Arms of the County Borough of Bournemouth 'Beautiful and good for your health' Bournemouth
Picture Gallery
Test line started on 13 May 1933
and remained until official start of service
Service introduced on 22 June 1934 - Ceased on 19 April 1969

red line

Click on any thumbnail for a larger image but wait until all thumbnails have downloaded

25
Picture 25
Entering the Dolphin Inn yard, Christchurch [turntable] terminus of service 21		 27
Picture 27
Christchurch terminus. Note the small triangular windows in the foremost upper-saloon side windows		 26
Picture 26
Outbound service 23 to Tuckton Bridge crossing the junction with Holdenhurst Road at the Lansdowne roundabout		 28
Picture 28
Outbound service 21 Belle Vue Road at Southbourne Cross Roads [frog to the Southbourne turning circle is evident above the trolleybus]
29
Picture 29
Inbound service 38 in Boscombe High Street		 31
Picture 31
Avenue Road, Bournemouth Square boarding points for Richmond Hill services		 33
Picture 33
Inbound service 21 crossing Tuckton Bridge [from Christchurch into the County Borough of Bournemouth]		 34
Picture 34
Inbound service 35 to the Triangle at the bottom of Richmond Hill, Bournemouth Square crossing the western most end of Gervis Place
40
Picture 40
Outbound service 21 in Belle Vue Road, Southbourne		 39
Picture 39
Western most end of the Avenue Road boarding points and parking area, with Fairlight Glen BCT offices and canteen at rear		 32
Picture 32
Inbound service 20 at Stour Road junction Christchurch [just south of Christchurch Station] turning from Stour Road into Barrack Road		 36
Picture 36
Southcote Road Depot. An enthusiasts tour prepares to leave heading west towards Holdenhurst Road
Picture PL1 Trolleybus Turnable at Christchurch Picture PL2 Trolleybus Turnable at Christchurch Picture PL3 Trolleybus Turnable at Christchurch Manufacturer's Plate Picture PL4 Blue Plaque for Trolleybus Turnable at Christchurch
Pictures PL1, PL2, PL3 and PL4
From: "Patrick Linsley" <cyberbia@ntlworld.com>
The old trolleybus turntable that was at Christchurch in Hampshire [now Dorset], as featured in some pictures on this page, is still in existence in its original location behind Christchurch Jobcentre.

As a child I used to be taken by my mum and dad to Christchurch and we used to watch the mustard yellow with chocolate brown stripe Bournemouth Corporation Trolleybuses being turned on the turntable. Every now and then the bus driver would allow us to help him turn the trolley bus itself; a great bit of fun!

A couple of weeks ago I was over at Christchurch Jobcentre, doing a H&S inspection, when I came across a blue plaque, shown in picture PL4, regarding the former Bournemouth Corporation Transport trolleybus turntable.

The entrance to the courtyard is now via a new entrance protected by electronically operated gates making public access to the turntable difficult, however part of the turntable is just visible through these gates. The white car seen in two of the pictures is situated on the former trolleybus entrance.

From: "George Moon" <GeorgeM308@aol.com>
I've only just found the pages of Bournemouth trolleybuses when browsing through the 260 on tour in Bournemouth page. I can tell you a true story about Christchurch Turntable.

When the site was to be redeveloped, we in the LTPS thought the turntable would be just the thing for the proposed Woodside trolleybus terminus, being a dead-end. So we contacted Bournemouth Corporation and made an offer, quite a good one we thought, at 1970's prices, for the turntable as it lay.

Bournemouth Corporation must have thought they were onto a good thing here, because they replied that it would have to go out to competitive tender. Meanwhile we had made some enquiries about the cost of removal and transport which proved [again by the prices of the day] quite beyond our reach. So we declined to tender, the Corporation didn't get its money and the turntable is still there and not at Carlton Colville. Of such chances is history made.

From: "Wilf Greaves" <wilf@santapola.fsnet.co.uk>
I would just like to say how much I enjoyed your Picture gallery of Bournemouth trolleybuses it brought back many happy memories of my childhood and my many holidays in Bournemouth in the 1950's and 60's. I am now 60 years old and live in Blackpool we have the trams but I still have a soft spot for the Bournemouth trolleybus.

From: "Tony Legg" <julton@ntlworld.com>
Have just found your most welcome site of the old trolleys we remember so well.

I looked at photo 39 for a while, as I believe the single Decker Bedford was fleet number 13 with Reg plate FEL 213. When this was retired and sold off, three members of the Poole & District Model Railway Society saved and Preserved this along with FEL 215 No. 15.

Messer's John Mackley, Paul Davis and Alan Fall saved 13 first, around 1966, restoring the yellow livery and overhauling the engine at Berkeley Avenue Parkstone. There were many long distant runs out, visits to, and taking part in, various Rallies, including the Longmoor Railway closure.

No. 15 became available in 1966 but in this case retired from the Civil Defence Corps as they were disbanding the cause. I believe these same three bought 15 and maintained her in her C.D. all over green livery.

In 1967, an epic Snowdonia 'holiday' was arranged when for £55 each we, 21, members ventured to Oswestry, FFestiniog, Welshpool, Snowden and all the associated early narrow gauge lines. Both busses were taken for catering, luggage and sleeping in the comfy seats in situ. We stayed at camp sites and ending the two weeks at a rally at Camerton near Bath arriving at 03.30 hrs after driving down from Talyllyn.

Those old buses still had then reliable engines but needed treating gently. After 1972 I've never heard any more of them. Hope this is of interest as it goes towards a little of it's history of its life.

Acknowledgements to "David Bowler" <dt.bowler@bluewin.ch> for caption and routing information.

The next group of pictures were taken by Ian Banks
"Ian Banks" <ian.banks1@googlemail.com>
Visit Ian Banks web site

The Square
Picture IB1
The Square, Old Christchurch Roads in the background, with an H&D bus visible.		 At the Pier
Picture IB2
At the Pier. The stand was where the passing loop in the overhead was.		 Christchurch Turntable
Picture IB3
Christchurch Turntable		 Christchurch Turntable
Picture IB4
Christchurch Turntable
Mallard Road Depot Mallard Road Depot
Pictures IB5 and IB6
Some where 'round the back' of Mallard Road Depot. There was a circle of wiring all round the building, used for moving and testing vehicles and the occasional enthusiasts' circular 'crank'.		 IB7
Picture IB7
...		 IB8
Picture IB8
...
IB9
Picture IB9
Tuckton Bridge, unmistakable with the flying buttresses [in architectural terms] to the traction standards.		 IB10
Picture IB10
...		 IB11
Picture IB11
...
IB12
Picture IB12
...		 IB13 IB14
Pictures IB13 and IB14
...

A further selection of Bournemouth trolleybus pictures can be found on the
Scottish Tramway and Transport Society web site

Seen in Bournemouth on closure day

Rotherham Corporation Tower Wagon CET440 Picture IB15   Photographed by: "Ian Banks" <ian.banks1@googlemail.com>
Additional notes written by: "M J Russell" <mjrussell174@supanet.com>

Tower Wagon CET440. Originally owned by Rotherham Corporation, having been converted from a former single-deck bus, it was used by them until closure of their own trolleybus system in October 1965.


It was then sold to the Maypine Trolleybus Company [operators of the miniature passenger carrying model of Reading 182], who used it for towing various trolleybuses up and down the country in the UK between then and the end of British operation in 1972. Its visit to Bournemouth on the occasion of the closure was in connection with the towing of preserved vehicles used in the closure ceremonies, though by then its long-distance towing duties had been largely taken over by an ex-Shellmex Scammell tractor unit, GGU 264.

During the 1970's, CET440 was sold and its present where whereabouts are unknown. It was thought to have gone to a preservationist somewhere in the north-west. The DVLA website shows CET 440 as registered until 1 March 2006, but the present owner details are withheld.

The Preserved Scene for Bournemouth Trolleybuses

Vehicle Owner Generally found at: No. Registration Picture
British Trolleybus Society

Web Site		 Sandtoft Transport Centre Logo
[Vehicle re-numbered 212 in the mid-50's]		 99 ALJ 973 Bournemouth 99
National Trolleybus Association

Web Site		 East Anglia Transport Museum Logo 202 ALJ 986 Bournemouth Trolleybus #202
Bournemouth Museums and the Bournemouth Passenger Transport Association [BPTA] Former industrial unit at Newtown, Poole 212 KLJ 346 Picture Sought - Can anyone help to fill this gap?
London Trolleybus Preservation Society East Anglia Transport Museum Logo 286 YLJ 286 Bournemouth 286
Bournemouth Museums and the Bournemouth Passenger Transport Association [BPTA] Former industrial unit at Newtown, Poole

More Information		 297 297 LJ Bournemouth 297
Irish Transport Museum Society National Transport Museum [Ireland] Logo 299 299 LJ Picture Sought - Can anyone help to fill this gap?
Bournemouth Museums and the Bournemouth Passenger Transport Association [BPTA] Former industrial unit at Newtown, Poole

More Information		 301 301 LJ Bournemouth 301

Well, worth a picture surely?

30 Picture 30
Open top Guy Arab heading west along East Overcliff Drive [between Boscombe Pier and Bournemouth Pier]

Available Models

Bournemouth Trolleybus Model
To purchase this model please go to:
Wicor Models Original Omnibus Company