Created 8-Jan-22
Modified 8-Mar-24
The Llanelly & District Electric Supply Company was owned by Balfour Beatty, as was Notts & Derby. However, whilst Notts & Derby became part of the British Transport Commission on nationalisation, the Llanelly company was vested into the ownership of the South Wales Electricity Board in 1948 due to its principal business being that of electricity supply. This slightly awkward situation was to continue until 22nd March 1952 when ownership was transferred to South Wales Transport, this company having already put in place plans to abandon the trolleybus system which resulted in the last trolleybuses running on 8th November 1952.
Two of Llanelly's twelve Karrier Ws were sold to Maidstone Corporation but the rest were towed to the South Wales workshops at Ravenhill, Swansea where the bodies were removed and broken up. They were sold as chassis to Bradford (along with a quantity of spares) and shipped by rail to the city in December 1952 and January 1953. The vehicles when in the Llanelly fleet had been:
37-38 (CBX 530-531) Karrier W with BTH electrical equipment and Roe UH30/26R bodies
41-42 (CBX 600-601) Karrier W with BTH electrical equipment and Brush UH30/26R bodies
43-48 (CBX 909-914) Karrier W with Metrovick electrical equipment and Park Royal UH30/26R bodies
Bradford numbered them 775-784 in the order shown. The chassis spent quite some time in storage but were eventually refurbished, including fitting 8'-0" wide front axles in readiness for the new East Lancs H35/28R bodies of that width. They eventually entered service in February and March 1956.
779 was an early withdrawal, in 1966, with the rest being withdrawn gradually until the last three survivors (776, 777 and 782) last ran on 30th June 1971 with the abandonment of the Saltaire and Greengates services.
© David Beilby
