Portsmouth Picture Gallery
Service introduced on 4 August 1934 - Ceased on 27 July 1963

This Guest Gallery has been built with pictures from the collections of
Timothy Runnacles, Hugh Taylor and Geoff Lumb

Memories Stirred     A Bog Standard Trolleybus

red line

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

No.246 at The Hard
Picture TR1
The Hard
No.246 on its last day in service, Saturday 22 June 1963.
Fratton Bridge Overhead Picture TR2
The wiring layout at Fratton Bridge on
23 September 1962, before it was simplified.
Definitely not a picture for the faint-hearted or sensitive aesthetes!
Cosham
Picture TR3
No.307 at the most northerly point on the system [Cosham] on Sunday 30 December 1962, after 14 inches [355mm] of snowfall.
Guildhall Square
Picture TR4
No.304 crossing Guildhall Square 1 January 1963 after another 115mm of snow had fallen.
Last U Turn
Picture TR5
No.233 is making the U-turn, but this was rather special, as Friday 21 June 1963 was the last time any trolleybus would turn here, as the 17/18 service would come off the following day, and with it, trolleybus No.233.
Park Road
Picture TR6
The U-turn completed, No.233 is now stuck in traffic at the junction of Park Road and Guildhall Square. [Friday 21 June 1963].
Park Road 2
Picture TR7
No.233 and No.300 in Park Road near the Guildhall on the gloomy Wednesday 13 February 1963. No.233 is overtaking No.300, which has dropped its booms to let it pass: No.300 would subsequently make a U-turn on the Park Road short-working.
Scrapyard
Picture TR8
No.246 and No.248 at a scrap yard near Portsmouth gasworks on Monday 9 September 1963. Today the trolleybuses, dog, scrap yard and even the [coal] gasworks are all long gone.

Picture TR9
No.315 in Western Parade, bouncing over long-abandoned tram tracks and passing a Southdown PD3 bus. It was taken on Tuesday 23 July 1963.
 Highland Road, Eastney
Picture TR12
283 in Highland Road, Eastney, on 6 April 62.
Portsmouth Trolley as Bristol Lavatory
Picture TR10
#258 [RV9109] Withdrawn in October 1952 and later sold to the City of Bristol Transport & Cleansing Department and converted to a mobile Ladies Convenience. Photographed on 29 April 1965 at Merchants Row.
Portsmouth Trolleybuses at Southern Counties Demolition, at Hilsea
Picture TR11
Trolleys 231 and 282 [behind] at Southern Counties Demolition, at Hilsea near the former Portsmouth Airport on 7 April 1964.

An additional selection of pictures from various sources

Southsea Terrace
Picture 31
Taken on Southsea Terrace when tram tracks still remained in place. The trolleybus is a BUT/Burlingham vehicle and appears to be 310. This picture is just around the corner from my own image on Western Parade [also with tracks in situ]. The scene remains almost unchanged today, save that trolley wires, tram rails and the splendid bus shelter have all gone, although the last-mentioned may be one that has merely been moved to a site on the seafront, less than half a mile away.
 Park Road
Picture 35
Two westbound trolleybuses, led by EE/AEC/Cravens vehicle 282 on Park Road near its junction with St. George's Road. This scene has hardly altered, although the naval shore establishment HMS Vernon [behind the photographer] is now the Gunwharf Quays discount shopping centre.
 Cosham Red Lion Terminus
Picture 43
BUT/Burlingham trolleybus 315 at Cosham Red Lion terminus. No 315 was the newest trolleybus built for Portsmouth.
 Cosham Red Lion
Picture 47
Also taken at Cosham Red Lion, BUT/Burlingham trolleybus 312.

Geoff Lumb Colledction
The pictures shown below are from the www.semple.biz/glasgow/portsmouth.shtml web site
None of these pictures can be enlarged but this collection can be purchased as a set of 6" x 4" prints
from Ian Semple for £10.50 [add £2 for non UK addresses]

Copnor Bridge terminus
Picture GL001
Copnor Bridge terminus
Copnor Road, near Green Lane
Picture GL002
Copnor Road, just aproaching Copnor Bridge. The building at the back of the trolleybus is The Sportsman public house.
Commercial Road
Picture GL003
Commercial Road
Commercial Road and Portsmouth & Southsea Station with 4-COR units on bridge
Picture GL004
Commercial Road and Portsmouth & Southsea Station with 4-COR units on bridge
Commercial Road at Edinburgh Road
Picture GL005
Commercial Road at Edinburgh Road
The Hard
Picture GL006
The Hard
The Hard
Picture GL007
The Hard
Clarence Pier
Picture GL008
Clarence Pier
Bellevue Terrace outside the Pier Hotel
Picture GL009
Bellevue Terrace outside the Pier Hotel
The Hard
Picture GL010
The Hard
Fratton Road at Lake Road, with the 'Tramway Arms' in the background
Picture GL011
Fratton Road at Lake Road, with the 'Tramway Arms' in the background
Madeira Road [Green Lane terminus]
Picture GL0121
Madeira Road [Green Lane terminus]
Cosham Red Lion
Picture GL013
Cosham Red Lion
General view of The Hard from Gosport Ferry
Picture GL014
General view of The Hard from Gosport Ferry
#258 [RV9109] Withdrawn in October 1952 and later sold to the City of Bristol Transport & Cleansing Department and converted to a mobile Ladies Convenience for use in the area
Picture GL015
#258 [RV9109] Withdrawn in October 1952 and later sold to the City of Bristol Transport & Cleansing Department and converted to a mobile Ladies Convenience for use in the area.
More information on this trolleybus.
The Hard
Picture GL016
The Hard
  Beaulieu Motor Museum
Picture GL017
Beaulieu Motor Museum

The Preserved Scene for Portsmouth Trolleybuses

Vehicle Owner Generally found at: No. Registration Picture
Portsmouth Museums & Records Service On display at the Milestones Museum in Basingstoke.

More information.
201 RV 4649 TR14
London Trolleybus PS East Anglia Transport Museum Logo 313 ERV 938 TR12

Memories Stirred     A Bog Standard Trolleybus

The captions to all the pictures on this page were written by "Tim Runnacles" <timrunnacles@aol.com>
and "John Stedman" <JSTEDMAN@portsmouthcc.gov.uk>
[Assistant Local History Officer, Museums & Records Service, Portsmouth CC]