The Hidden Museum - Great Britain

Tucked away on a quiet back road between the Yorkshire town of Doncaster and its Lincolnshire neighbour Scunthorpe lies a unique collection. A group of enthusiasts have been preserving an often forgotten tradition of transportation, the trolleybus.

A brief history. The golden age of the trolley bus was a short period between the end of World War II and the early 1960s. Twin overhead cables carried electric power to the motors which powered these transportation giants. In all the major cities of Britain including London, Glasgow and Hull the trolleybus transported thousands of people to their place of work or to centres of shopping. The were green, clean and dependable. So how did they come to leave our streets and roads?

The answer lies in what is now called the baby-boomer era. Rising populations encouraged municipalities to build big housing estates out-of-town, beyond the capabilities of the trolleybus network. Recognising that with more disposable income, families were turning more and more to the motor car, the local authorities, who in the main ran the buses, decided not to invest in expansion. Instead this environmental friendly form of travel was condemned to the scrap heap.

All that is except in the village of Sandtoft. From their with a humble start trolleybuses were acquired and preserved to run on their oval of wires to give those, over 60, a reminder of travel from their youth: For the younger generation a glimpse into a future which short-sighted politicians denied them.

The trolleybuses at Sandtoft are built on the similar chassis although there is a combination of six and four wheeled vehicles. What makes them different os the body work. Different operators, mainly the municipal councils, engaged different body makers like Park Royal or Roe to shape their buses. Look closely at the collection in Sandtoft and you start to notice these subtleties. It could be the position of the headlight or the design of the seat covering. Then for the entrance fee you have paid (check the website - Trolleybus Museum link attached) you can ride all day.

Britain may have condemned the trolleybus to yesteryear but some far sighted cities and countries have kept with the green electric power. This includes Lithuania's second city Kaunus and one of the world;'s greatest cities, San Francisco in the United States of America. How fortunate their citizens are.