Walsall Trolleybuses

[@martinomelbourne2714]

Wow a real blast from the past of Walsall in the sixties where I grew up. Even got Bloxwich Road where I lived. A far cry from Melbourne Australia where I live now. Good memories.

[@TheRichardSpearman]

Any trams or trolleybuses in Australia?

[@martinomelbourne2714]

@@TheRichardSpearman Trams yes.

[@peterwilliamallen1063]

Most of this was in the 1970's not sixties when the WMPTE were getting rid of the Trolley Buses

[@quietman2672]

In the stills section at the end @ 25.06. Thh lad standing at the bus stop with the blonde hair is my best childhood mate David Curl. He lived at 19 Keats Road, I was born and lived directly opposite at 24 Keats Road. The bus stop is at the top of Walker Road, Blakenall. Just before the island on Harden Road. Must have stood at that bus stop a 1000 times in our child hood, we were always going somewhere. Downtown, going to watch the Saddlers, going to babysit for his sister who lived in the flats up Paddock. Millsum House. Going swimming down the Gala, down the Arboretum, happy days , 55+years ago. 😢😢

[@edwinthompson6510]

Quite Man hey there i was born in 1941 in Shelfield not there any longer,,,,, but fond memories thankyou,,,,Ed

[@callookghia]

Brilliant !! I grew up there in the 60s and 70s. This is the best old footage I've seen of the area, takes me right back :). Priceless . Thanks .

[@WilliamSmith-mx6ze]

As this video shows, every Walsall trolleybus came with its own brass band. Here we see number 732 passing through Pleck carrying the Brighouse & Rastrick, followed by number 459 in Birchills with the Black Dyke Mills Band on board.

[@catofong6905]

Spent my early years growing up in the West Midlands (Stafford /Stoke sort of area) although sadly never got to know Walsall particularly, looked like a nice place from this film though. So pleased that some forward-thinking people took the time to capture it on film, and the trolleybuses, although presumably now largely extinct across the entire country. I could spend ages watching footage like this, and frequently do to be fair (!). Thanks for posting ❤

[@JohnMitch]

Loved them old trolly buses, had them in my home town Bradford til 1972

[@andrewfox4789]

Thankyou, the best 25 minutes of lockdown 2021 yet & the music; spot on!

[@TheRichardSpearman]

A superb video, from the mid 1960s I would estimate. The buses were not festooned with advertising, and the cars looked 100% UK manufactured.

[@harryboy3305]

And Walsall was white

[@gallitron7803]

Where did it all go wrong for this once great town..?

[@MrJackandy123]

Its called joining the EU and immigration sir or madam love you all stay safe.....peace.

[@mrrolandlawrence]

dim wits getting rid of clean, cheap electric power for public transit replacing it with dirty diesel. also politicians like eden decimating the value of the pound in just days never to recover. most of the policies are short term with long term costs. quantitive easing. biggest wealth transfer in british history. etc etc..

[@_Ali.]

I literally said “bet 1 of the replies will be either Europe or Jonny Foreigners” & low and behold, someone said it, it’s the foreigners fault. Not any specific one, just all of them 😂 Ok, so how many “foreigners” are in Goscot, Ryecroft, Beechdale, Coalpool... what’s the issues there because I remember not too long ago Ryecroft being named as the worst estate in the UK to live... Stop blaming others, get off your fat, racist, xenophobic arse and improve your surroundings.

[@imogenimeson664]

@@_Ali. Bullshit, and do you live in Walsall?! I bet you don't!.Andrew is so right.

[@_Ali.]

@@imogenimeson664 how much do you want to bet? Your caravan that you live in or your self respect? Well you can’t bet that cuz you dont have much. Was born and raised, and still live in Walsall. Born in the old Sister Dora hospital just before it closed and moved to the Manor. So your next point is...

[@flybobbie1449]

Was kid living Beechdale estate, Edison Road, in the 60's, so recognise many streets.

[@flybobbie1449]

In fact didn't leave Walsall till 2006.

[@manchestertart5614]

My friend and l stood with her mother on Stafford Street,to watch the last Trolley bus go back to the bus station,they lived at the back of the Doctors Surgery next to Pelari’s ice cream and sweet shop.Sadly neither are there anymore.

[@stephenkirby6983]

Not only the Sunbeam F4a's but lots of other thinks sneak in too - Standerwick Atlantean, Karrier and then the trucks and vans

[@WebbysWalks]

Some great footage there, Thank you. trying to see what parts in this video I can recognise.

[@highflyer1878]

Fantastic video of the good old days . 👍

[@JohnGillespie-s5n]

Lovely Walsall trolleybuses.

[@1914rene]

Just discovered this gem ! lived in Ryecroft/Coalpool, use to have a Tarzan rope under the last bridge by the Sandhills, just b4 Mill lane. near the monkey hills, anyone remember the old Kendrick House..? opposite the Coalpool Tavern.! Brilliant takes me right back. Cheers.

[@recollectmodels1608]

The ex-Birmingham yellow and blue buses were sent to Walsall to replace the trolleybuses. At over 20 years old, they were older than the trolleys they replaced.

[@TheRichardSpearman]

Amazing; I have never heard of a replacementt transport sytem using vehicles that were older than the ones they replaced.

[@peterwilliamallen1063]

@@TheRichardSpearman They were replaced by the Ex Birmingham City Transport Buses that were displaced from Birmingham by newer Fleetline Buses by the new WMPTE which did not want to run clapped out old Trolly Buses, at the time the WMPTE took over in 1969, Walsall had the most outdated bus fleet in the WMPTE.

[@rolandharmer6402]

Not only older, but looked older, were noisier, were smellier and didn’t accelerate nor run as smoothly as the trolleys there replaced!

[@captainc6671]

Took me right back to my childhood and teens, riding in those magnificent machines. Quiet, pollution free. Strange how they would be ideal for these now eco-concious times. You really don't know what you've lost till it's gone. Wonderful shots of old Walsall. Very well put together. Any more out there?

[@TheRichardSpearman]

.... til it is gone. Very true. Of course, trolley buses still operate in many parts of the world; like trams, it was only in the UK that they were closed down completely.

[@beebussing3202]

Crazy to see my street 50+ years ago

[@MrJackandy123]

Never changed since one after one on the 301 runs.

[@susanthompson6053]

I miss the trollies a memory from my childhood 💖

[@dennisspinkshappyforbusker2523]

Nice local nostalgia ❤️👌

[@flybobbie1449]

18:00 this is about 1970, council started building style of house in background late 60's.

[@angelacooper2661]

I was born that year and obviously don't remember the trolleybuses (the last service ran in October - yours truly a four month old baby in the pram!)

[@tominnis8353]

Now we have noisy, smelly diesel buses.

[@johnwall8862]

I remember going on trolley buses happy days

[@Трезвостьнормажизни-ш4ж]

I bet 7:39 it's a building where Don Powell lived in Slade In Flame movie!

[@mick5296]

And now the new idea is to modernize road transport by using electric powered vehicals, how novel!

[@adjo82]

Yeap, the future was in the past. How ironic

[@TheRichardSpearman]

... like rebuilding the tram system some 80 years after it was dismantled...... but only in Britain. Trams continued to thrive in other countries

[@nt004b9392]

What an interesting video ,Thank you .

[@flybobbie1449]

9:06 just going out of Beechdale, uncle lived just on the right. Was a pub left, called the Lantern?

[@flybobbie1449]

Makes me sad and nostalgic.

[@flybobbie1449]

5:45 Walsall power station, my old infant and primary school on the left, in fact looks like mothers waiting for kids.

[@DavidHorton-d9r]

I remember this

[@martynproctor1576]

Pollution free buses, don't you just love modern technology

[@johnfiore9390]

Electricity produced was from burning coal so not population free.... as for modern technology electric now in the uk in not made from burning coal so population free. Got to love modern technology

[@edwinthompson6510]

@@johnfiore9390 nit-pickin

[@johnfiore9390]

@@edwinthompson6510 just stating the fact

[@JenniferClarke-v1h]

Do you remember when poles came off wires in juddering halt , Conductor grabbing very long bamboo pole to hook it back onto wires . See we did our best in 50s to be Green 💚

[@recram16]

8:12 anyone recognise this to be Stafford Street?

[@quietman2672]

That is Pratts Bridge on Bloxwich Road. The pub it is going past is The Bridge. It goes on to become Stafford Street less than a mile down the road near the junction of Hospital St on the right and Proffit St to the left.

[@flybobbie1449]

@@quietman2672 Instantly recognisable. As kids would walk from Birchills to Butts to visit our grandparents.

[@Ivan-tf9bo]

Never knew that used to be a pub now a care home

[@lmogden1]

GREAT VIDEO

[@bigmeltie1]

What colour was the livery? It looks absolutely grim in black and white!

[@TheSteelweasel]

powered by coal , bring back coal its great stuff . and all the cars made in the UK .

[@TheRichardSpearman]

Yes, I do not see a definitely 100% foreign car anywhere; or did I miss one?

[@edwinthompson6510]

@@TheRichardSpearman No they were all still in Japan and Germany who won WW2

[@johnfiore9390]

7.30 where was that please anyone know

[@AndyReggae67]

Bloxwich road and that's leamore primary school opposite and the red telephone box is at the junction of green lane.And then you see it go through Bloxwich high street

[@johnfiore9390]

@@AndyReggae67 thank you buddy

[@pwillia8864]

Love the video but it would be better without the music

[@TheRichardSpearman]

I liked the music..... totally appropriate. Glad there was no commentary.

[@keithhaynes9462]

ar like buzziz