Created 4-May-20
This gallery gives an account of the history of the small Pontypridd Urban District Council trolleybus system. It concentrates solely on the trolleybuses and the route they operated. All the material also appears in the main Pontypridd/Taff-Ely gallery but is also shown here separately for those specifically interested in trolleybuses.
The Council-owned electric tramway started operation in March 1905 but the main route from Cilfynydd to Treforest was converted to trolleybus operation and officially opened on 18th September 1930. For a short while to maintain capacity the trams remained and even motorbuses were used giving a very unusual instance of a route being operated by all three forms of traction at the same time. The last tram ran about February 1931 but supplementary motorbus operation remained a feature of the trolleybus service.
Trolleybus operation continued until 31st January 1957 after which motorbuses were used exclusively. The abandonment happened at quite short notice (and with little publicity), driven mainly by road alterations at Cilfynydd. The lack of publicity was due to all remaining trolleybuses having already been sold to other operators and a wish to avoid souvenir hunters.
The initial fleet was formed of seven single-deckers built by English Electric. These had technical issues early on and required significant remedial work from the manufacturer before settling down to a steady, but slow, existence. They were supplemented by two secondhand, but almost new, double-deck trolleybuses. During the war trolleybuses were hired from Portsmouth and Kingston-upon-Hull to meet high demand, these in turn being replaced by eight Karrier W double-deckers which became the postwar fleet.
Almost all Pontypridd's trolleybuses, by a quirk of fate, were sold for further service and this aspect is also covered in the vehicle galleries.
The full story of Pontypridd trolleybus is told in David Bowler's detailed book on the subject, published by Adam Gordon in 2014.
The Council-owned electric tramway started operation in March 1905 but the main route from Cilfynydd to Treforest was converted to trolleybus operation and officially opened on 18th September 1930. For a short while to maintain capacity the trams remained and even motorbuses were used giving a very unusual instance of a route being operated by all three forms of traction at the same time. The last tram ran about February 1931 but supplementary motorbus operation remained a feature of the trolleybus service.
Trolleybus operation continued until 31st January 1957 after which motorbuses were used exclusively. The abandonment happened at quite short notice (and with little publicity), driven mainly by road alterations at Cilfynydd. The lack of publicity was due to all remaining trolleybuses having already been sold to other operators and a wish to avoid souvenir hunters.
The initial fleet was formed of seven single-deckers built by English Electric. These had technical issues early on and required significant remedial work from the manufacturer before settling down to a steady, but slow, existence. They were supplemented by two secondhand, but almost new, double-deck trolleybuses. During the war trolleybuses were hired from Portsmouth and Kingston-upon-Hull to meet high demand, these in turn being replaced by eight Karrier W double-deckers which became the postwar fleet.
Almost all Pontypridd's trolleybuses, by a quirk of fate, were sold for further service and this aspect is also covered in the vehicle galleries.
The full story of Pontypridd trolleybus is told in David Bowler's detailed book on the subject, published by Adam Gordon in 2014.
English Electric trolleybuses
Visitors 73
8 photos
Created 11-Jun-24
Modified 11-Jun-24
Pre-war double-deck trolleybuses
Visitors 62
3 photos
Created 11-Jun-24
Modified 11-Jun-24
Karrier trolleybuses
Visitors 68
25 photos
Created 11-Jun-24
Modified 11-Jun-24
The route: Cilfynydd to Treforest
Visitors 63
18 photos
Created 11-Jun-24
Modified 11-Jun-24
© David Beilby