Bradford City Transport trolleybus - Nov 1971 (197 BB)

It was 50 years ago (March 1972) that the last trolleybuses ran in normal everyday service in Bradford, the last urban trolleybus system in the United Kingdom. Normal scheduled services ended after operation on Friday 24 March 1972 which was followed by a weekend of special commemorative tours with the final runs being made on Sunday 26 March 1972.

Some of the vehicles bought new by BCT in the late 1940s were re-bodied by East Lancs in 1959-1960 as forward entrance vehicles. As other trolleybus systems closed during the 1960s BCT bought a number of redundant vehicles from the former operators together with the electrical equipment and other infrastructure. Some of the acquired vehicles were refurbished and re-bodied by East Lancs with similar forward entrance bodywork.

Unfortunately, I can’t identify the actual vehicle or the destination display in this very poor quality colour photograph nor can I recall where it was. The lay-by and overhead leads me to believe it is the Duckworth Lane turning loop (at Squire Lane) used by service 8.

November 1971