Created 8-Jan-22
Modified 8-Mar-24
These eight vehicles were ordered in 1947 for a new route to Undercliffe but in the light of increasing costs this route was never built, being operated by motorbuses instead. 752-759 (FKU 752-759) had the melancholy honour of being the last completely new trolleybuses for Bradford.
As with the preceding Roe trolleybuses, they were 8'-0" wide vehicles on BUT 9611T chassis with English Electric equipment, but this time fitted with Weymann H30/26R bodies as originally intended for 740-751. They were particularly elegant vehicles crowned by a trolley gantry concealed from view by being incorporated within the roof structure. In the mid-fifties the seating was increased to 59.
When quite young the batch, along with the Roe-bodied BUTs, moved to Saltaire depot and then spent most of their life working between Bradford Moor and Crossflatts. Also, as with the Roe-bodied examples, they were all withdrawn in 1963/1964 only for 753,757 and 758 to be returned to service again. 758 was the last of the batch in service in 1971 and remained with the Department to be on show at the end of trolleybuses in 1972.
© David Beilby
