A BRIEF HISTORY

In 1930 the Corporation were given powers to start converting the tram routes in the Bournemouth area to trolleybus operation. This was necessary, as the existing tram routes were becoming very popular, and to expand the system to be able to efficiently cope with demand, it would mean doubling existing single line tram routes, purchasing new trams and carrying out other expensive improvements.
Although motor buses were already in use by the Corporation, because Bournemouth already had it's own electricity generation plant in Southcote Road supplying the trams, it was seen as good financial sense to use trolleybuses on these routes rather than the motor bus at this stage.

In 1933 the Council gave the go-ahead for an experimental route between The Square and Westbourne to be built. This involved erecting new wiring and the hire of four trolleybuses:

1 x 6 wheel Sunbeam double decker.
1 x 6 wheel A.E.C. double decker (with Renown chassis).
1 x 4 wheel A.E.C. double decker (with Regent chassis).
1 x Thorneycroft 4 wheel single decker.

These were garaged at the Southcote Road Tram Depot. To get between the depot and the Square involved quite a lot of additional work. One arm of the trolley bus used the single positive tram wire, with a 'skate' on the tram rail providing the negative contact.

The four hired vehicles enabled the Corporation to trial different vehicles over the same route. This route was fairly level for most of it's length, except for the fairly steep incline between the Square and the top of Poole Hill. Each end of the route posed no problems with turning the vehicles, The Square with it's roundabout, and the one-way system at Westbourne.

The route was constructed between February and May 1933, with the final Ministry of Transport inspection of the route on the 13th of May. The route passed the inspection and services started at 12:00 noon using the six-wheeled Sunbeam and the four-wheeled A.E.C. On 15th the four-wheeled single deck Thorneycroft was first used, with the six wheeled A.E.C. (see photo) eventually starting service on the 23rd of May. The cost of this journey was one penny.
The service was a huge success, running and maintenance costs were lower than the trams, the public liked them, and it was announced on the 3rd of October 1933 to use the trolleys permanently on the route and to also convert the remaining tram routes to this form of operation. There were also plans to extend some of the routes beyond the existing tram routes.
The route was allocated the service number '25', although the buses never actually carried the number at first (It was, after all, the only route using the trolleys!).
The four trolleybuses were eventually purchased for the sum of £7,345. These became numbers 68 - 71.

It was decided to purchase a fleet of 6 wheeled Sunbeam trolleybuses. Twelve were ordered with front exits, the first six with Park Royal bodies, the last six with English Electric.
These had all been delivered by the 27th of June 1934. (Nos. 72 - 83)
Six more with the Park Royal bodies (84 - 89), were ordered and these were delivered by the end of 1934, making the total up to twenty two. All the subsequent orders used the front exit Park Royal bodywork
No. 68, the original hired bus, was originally built with Weymann bodywork, this was later re-built to match the new fleet.

As other routes were converted and new ones planned, another eighty four new buses (Nos. 90- 173) were ordered from the Sunbeam Trolleybus Company. Thirty six of these were delivered between the 11th of February and the 18th of June 1935, twenty four more between August and December, with the remaining twenty four arriving by March 1936.

At the end of 1936 the fleet comprised some 106 trolleybuses, 103 of them Sunbeams. This was the largest fleet of similar vehicles in the country, all having rear entrance and front exit, two staircases and 56 seats.

Sunbeam MS2 trolleybus No.72 (AEL 400) in May 1935.

The first routes were opened as follows:

Other routes followed after the war, some of them simply extensions and variations of existing routes, some routes were made 'circular' and one route (Fisherman's Walk to Tuckton Bridge) taking over from motor buses.

Other non-tram routes and extensions were authorised under the 1930 Act, however most of them were never converted. These routes were:

The Lansdowne to The Square (via The Pier, Bath & Exeter Roads)
Westover Road
Meyrick Road and Gervis Road
Old Christchurch Road
Sea Road (Boscombe) to Boscombe Pier
Hawkwood Road and Heathcote Road
Parkwood Road to Woodside Road
Pokesdown to Iford Bridge
Holdenhurst Road (Between Ashley Rd & the Borough Boundry)
Charminster Road (between Kings Rd & the Borough Boundry)
Charminster Avenue and Malvern Road to Moordown
Moordown to Bear Cross (via Wimborne Rd)
Talbot Road to Kinson (via Wallisdown & Kinson Rd)

After the opening of the full Bournemouth Square to Christchurch route on the 8th of April 1936, tram services ceased, This day was also the 'Last Tram Day'.
Tram number 115 was the last tram to run between Christchurch & Bournemouth, it carried the Mayors of the two towns along with other officials. The official party then boarded the first trolleybus to run between Bournemouth & Christchurch along with it's first passengers.

By the end of the Second World War, Bournemouth had expanded and the bus routes had to be altered and new ones introduced to accommodate the increase in passengers.
In 1950/51, 24 B.U.T. trolley buses were delivered. During 1958/59, 30 Sunbeam MF2B vehicles were delivered, a further 9 vehicles of the same type were delivered in 1962. These were the last of the trolley buses to be ordered, In fact Number 301 was the last trolley bus to be delivered to any British bus company and was also the last trolley bus to run on Bournemouth Streets, on the 20th of April 1969 in the final procession through the town.