Now available online from .

Intro . . . We've developed a CD-ROM that includes details of all trolleybuses built in the UK between 1909 and 1999. That's now 853 records, covering 8,513 trolleybuses.
If you'd like information about the CD, please contact


News . . . 5/4/14
It's been a while but the British Trolleybus Database CD has been thoroughly revamped, updated and re-written in 32/64 bit code so as to run on Windows Vista, 7 and 8. It also still runs on XP.
Here's the full version history -

Version 3, build 310314.
- conversion from 16bit to 32bit
- UI revisions to better enable use of larger fonts
- visual elements conformed
- inclusion of thumnail alternative image where available
- zoom facility added
- antialiasing of all images, including in Gallery view
- better labelling of switches
- company logos rationalised to include all applicable
- rebuilt graphing system with cursor labelling
- revised graph integration into search and sort functions
- debugged comparison graph algorithms
- revised selection functions
- greater functional interoperatability
- fuller integration of exported vehicles
- updated company information
- added second system maps
- library primary search revised
- library secondary search added
- highlighting added to grids
- all tables revised and updated
- revised font selection to Windows 7 standard
- all panels redrawn
- report printing rebuilt
- screen printing revised
- help system maintained
- Paradox table repair utility added
- new installation utility
- minor bug fixes
- error handling corrected
- antialiasing disabled if system ram less than 1gb

853 records
1611 image total
758 alternative images
836 new or replacement images

News . . . 1/12/12
An amazing encyclopeadic book about trolleybus minatures is available to buy online from Trolleybooks

News . . . 1/7/12
The British Trolleybus Database CD is available to buy online from Trolleybooks

Archive News . . .

Preserved London Trolleybus
The race to get ELB 796 ready for 2012 has started

If you'd like to campaign for the re-introduction of Trolleybuses in the UK, there's a petition you can sign at -
http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/Trolleybuses/

Work to add a second picture to each trolleybus record of the CD continues. Especially useful for seeing how some particuarly longlived trolleybuses were 'revamped' in later life. There's now a second switch under each picture if a second picture is available - quite a few trolleybuses however, don't seem to have been photographed more than once, especially additional orders that were virtually identical to a first batch.

Book News . . .Alan Murray's celebration of the centenary of British trolleybus introduction into service is now out.
And Keith Farrow's long awaited Londonn Trolleybus wiring has finally made it into print.
David Bowler's "Nottingham Trolleybuses" is now published. This definitive history is available in hardback, with 340 pages, 400 carefully researched illustrations and up to 40 plans and diagrams that fully document one of Britain's more colourful systems. Publisher - Trolleybooks, the publishing panel of the British Trolleybus Society and the National Trolleybus Association. Orders can be placed at:
www.trolleybooks.co.uk

Very many thanks to -
John Whitehead of the British Trolleybus Society for providing access to his and others records of British trolleybuses. John is regarded as the historical authority on British Trolleybuses within the BTS and in wider circles. Although no 'new' trolleys have been found, the CD now has had many detailed gaps filled, giving a much more complete picture of technological progress through the 90 years of trolleybus history.

But the new data throws up more questions!
Does anyone have pictures of the AEC 661T that went to Shanghai in 1937?
Or details of the BUT that went to Madrid in 1951?

David Bradley has opened an 'appeals' page from trolleybus historians wanting help at www.trolleybus.net/subhtml/cyh2.htm

With the publication of the World Trolleybus Encyclopeadia, there's been a few corrections to the database, including a few obscure buses converted to trolleybuses.

Bruce Lake of Sandtoft Transport Centre now has a web site at http://www.trolleybus.org.uk

The CD of British Trolleybuses now includes a button for exports - it's the blue coat-of-arms on the screen shot. Want to know more? Here's where to go.
There's also a new, printable report included on the CD that formats all 844+ pictures and full details, printing it takes just 138 A4 pages! Here's what it looks like.



Trolleycoaches for London- A lot has been going on - try the London Tbus campaign pages if you live in London and feel strongly about trolleybuses!
If you'd like to join the campaign to bring 'trolleycoaches' back to London, then get in touch or join the egroup There's also a new trolleybus email group if you'd like to take part.
With a transport revolution promised by the government, here's a contribution - the future of the trolleybus?
Want to make a comment?

The National Trolleybus Association website wants your input.

In a major upgrade, the CD of British Trolleybuses now includes all 2144 British trolleybuses that were exported to the four corners of the globe between 1912 and 1980. Plus 1024x768 compatibilty - manufacturer logos, operator coat-of-arms and previews of the next and previous trolleybuses all on-screen. Here's a screen shot. Want to know more? Then here's where to go.

Extra - If you fancy giving your browser the look of electrical nostalgia, then try NeoPlanet with a trolleybus skin!
The title picture is of Wolverhampton's Cleveland Road Depot in 1929 - specially coloured for use as a computer wallpaper image available here in 800x600 or 1024x768 sizes. The CD-Rom now includes desktop themes based on 1930's trolleybus imagery - see a preview here.
If you've got too many icons on your desktop, try Launchkaos and then download our trolleybus skin

Recent developments The first of a series of articles on trolleybus history - click the history button on the left. If you'd like to contribute an article, please email
We've added the list of all known UK preserved trolleybuses, click the preserved button on the left...
Just to add to the UK fleet list, here's as list of British Trolleybus Systems.
Available - Download a copy of the FREE interactive demonstration disk - just hit download

Now available . . . A list of all UK trolleybuses, not in the detail that's on the CD, and it takes an age to load (time enough to put the kettle on), but it's complete! Here's the UK trolleybus fleet list


Wanted . . . Please get in contact if you have detailed information on British trolleybuses or have ideas about where to look. One or two 'trackless' seem never to have been photographed or is it just our sources . . . ? Here's our problem list of 'unpictured' trolleybuses, with original fleet numbers, -
Cleethorpes, nos.60-2 (identical to 50-59) Doncaster no.31 (Bristol) Grimsby nos.6,7 (Garretts) Newcastle 47-56,85-98,119-24 (identical to 21) Nottingham nos.455-8 (identical to 442) West Hartlepool nos. 5-6 (Railess)

Missing pictures of exported trolleybuses include -
Coimbra, BUT's delivered 1954 and 1958 Johannesburg, 23-30, AEC, 1937 Johannesburg, 31-8, Sunbeams, 1938

Coming up . . .

This month's picture is of Nottingham 34, one of 13 Ransomes delivered in 1931-2. This screenshot of the CD database, is designed to fit a 640x480 or a 800x600 screen (photographic reproduction is much better at 800x600) and run under Windows 3x,9x or XP for maximum backwards compatibilty. At 1024x768 resolution there's more information. The buttons across the top navigate through the records, give access to all chassis makers, electrics suppliers, body builders and operators, allow searches, sort by various criteria, see the database as a table, print reports, see statistics and let you change fonts and colours.There's a picture gallery and a notepad for comments. Each picture has a caption that not only gives details, but also gives extensive book references.

gallery view picture gallery view
table view table view
Requests . . . If you're a regular viewer, you'll have noticed we're changing the trolleybus about once a month, so bookmark this site! If you've got a request for a particular trolleybus, then just ask!
Now available . . . We've produced a disk based demonstration presentation that's available free . . . . . If you'd like to try the demo, please get in email or download
or you can slomail to Ashley Bruce, 156 High Street, Bildeston, Ipswich IP7 7EF.The database is now at 230+mb, which is why we think it's best supplied as a cd!

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