The demands on Pontypridd’s trolleybus fleet were as great during the war as on the motorbus fleet and Pontypridd applied to the Ministry of War Transport for authority to buy new trolleybuses. This was granted (in pairs) and all were on the Karrier W chassis. In order of arrival they were:
10/11 (FNY 983/4) Karrier W with Weymann UH30/26R body new 1945
12/13 (FTG 234/5) Karrier W with Park Royal UH30/26R body new 1945
14/15 (FTG 697/8) Karrier W with Roe UH30/26R body new 1946
8/9 (GNY 301/2) Karrier W with Park Royal UH30/26R body new 1946
All had BTH electrical equipment except 10/11 which were English Electric.
As with the earlier trolleybuses, these were numbered in a separate series with 8 and 9 re-using the numbers originally carried by the pre-war double-deckers which had just been withdrawn.
The first to go were the Roe-bodied pair 14/15 as a result of an approach from Walsall. These were withdrawn in December and overhauled for use as Walsall 301/302 respectively where they lasted relatively unchanged until last use in 1961 and 1962 respectively. Officially withdrawn some time after last use, both went for scrap.
The remaining trolleybuses were withdrawn on closure of the system on 31st January 1957.
10 and 11 were sold to Doncaster where they were rebodied with new Roe H34/28R bodies, entering service on 1st October 1957. Both were withdrawn in 1962, the relatively new bodies being fitted to new Daimler CVG6 chassis and numbered 170/1 (170/1 GDT). As such they lasted until 1972 (170) and 1974, 171 just surviving long enough to be withdrawn by South Yorkshire PTE.
8, 9 12 and 13 were all sold to South Shields were they underwent a certain amount of rebuilding before entering service as 236-239 respectively. All were withdrawn in 1963 and sold for scrap.
© David Beilby
