Subject: Portsmouth C. T. 21 (RV 6379)
Chassis: AEC 661T
Body: English Electric H26/24R
Location: Preston, Dick, Kerr Works
Date: 1935

A rear view of 21 as built, showing plenty of interesting detail, not least the signwritten advert for Simonds ales. The display arrangement can be seen well, wirth the blind above the platform on the nearside, two blinds at the rear and an offside display visible through the platform.

The trolley booms are fitted at this stage with trolley wheels - it was only from 1939 that carbon skids started to be used.

21 was renumbered 221 in 1938 and, like the rest of the batch, stored during the war as it was considered that the lack of traction batteries could prove a hindrance in the event of damaged wiring due to bombing - this also coincided with a period of reduced demand such that there was a surplus of trolleybuses. It returned to service in Aug-1944 and was withdrawn in Nov-1950, but not broken up until 1955/56.

Photograph from the GEC archive