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These galleries illustrate the buses and trams bought by Bolton Corporation. Tram operation started on the first day of 1900 and buses started early as well, with a steam bus operating from 1904. Trolleybuses came to Bolton in the form of the South Lancashire route from Leigh, however Bolton’s involvement was limited to paying for four vehicles which they owned but their only involvement with them came at disposal.

The last trams finished in 1947 and the section of trolleybus route in Bolton was abandoned in 1956, following which motorbuses had the field to themselves. Ralph Bennett’s arrival as General Manager in 1960 heralded an era of innovation with a new livery and more stylish buses. He moved to Manchester in 1965 and then to London, rising to become Chairman of the London Transport Executive from 1978 to 1980 but left a lasting legacy in Bolton. The town’s fleet became part of SELNEC from 1st November 1969.

The theme used for the galleries is based on the traditional Bolton bus livery used after the war (prewar vehicles had carried a maroon and red livery). This was replaced briefly by a red and cream livery before a return to the old colours in a revised layout using a lot more cream and, for modern vehicles, a new style of fleet name. The coat-of-arms used in the galleries is the pre-1958 version - in that year further grant of supporters and heraldic badge was received and the new emblem was therefore larger.