Derby Corporation Transport 1899-1986 CONTENTS Derby Corporation Transport - Fleet History 1899-1986.…….….….….….….… Page 3 Derby Corporation Transport - Tram Fleet List 1899-1934.…….….…….……… Page 12 Derby Corporation Transport - Trolleybus Fleet List 1932-1967.………………. Page 23 Derby Corporation Transport - Bus Fleet List 1899-1986..…….……….………… Page 36 Cover Illustration: Preserved trolleybus No. 237 (SCH237), a 1960 Sunbeam F4A with Roe 65-seat bodywork. (Chris Stewart) First Published 2018 by The Local Transport History Library. With thanks to Chris Stewart, Tramway & Light Railway Society, D. Wilkinson and John Kaye for illustrations. © The Local Transport History Library 2018. (www.lthlibrary.org.uk) For personal use only. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, transmitted or distributed in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical or otherwise for commercial gain without the express written permission of the publisher. In all cases this notice must remain intact. All rights reserved. PDF-149-1 2 Derby Corporation Transport 1899-1986 Horse omnibuses had made an appearance in Derby by the early 1840's and by the 1850's omnibuses were operating a number of local services. Amongst those documented are William Wallis and John Miers, both of whom operated from the newly opened railway station into the town itself; whilst Edward Fisher provided a service to Castle Donington; Joseph Pickard to Wirksworth, and George Horsley to Melbourne, the latter service starting on 9th October 1857. In 1877, the Derby Omnibus Company introduced a network of horse-bus services from Uttoxeter Road to the station; from Osmaston Road to the station and from Corden Street, New Normanton via the town centre to the Bridge Inn on City Road. Hardly had these services started when, in October 1877, the Derby Tramways Company was registered, however it was to be another few years before the Company was able to begin construction of the new tramway. On the 6th March 1880, the first route opened, running from the Market Place along St. Peter's Street to the Midland Railway's station. On 1st October 1880 a second line from Victoria Street to Windmill Hill opened, and on the 8th October a line from The Spot to Cotton Lane was added to the system. The final extensions were opened in 1881 when lines to the Normanton Hotel from The Spot, and to Deadman's Lane from London Road were inaugurated. The initial rolling stock consisted of 16 (Nos. 1-16) single-deck cars by Starbuck, followed by four double-deck cars (Nos. 17-20), two in 1887 (by the Shrewsbury Waggon Company) and two in 1894 (manufacturer unknown). The depot was in Friar Gate. The Company also operated a number of horse-bus services inherited from the previous operators who were acquired as a condition of the construction of the tramway. 3 Derby Corporation Transport 1899-1986 The Derby Corporation Act of 1899 empowered the Corporation to purchase the existing horse tramway. On the 1st November 1899, Derby Corporation took control of the Company and rolling stock. New powers, obtained under the 1901 Derby Corporation Act, authorised the construction of new lines and the electrification of existing lines, although it was not until November 1903 that work commenced on converting the system. Meanwhile the horse services continued as normal and Derby Corporation overhauled the fleet and withdrew some of the older single-deck vehicles. One car (No. 13) was converted to an open-top car, and, in 1902 and 1903, six redundant double-deck cars were purchased from Glasgow Corporation. In July 1904 a new tramcar depot was opened on Osmaston Road, and on the 27th July the first electric routes commenced. The first sections opened were from The Spot to the Harrington Arms at Alvaston; a branch line to the Midland Railway's station, and from The Spot to Abingdon Street (to serve the new depot). The first electric trams were double-deck open-top Brush-built cars (Nos. 1-25), followed in 1905 by four (Nos. 26-29) top-covered cars. On 4th September 1904 an extension from The Spot to Victoria Street was opened, followed shortly afterwards (on 18th September) by a short line between London Road and Osmaston Road, via Bateman Street. The last horse tram ran on 1st June 1907, by which time the system was almost complete, the final section (the line along Nottingham Road to the Cemetery) opening on the 8th February 1908. The last horse bus route, however, to Mansfield Road, continued to operate until 19th May 1917, when an Edison battery-powered bus took over, although two of the horses and two horse buses were retained until 1919. 4 Derby Corporation Transport 1899-1986 The advent of the Great War of 1914-1918 brought about a general decline in the track and rolling stock and by 1920 the Tramways Department were considering renewing and repairing the existing track and acquiring new tramcars. The first new tramcars for almost ten years were Nos. 51-56, Brush-built, top-covered, double-deckers, which entered service in 1920, followed shortly afterwards by Nos. 57-60, which entered service in 1921. Meanwhile, a second battery-powered bus had been purchased in 1920, but neither of the vehicles proved particularly reliable. No.1 was withdrawn in December 1923 and when problems arose with No.2, it led to a complete breakdown in the Mansfield Road service. As a result, the Tramways Committee turned to the petrol-electric bus, which, without gears, was an easy transition for motormen to make. An order was placed with Tilling-Stevens for the supply of two chassis. One received a 20-seat body by the Blackburn Aeroplane & Motor Company, of Leeds, whilst the other received the Marston body from battery-bus No. 2, which was only four years old. On the 30th June 1924, the last battery-bus ran along Mansfield Road, and the following day, the first Derby Corporation motorbus (No. 1: CH4289) took over. The second vehicle (No. 2: CH4381) entered service in August 1924. During the 1920's, with the development of the Osmaston Park Road area, which, at the time, had little public transport, Derby Corporation decided to inaugurate another motorbus service. A petrol-electric Tilling-Stevens was purchased (No. 3: CH5181), and the route, from The Spot, Osmaston Road, Charnwood Street, Normanton Road, Pear Tree Road, Portland Street and Victory Road, was opened on 27th July 1925. By 5 Derby Corporation Transport 1899-1986 April 1927, more housing development had seen the route extended to the tram terminus on Osmaston Road. The extended route proved profitable and heralded a new era of expansion, which balanced the decline of the tramway. In 1928, routes to Stackbrook Road via Abbey Street, to Mackenzie Street via Slack Lane, and to Overdale Road via Mill Hill Lane opened. Six more petrol-electric Tilling-Stevens joined the fleet, along with four single-deck ADC's later in the year. The following year, on 21st August 1929, the Town Council decided to abandon the tramway system, surprisingly, in favour of trolleybuses. The Derby Corporation Act of 1930 granted the necessary powers, although it would be 1932 before the first services were inaugurated. On 9th January 1932, the first trolleybus ceremoniously departed on the Nottingham Road route, driven by the Mayor. The first trolleybuses delivered were six-wheeled Guy BTX (Nos. 79-84) with Brush bodywork. Eight similar vehicles (Nos. 85-92) arrived in July 1932, this time with Dodson bodywork, enabling the trams on the Alvaston route (and the buses on the Harvey Road route, extended on 13th November to the Mitre) to be replaced. Later in the year, more Dodson-bodied Guys arrived (Nos. 93-98), enabling the conversion of the Osmaston Road route. In 1933, the tramway abandonment continued apace. On 13th August 1933, motorbuses (freed by the extension of the trolleybus route to Chain Lane and Corden Avenue, which ran along part of the Uttoxeter Road bus route) replaced the trams on the Kedleston Road route (subsequently extended to Allestree Lane End in 1935), and on 31st December 1933, trolleybuses replaced the trams on the Ashbourne Road route. 6 Derby Corporation Transport 1899-1986 During this period there was little development of the bus network, and expansion was almost at a standstill, most of the effort being put into tramway conversion. In August 1933, the first part of the Normanton Road Circular tram route between Midland Road and Bateman Street was converted to trolleybus operation, although it was to be March 1934 before the remaining section along Normanton Road was opened. This effectively brought tramcar operations to an end in Derby, although some works journeys along Osmaston Road lasted until 30th June 1934. On the 2nd July 1934, car 78, was taken to Victoria Street for the last time, and ceremoniously driven along the tracks with its destination blind set to 'Osmaston Road Depot', and the tramway era in Derby was over. With the continuing expansion of Derby's suburbs, new trolleybus routes were introduced. In June 1935 a new service to Browning Circle on the Austin Lane estate was introduced, and in November 1936 a new route to Allenton (extended to Shelton Lock in 1938), via the Chaddesdon Park Road area, commenced. At the same time the motorbus service along Osmaston Park Road was converted to trolleybus operation and in 1937 a route to Darley Park Drive from the Cornmarket opened. In certain areas, however, the motorbus was favoured. The development of the Sussex Circus estate, with its twists and turns was unsuitable for trolleybus operation and so motorbuses were extended from nearby termini to serve the estate.