BTA History - Bradford Trolleybus Association

On July 31st, 1971, Michael Bentley and Gerald Whiteley met, by chance, for the first time whilst watching sad history being made. It was 6pm on the evening of the closure of the Clayton (37), Wibsey (45) and Buttershaw (46) trolleybus routes and the teatime "peaks" were making their last journeys back to Thornbury Depot. All but two of the vehicles ran straight down the Works Road for eventual scrapping and the two above-named gentlemen were glumly recording the scene on film.

Two BUT's ran into the Depot however, through the washer and came to rest outside again, on the Depot forecourt. So there they were, 834 in front of 835.

"Have any plans been made to preserve one of the LHN BUT's?"

"No, but coming from Doncaster, I wouldn't mind joining with someone to save one".

By 6.20pm, "The BUT 834 Group" was well on the way to becoming a reality. Things moved very quickly that evening and the two enthusiasts first of all rode on 831 of the same batch, on the Clayton route. The last rear entrance BUT, 758, also ran on the Clayton service that evening but suffered dynamo trouble and was taken out of service as dusk fell. 834 was hastily substituted and our two would-be "operators" had their first run on her, one which was to be the begining of a long association with this fine trolleybus. It was discovered that 834 was in good condition bodily and mechanically and as she was, later that evening, to make history by being the last vehicle to Clayton and the last BUT in public service in Great Britain - "We had made up our minds - it had to be 834!" - "The 834 Group" had arrived!

From August 1st until early October, 1971, much hard work was done to raise cash to purchase 834 and negotiations continued apace with Bradford City Transport. These took longer than expected, but it must be said in fairness to BCT that there were many hurdles to be overcome which were not apparent on July 31st.

The necessary funds having been raised, the handing-over ceremony was fixed for Sunday, 18th October, 1971 at 11am at Thornbury Works. Mr Midgeley, the Works Manager, had done an excellent job of work on 834 and she turned up in superb condition.

First notch, handbrake off, and 834 moved off up Works road. Cameras recorded the occasion and, moments later, at the top of the works yard, our two friends became the legal owners of 834, LHN 784, when Bradford's General Manager, Mr E Deakin, handed to them the vehicle's documents. No doubt their minds went back to that initial conversation, only a few yards from where they now stood, on July 31st. In only ten short weeks, so much had been achieved! After reversing back down the Works Road, 834 came out a second time for the benefit of photographers.

Elliott well known Scammell tractor, DKY 462, was coupled up to take 834 to her fourth new home at the Sandtoft Transport Centre, near Doncaster, where she arrived on the Sunday afternoon.

With 834 now saved from the breakers’ yard, thoughts turned to preserving Bradford’s 847, an ex Mexborough & Swinton Sunbeam F4. Under the “834 Group” banner, funds were slowly built up from sales items and donations and, meanwhile, in the best business manner 834 was made completely debt—free by the beginning of 1972.

A smart knock sounded on the door of a house in Bradford 7 one Sunday lunchtime in January 1972 — “Would the B.T.R. readers consider preserving a trolleybus?”
— “Well, perhaps not on our own, but we’ll gladly come in with you”. This was the prelude to an appeal which appeared in the January issue of the “Bradford Transport Review”, a local news—sheet with a strong nucleus of 120 or so members, which had been in production since 1956 and had recorded the Bradford Trolleybus system up to its maximum development of 1960—62 and its gradual decline through the ‘sixties’.
With extra “wind in the sails” as it were, the Group now decided to include an “original” Bradford DKY Karrier on its shopping list and thus the appeal in the “B.T.R." appeared during the first week in February. A unique system of £5 shares in the Sunbeam and Karrier vehicles was offered. Several other local and national enthusiasts’ Societies were kind enough to circulate the appeal to their members, and in addition the “B.U.T. 834 Group” continued to make many useful contacts, friends, helpers, etc. and to expand its sales organisation at a near fantastic rate.
By the time the Bradford Trolleybus system finally closed on March 26th 1972 the results of our February appeal were quite staggering. In cash, or offers of cash, we had raised the magnificent sum of £700 in a little over six weeks Add to this the fact that three members had decided to purchase vehicles outright themselves, another two ‘DKY’ karriers and another ‘LHN’ B.U.T. and it will be realised just how much has happened since that chance meeting at Thornbury Depot last July 31st.
During early March negotiations were opened with Bradford City Transport regarding the various trolleybuses which we hoped to purchase and whilst no firm promises could be made, Mr Deakin gave our proposals his considerations.
We were still working under the “B,U.T. 834 Group” heading but it was becoming apparent that this title would shortly impose limitations on our activities, as, even then, it appeared we could well have a “fleet” of five or six trolleybuses, of three chassis types, in the very near future.
And so it was that, on the eve of the closure of this trolleybus system, Saturday, 25th March 1972, the “834 Group” became “The Bradford Trolleybus Association” at a meeting at the home of one of its founder members. It was still less than eight months ago that two enthusiasts met, by chance, in Thornbury Depot Yard.