The Way We Were

March 1967, Dudley, West Midlands

‘At its height, Wolverhampton’s trolleybus network had 14 routes and 173 buses’

You join us on a sorrowful day in West Midlands transport history. These are the final hours of Wolverhampton’s trolleybus system; once the most extensive network in the world, with tentacles reaching far beyond Wolverhampton itself.

Here, we’re in Dudley Street, Sedgeley (a district of lovely Dudley), as two Sunbeam W4 machines earn their final revenues. Sunbeam Commercial Vehicles was based in Wolverhampton and had grown out of the Sunbeam Motor Company. By the time this pair of trolley dollies were built, in 1948, Rootes had sold the arm to the Brockhouse Group, which was about to pass it on to Guy Motors.

At its height, Wolverhampton’s trolleybus network had 14 routes and an impressive 173 buses. The vehicles sometimes came off the wires, though, necessitating the comical sight of passengers having to get out and push. The closure of the system started back in 1961, with diesel buses taking up duties.

Showing little concern for public transport are the occupants of the non-electric vehicles queueing for Sedgeley’s centre. That doyen of local deliveries, an Austin A35 van, leads the line-up. Despite being dimensionally smaller than a Morris Minor van, an Austin A35 van could handle much the same payload. Note the ‘air-conditioning’ in use here, via the hinged roof vent.

Behind the A35, the trainee driver of the Leeway School of Motoring 1965 Austin Mini Super De Luxe is probably feeling a little nervous at his lack of forward vision amid all the heavy traffic. Lucky for them, the school is RAC-accredited, while the V-shaped badge on the grille suggests membership of the Company of Veteran Motorists.

There’s more British Motor Corporation front-wheel-drive action beyond. The chrome side trim of the ADO16 suggests an MG 1100 variant, but we’re back to Austin again with the following 1100. After that Ford pops up, not with a Popular but with the more luxurious Prefect version of the 100E. Four doors, a vertically barred grille, more chrome and a betterequipped interior marked the £658 100E Prefect out from its lowlier £511 Anglia sibling. A heater was still an optional extra, though.

Then we’re back to another 1100 ( goodness, the local BMC dealers must have been busy) and a Morris, also on learner driver duties.

In the background, turning out of a side road is another A35 van being dwarfed by an Austin or Morris FG truck. Petrol and diesel would rule the roads from now on, although BMC cars are a rare sight nowadays.