Latest journals available to members:
February 2020 Trolleybus + Wheels + Bus Fare
The British Trolleybus Society owns a fleet of historic trolleybuses, details of which are in the Fleet List pages. The BTS also contributes to the management & operation of the Trolleybus Museum at Sandtoft, which houses the largest collection of preserved trolleybuses in the world, and we now own the adjacent property, which will be incorporated into the Trolleybus Museum. In addition to our monthly magazine, ‘Trolleybus’ we publish local bus newsletters for Reading and the Thames Valley (Bus Fare) & West Yorkshire (Wheels). A free copy of 'Trolleybus' is available to prospective members. Either download a copy by registering using "Member Login", or apply to the Secretary who will post a printed copy to you.
There are monthly meetings in London, Reading & Bradford, to which all are invited.
In 2017 the Society purchased the bungalow and property adjoining the Trolleybus Museum at Sandtoft. On 5 October 2018 the Trolleybus Museum announced that it had purchased another 1.5 acres of land, mainly adjoining the western boundary of the BTS land. The Society's Committee and the Museum's Board of Directors are working closely together to develop a strategic plan that meets the specific needs of the Society and the Museum and will eventually result in a much improved visitor experience. This will include a spacious Exhibition Hall where visitors will be able to view selected trolleybuses and an exhibition telling the story of the trolleybus in the UK.
The Society's "flagship" trolleybus, the 1938 AEC 661T/Park Royal which was the first trolleybus to be privately preserved in the UK, returned to the Trolleybus Museum at Sandtoft on Friday 24 May after receiving a full repaint. Following research by Dave Hall, the Society's Archivist and Librarian, the adverts have been signwritten to an give authentic appearance.
113 now looks magnificent and it was formally relaunched at the Museum's "Remembering Past Autumns in Reading" Trolleyday on 2 November. The work was largely funded by a legacy from Colin Enticknap, who was a Society member for around 50 years. We were delighted that Colin's niece, Valerie Hayllor, accepted an invitation to perform the launch ceremony.
READING ANNIVERSARY: Last year marked the 50th anniversary of the closure of our "home" system, Reading, where the Society was founded in 1961. We held an exhibition of Reading trolleybus artefacts in Reading Museum and the British Trolleybus Society and Reading Museum jointly hosted two very interesting speakers for an informal get-together as part of BLACK HISTORY MONTH called 'Come and Drive Our Buses'.
We also held a free film show in Reading Town Hall co-presented by Dave Hall and Peter Whitehead showing old cine film and digital photos of Reading's trolleybuses which was attended by 180 people. Our events were made possible by Heritage Lottery Funding.
The organisation is run entirely by volunteers and is a registered charity No. 1033666.
It's very easy to join the Society! Just click here to find full details of how you can join and pay online or, if you prefer, send a cheque to our Membership Secretary. The annual membership rate starts at £21 for online-only membership.
We are partners in the publication of ‘Trolleybooks’, which cover historic and current systems in the UK and abroad. Please visit our Trolleybooks page to see the latest titles, which include Britain's Lost Trolleybus Systems, Reading Trolleybuses, Italian Trolleybuses Abroad and Walsall Trolleybuses. Our TrolleyBooks page has more details about these publications.
JUST PUBLISHED! David Bowler's 'Bournemouth Trolleybuses' which you can purchase here, is a lavishly-illustrated comprehensive history of Bournemouth's trolleybus system. All profits from BTS Sales go towards trolleybus restoration and preservation. Purchase this book from the BTS and you will directly help with the restoration of our 1935 Sunbeam MS2, Bournemouth 99.
A very small stock of the 2020 calendar is also available on our Other Publications page! This year it has images for every month plus a cover photo, all showing Porto's Lancia double-deck trolleybuses. It is printed on higher quality paper but there has been no price increase. These will sell out soon. Order now!
There is also a lovely set of notelets showing six different scenes of Reading trolleybuses in service - click here to order!
Copyright British Trolleybus Society 2012 - 2019 - Registered Charity 1033666
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