Ashton CT Trolleybus 88, Stalybridge, 1963

            Ashton Corporation ran a small fleet of about 20 trolleybuses, serving five routes. In the mid 1950s, the trolleybuses accounted for about a third of the Ashton bus fleet. The Ashton routes were jointly operated with Manchester Corporation, whom Ashton was heavily dependant upon.

The 218 Staybridge trolleybus route was jointly operated with Manchester Corporation, but also the SHMD Board. SHMD were the joint Corporations of Stalybridge, Hyde, Mossley and Dukinfield.  SHMD did not operate trolleybuses, but had ownership of the overhead and supply equipment within its borough boundary, maintaining this infrastructure by agreement.

In 1959, Manchester withdrew their own 213 trolleybus service when a retail development by the Co-op required the relocation of the trolleybus terminal point. Manchester opted to replace the 213 trolleybus service with motorbuses instead. This cast doubt on the future of Manchester's trolleybus operations to whom Ashton were tied.

Things gathered pace in July 1960, when the joint 217 service to Haughton Green was converted to Motorbus by Manchester, with Ashton having to follow suit. A new housing estate at Haughton Green was in the planning, and the trolleys did not feature.

Ashton pressed Manchester Council for information on the future of the trolleybuses. In 1961 a report was issued by Manchester Council outlining the plans for Manchester's trolleybuses. The report spoke of the phased withdrawal of Manchester's trolleybuses, and that trolleybus overhauls and maintenance of the infrastructure should not see trolley vehicles lasting beyond 1967. This heavily impacted on the future of Ashton's trolleybus operations  

In October 1964, the 219 service to Manchester Piccadilly via Audenshaw and Guide Bridge ended abruptly. This left just the 215, 216 and 218 services trolleybus operated. 

In May 1966, Manchester withdrew its trolleybuses from off the 218 route, reducing their trolleybus services to the 215 and 216. Mixed in with motorbus journeys, Ashton continued to operate trolleybuses on the 218 route into Stalybridge until the end of the year.

In November 1966 it was jointly announced that the last day of trolleybus operations would be Friday 30th December 1966, when all trolleybus operations in Ashton and Manchester would end. Ashton No87 became the last trolleybus to operate for Ashton Corporation, and BUT trolleybus No 1354 for Manchester.

In quiet post-Christmas surrounds, the image shows Ashton trolleybus No88 in Staybridge Bus Station on Monday 30th December 1963.  No88 had been one of eight new Bond bodied BUT trolleybuses 82 - 89 (YTE821-828), received by Ashton Corporation in 1956.

Between 1955 and 1956, Manchester Corporation purchased a large number of BUT trolleybuses (1301-1362), all of which were bodied by Burlingham. It is most likely that Ashton's eight BUT's were tagged onto the back of the Manchester order to reduce costs. 

In 1950, Ashton had purchased five Crossley bodied Crossley TDD42 'Empire' three-axle trolleybuses, which coincided with Manchester buying a large batch of the same between 1949-1950. That said, Ashton had operated Crossley trolleybuses since before WW2. The only other British operator of Crossley trolleybuses was Grimsby-Cleethorpes.

Ashton's BUT trolleybuses had a short life, and a scrapyard fate awaited after the system closed in December 1966. Happily, BUT trolleybus No87 escaped the breaker's yard and can be seen and ridden on at the Carlton Colville Transport Museum in East Anglia. 

In addition to this, Ashton No80 (LTC774), a 1950 Crossley Empire TDD42 trolleybus can be found at the Museum of Transport at Boyle Street in Manchester. This vehicle is restored into its original 1950 livery, but is a static exhibit within the Museum along with Manchester, Crossley trolleybus 1250.

1344 is another surviving Manchester trolleybus. This restored BUT trolleybus currently resides at the Sandtoft Trolleybus Museum in South Yorkshire and belongs to the British Trolleybus Society.

My thanks to Peter Gould's informative website for much of the historical information concerning trolleybus routes and Manchester's involvement. 

Image scanned from the original 35mm transparency.

Taken on: July 25, 2023

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