even a mention in the Gazette.
By 1964 there was no market for second hand trolley buses and all were sent to breakers yards for scrapping. Amazingly, two of the ex St Helens trolley buses were still intact in 1969 at a Jarrow scrap yard but alas did not survive.
The One that Got Away
In February 1962 the founder of Reading Transport Society approached the Council and enquired about purchasing a trolley bus. The Council decided to make a gift of the bus as long as the museum arranged transport. The original bus number 200 was selected but due to damage caused by a collision in the depot, number 204 was selected instead.
The Reading Transport Society later became the British Trolleybus Society and relocated to Sandoft in North Lincolnshire. There, number 204 languished for many years and fell into decay. However, she was rescued and rebuilt and is now a regular runner at the museum. She was even brought back to South Shields to the depot to mark some anniversary in the town’s transport system. But today, she is in fine form and still running.
PHOTOS
1 – 12 October 1936 and the first trolley bus was driven ceremonially by the mayor on from the Market.
2 – Crowds turned out to watch the opening ceremony of the new trolley bus service as Councillor Hill drives away
3 – A unique photo taken from the balcony of a tram. Trolley bus 225 has pulled onto the pavement to allow the tram to pass. The bus is at Westoe during the official Ministry of Transport inspection of this part of the route in April 1938.
4 – Number 211 Karrier E4 of 1937 drives along King Street with Barclays Bank and the Golden Lion in the background.
5 – Number 227 Karrier E4 at the top of Stanhope Road ready to proceed to the Pier Head via Westoe.
6 – Number 203 one of the original batch of four Karrier E4 trolleys in the south east corner of the Market Place. This is just a little further back from photo number 2 but after the war damage. River Drive originally ran into that corner of the Market Place.
7 – Two of the three trolley buses that were destroyed during the incendiary raids of 2 October 1941 in the Market Place outside the Tram Inn. Both of these of necessity had to be rebuilt locally.
8 – Number 236 was acquired from Bournemouth in January 1942, along with other trolleys from other transport systems. It was the only single decker bus to run in the UK. It ran along the Coast Road for much of its time in Shields.
9 – After the war the system was expanded and this picture shows a number 12 trolley just leaving Horsley Hill Square.
10 – Modern looking Karrier W4 and F4 numbers 265 and 260 at Marsden in Prince Edward Road on the number 11 service to the Market via Mortimer Road. Number 260 ran the final service in the town in April 1964.
11 – An unusually grubby looking ex St Helens trolley in Marsden Road opposite the Marsden Inn bound for the Markey via the stadium.
12 – Number 252 passing under the Rattler Bridge in Redwell Lane. You can see the dip in the road where the road had to be lowered to allow trolleys to pass under. Note also the Economic bus behind it, the police box and Minchella’s kiosk.
13 – Number 252 has just arrived at the Grotto having travelled from Tyne Dock via the Coast Road. The turning circle at the Grotto (which is still there) was tight for a trolley and the trolley booms frequently came off here as in the photo.
14 – In 1946 the trolleys were extended up Mile End Road to the Lawe and the unique (in the UK) Grand Union Junction was constructed. It was a favourite place for the trolley booms to become disengaged from the wires.
15 – Number 251 has just turned into the wrong side of Lawe Road and reversed back down so that it can cross over and turn into Fort Street.
16 – A very smartly dressed conductor has just set the frogs on the overhead so that number 217 can cross over into Fort Street .
17 – A smart looking number 259 at the Lawe Top terminus about to tackle the reverser. The driver has already reset his destination indicator.
18 – Number 241 at the Ridgeway terminus showing the central reservation around which the trolley will turn which was once the reserved tram track. Once again the driver has already changed his destination indicator.
19 – In 1953 after years of austerity, the town was provided with the opportunity to decorate one of the trolleys to celebrate the Coronation. Number 231 seen here at the Chi depot, was beautifully turned out and was a popular attraction.
20 – Unlike some of the old pre war trolley buses, these modern Sunbeams built in 1950 do actually look quite modern. You can make out the springs on the trolley poles that held them up against the wires.
21 – Post war number 226 at the top of Stanhope Road with passengers doing what passengers did.
22 – Ex St Helens number 203 in a quiet Stanhope Road with a confusing destination indicator.
23 – Ex St Helens number 205 in Westoe Lane by St Michael’s church.
24 – Number 257 at the terminus at Tyne Dock just having arrived as service number 2. It will ow make its way up Hudson Street to Stanhope Road before heading back down to the Pier Head.
25 – Ordered chaos in the Market as buses vie to get past parked vehicles. Final bus to be delivered number 270 is bound for Marsden via the Stadium where in fact the circus in those days would have been held.
26 – Ex St Helens number 209 by St Hilda’s church bound for Stanhope Road. The picture shows the arrangements for the power supply to the overhead.
27 – Ex St Helens number 201 at the Pier Head. Note the old building that was the ladies toilet.
28 – A lovely atmospheric and nostalgic photo showing number 208 stopped outside of the site of the old Empire theatre in Mile End Road and of course Smiths and the Gaumont.
29 – Pre-war Karrier E4 number 226 posing at the Dean Road Depot. Yes, there was a service number 9 – it was a workman’s service that ran from The Lawe to Tyne Dock.
30 – A row of trolley parked up on King George Road in 1959 while the Dean Road depot was being rebuilt. Up to 40 would have been parked up by the time the day’s service ended.
31 – Trolley Buses – No Electricity – No go. This was about the only thing that prevented a trolley bus from running. In this picture the wires can be seen to be down by the tower wagon just down from the Westoe Bridges.
32 –Trolley bus number 210 was delivered in 1937/38.
33 – Trolley bus number 270 was delivered in 1950 the photo shows 3 lads jumping off the bus probably after work.
34 – The turning circle at the Pier Head on snowy condition in the winter of 1963.
35 – Even a flooded Ocean Road couldn’t stop the trolleys.
36 – Number 245 in happier times in the Market bound for Marsden via the Stadium. A later trip on the same route would be its final trip.
37 – A sad end to 245 which on the evening of Saturday 24 November 1962, mounted the pavement and hit a trolley pole before toppling over. The bus received extensive frontal damage, an axle was torn away.
38 – 245 On Its Side – the trolley blocked the road after it had crashed onto its side. Heavy lifting gear had to be hired in to right the vehicle which was a “write off” and was towed away for scrapping.
39 – And Finally – number 260 was the very last one to run on 29 April 1964 from Stanhope Road to Chi, entering the Depot at 11.17pm. The next day, the current was simply not switched on. Seen here in Prince Edward Road.
40 – Final Line Up – May 1964 with the batch of trolley buses that provided the final days of trolley bus operation in South Shields. They have had their front panels removed to access their towing points, but note how clean they were even in retirement.
41 – Into Preservation – number 204 was preserved by the Reading Transport Society, later renamed the British Transport Society. Little is known about its time there, but it ended up at the Trolley Bus Museum at Sandtoft
42 – Number 204 languished at Sandtoft for many years in a seemingly uncared for condition. However, eventually preservationists brought her back to full working order and she is a regular runner at Sandtoft.
43 – Number 204 at its worst stage of disrepair at Sandtoft.
44 – 204 returns to Shields having brought 204 back to full working order and she is a regular runner at Sandtoft. She was even brought back to Shields on a low loader to be photographed in the depot with other vintage Shields buses.
Written by Les Snaith based on The Trolley Buses of South Shields by G Burrows and is recommended for further reading.
Photos:
South Tyneside Libraries
Sunderland Antiquarian Society