David Bradley Online - Trams and Trolleybuses

	`John King's Picture Album`
John King has a number of interesting pictures that he has acquired over the years and he would like to share these views with visitors to this site. In some cases the source of the pictures, and indeed their location, is unknown, so if you can help with the missing information, this would be most welcomed. Due acknowledgement is made to the unknown photographers.

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The Trolleybus Collection
Picture JK1 Between Aurelia Road and the Lombard roundabout.	Picture JK2 On Anerley Hill	Picture JK3 Hendon Depot Perhaps in July 1936 More Information
Picture JK13 This unnamed road was constructed for the diversion of traffic from the East India Dock Road at Poplar, while roadwork's were occurring in connection with Blackwall Tunnel. More Information	Picture JK4 Kingsway, North Finchley with the Gaumont cinema [now sadly demolished] behind. With the tram tracks still visible in the road, the picture must be of early/pre-war vintage, possibly on the first day of public service.	Picture JK30 London 260 turning at the Bear Inn terminus at Tilehurst whilst on tour of the Reading system in July 1967.
Picture JK11 From: "Irvine Bell" <ibell@trolleybus.net> Barnet. The RM behind the 609 must have been a Highgate [HT] Sunday or Bank Holiday only 609 working. Hence picture would have been taken between when HT closed to trolleybuses [about April 1961] and November 1961 when the 609 was converted exactly to the [then] 104 with the first RMLs. I believe some of those RMLs [880 - 903?] may still be running! It is thought that the 609 was the only London trolleybus route where diesel buses [RMs - and maybe the odd RT] were regularly rostered on a trolleybus route. From: "Phil Evans" <phil@pmevans.fsnet.co.uk> The 609 was one of only two instances where motor buses were scheduled on a London Trolleybus route [the other being Carshalton's RT operation on route 630 on Christmas Day 1959 following conversion of the 654 in April 1959, and prior to the 630's own conversion in July 1960]. HT's last trolleybuses left on 25th April 1961 when route 627 was converted; HT then rostered RMs for its Sunday/Bank Holiday workings until route 609 was converted on 7th November 1961. I am 99.9% sure no RT buses ever operated the 609, as Highgate did not operate the type until nearby Holloway [J] Garage closed in 1970 and its routes and vehicles were transferred there. As for the RMLs, most of the batch are still running, although not for much longer. Although massive Routemaster withdrawals took place in the 1980s with wide scale OPO conversions, RMLs were retained for the remaining crew routes due to their higher passenger capacity - 72 seats as opposed to 64 on the standard RM.
Picture JK9 Poplar Depot.	Picture JK10 Shepherds Bush	Picture JK18 At the junction of Abbott Road with Aberfeldy Street, Poplar. The trolleybus is heading for Poplar depot.
Picture JK29 Turning from Drew Street into Aberfeldy Street, Poplar using new wiring erected in May 1958.	Picture JK32 Tottenham Court Road. Trolleybus EXV 354 is about to turn into the Howland Street near where the post office tower is now. The Mortimer Arms on the corner of Capper Street was still there is 1975 [it may still be], but the buildings further along the road had been demolished and a new building was going up. Tottenham Court Road is now one way in the other direction to which the trolleybus is travelling.
Picture JK31 .
Some tram pictures taken in, and around, Croydon
Picture JK15 Feltham 2152 waits for the lights while the E/3 on the route 42 [adjacent picture] pulls out of Brigstock Road. The photographer had his back to the 'Fortuneef' depot entrance which was seldom penetrated by enthusiasts.	Picture JK5 E3-1909 at the bottom of Brigstock Road, Thornton Heath. From: "Henery Overall" <jumbo@htc.net> Left England for Canada in 1959. Still clearly remember the noise of the trams rounding the curves at 'Fortuneef' Pound on late rainy evenings. Timetables: Routes 16/18 Route 42
Picture JK17 From: "Terry Russell" <terry@terryrusselltrams.wanadoo.co.uk> The Southmet car is standing just short of the Crystal Palace terminus with brakes well wound on, having just ascended Anerley Hill. The tram driver and conductor rest inside the tram in this picture which was probably taken in 1934. At Crystal Palace in trolleybus days, it was not supposed to have two buses at the final stop at once. This concept was probably true in the tramway era, even though the terminal stub, approached by a facing cross-over, may have been able to accommodate two trams. If the occupant of the terminal stub was not due to leave, trams would stop in the position shown in the picture with the crew quickly off to obtain refreshment. From: "Chris Cook" <c.cook@btinternet.com> The run of boundary walls is still recognisable today. [Speculation: Maybe on a Services or Navy Day at The Crystal Palace itself? There is a poster on the rear of the tram and a sailor walking up the hill].
Picture JK26 From: "John Prentice" <john.prentice@tramways.freeserve.co.uk> High Street, Croydon sometime between 1902 and 1906. The tram is one of a batch [36-45] built for Croydon by Milnes in 1902, and which were transferred to SouthMet in 1906. The fixed wooden destinations were also of the type used 1902-1906, before which they were paper stuck on the front, after that were roller blind boxes. I cannot be sure of the photographer, but is probably C.H.Price. From Purley, alternate cars ran to Thornton Heath [up Brigstock Road] or to Norbury. The destination boards were not changed at termini indicating that specific trams were confined to one route. The intermediate place names on the destination boards were West & South Croydon. Then and Now - Two pictures separated by almost a hundred years. From: "Terry Russell" <terry@terryrusselltrams.wanadoo.co.uk> Once the LCC linked up with CCT, there was probably insufficient traffic for 3 routes to Purley. The Thornton Heath and Norbury termini to Purley service was the equivalent to the 16 & 18 intensity. The 2 was introduced when the CCT E/1's were obtained to differentiate from the 16/18 cars in the town. Prior to that there were no route numbers.
Picture JK25 North End, Croydon A much photographed position by the Alms Houses. The overhead wiring and track work swinging to the right was only used for depot runs to feed vehicles onto the Addiscombe branch which terminated just round the corner in George Street.		Picture JK29 London Road c1898. The pub on the right with the ladder leaning up the wall is the Rising Sun. It was still there, at 304 London Road, in 1996.
Then and Now Picture JK8 Croydon Corporation Tramways car #6 in George Street on the Addiscombe branch in early days. The service was discontinued on 28 March 1927 to avoid prohibitively expensive track work refurbishment. Trolleybuses were considered as a replacement service but the funds available were used instead to order new trams for working the extended routes into London.		Picture JK12 High Street Penge, Looking towards Thicket Road. The entrance to Penge West Railway Station is seen on the left.
A couple of pre-war pictures at the Aquarium Terminus, Brighton
Picture JK6 Taken at the Aquarium, Old Steine terminus by a local newspaper [The Evening Argus] photographer. Trolleybus services started on 1 May 1939 on Service 48 [Aquarium, Old Steine - Barracks, Lewes Road]. #29 [FUF 29] is seen in the background on this service. Tram services ended on the night of 31 August 1939. Tram #68 is caught on one of the last services [Q] to Queen's Park Road. In the foreground, #36 [FUF 36] is seen on the short lived circular service route 40. This operated only from 17 July 1939 until 31 August 1939, narrowing down the time frame when this photograph could have been taken. It is a delightful picture of times long gone.		Picture JK7 Seen at the Aquarium terminus are Tram #25 on the Ditchling Road Route 'D' and Brighton Corporation Trolleybus #5 on Route 48 [previously Tram Route 'L'] bound for Lewes Road. More Pictures in the Brighton Picture Gallery Memories of trams.

Acknowledgements to "Hugh Taylor" <isleworthdepot@trolleybus.net> and
"Andrew Henbest" <andelin.mch@virgin.net> for additional caption and routing information.