Trolley Buses of Rockdale Kogarah & Sandringham

[Leopard_071]

Found these old photos sranned from Kodak Slides. Hope you enyoy them. I would like help with the areas as I only know that the Depot was in Rocky Point Rd.,Kogarah. There is a Motel on the site these days.

[wyth]

They are beautiful pix, never knew you had trolleys there, we had trolleys back home, Bournemouth, ours looked very modern!!!! What yrs roughly were they taken?

[Dave Wilson]

Photos are from the 1950s - the system closed in August 1959. AEC 664Ts and Leyland TTB4s. I think Bournemouth had 3 axle Sunbeams from the same era.

trolleybuses drove through the rear of the depot.

[vernbale]

Great old shots, we had BUT trolley buses in the 50's and 60's but not double deckers

[Skindog the Hawk]

This may be a bit of a stupid question, but aside from the not needing to lay track, was there any benefit to trolleybuses over trams?

SD.

[Bedford-29]

Bounremouth last trolleybuses to be built were front and rear entrance two axle Sunbeam MF2B with Weymann H35/28RD bodywork these were only 7 years old when Bournemouth trolleybus system closed in 1969.Looking at pictures 8 & 9 road 2 looks like one of the S/Ds is sitting inside the depot.

[busmadrod]

we had trolleybuses in brisbane but only single decker and very small

[G. Lewis]

.. Pure Gold !!! ... Thanks for posting ...

[simonl]

This may be a bit of a stupid question, but aside from the not needing to lay track, was there any benefit to trolleybuses over trams?

SD.

I think lighter weight and better acceleration. Although someone will no doubt be able to cite an example to counter that. Probably cheaper to buy the trolley bus as compared to a tram.

EDIT: Actually, another advantage would be that a broken down trolley bus doesn't necessarily block other trolleybuses - it can just be detached from the wire.

[Bedford-29]

A trolleybus had the advantages of a motor bus pull into a normal bus stop and depart like a normal motor bus a trolleybus may have been confined to 600 volt overhead wires but they did have battery`s for off wire movement around the depot yard and sometimes use the battery`s in case of power failures to get to the terminus or the depot.But a modern trolleybuses nowadays are fitted battery`s or a diesel engine for off wire movement.

[boronia]

This may be a bit of a stupid question, but aside from the not needing to lay track, was there any benefit to trolleybuses over trams?
SD.

One of the attractions to English operators was that many had considerable money tied up in power supply infrastructure built for trams, that was in reasonably good condition. The TB allowed them to withdraw the trams without wasting assets.

[Leopard_071]

Found 5 more photos of Rockdale Trolly Buses.

[Bedford-29]

No:5 was rebuilt like that so it would strengthen the body.S/D 1 & 2 Wylde st D/D 3,4 and 5 Potts point these trolleybuses ended there operational days on the Kogarah.

[boronia]

They were rebuilt, but I don't think they saw much use at Kogarah because of the lack of rear door.

That pic would be on a AETA tour, some familiar faces there.

[dougea]

I think Pic 2 and pic 6 were taken at the same place, Sandringham, possibly same day, same bus.

Doug

[boronia]

Many of you may have a copy of "The Sydney Trolley Buses", published by Ian MacCowan back in 1988.

A much updated version of this book is now at the pre-publication stage, and may be available by the end of this year.

[boronia]

Just had a look through said book, and it mentions No 5 receieved an overhaul in 1953, so is probably just out of Randwick workshops at that time.

Interesting to note that although closure of the TB system had probably been planned well in advance, one vehicle was still being overhauled at Randwick at the time of the system's demise.

[ross johnson]

Remember in the mid-1950's traveling along Alison road Randwick near the RACECOURSE and looking across to the left from Rte 399 MAROUBRA BEACH top deck DDs and noticing at least 2 Trolleybuses parked in RANDWICK Tramway Workshops, near a large building in the middle of the site. I presume these were KOGARAH vehicles being overhauled.

[HiHo]

They are beautiful pix, never knew you had trolleys there, we had trolleys back home, Bournemouth, ours looked very modern!!!! What yrs roughly were they taken?

These are great photos and Urabus could add more but he is in Longueville private hospital with a brokern ankle and would like visitors.

[greeens1]

I note in the photos that bus 10 at the entrance of the depot has the thick black line and is in original condition at the end of its life.. .
Regard Greens...

[HiHo]

All the Kogarah fleet had a thick band around the lower deck window as built. Rebuilding commenced in 1952 6 12 15 and 18 received thick bands around the windows on each deck all other vehicles rebuilt were given thin bands. 18 was also givern thin bands after a 1958 repaint.It was the only vehicle to have 3 variations in its working life. 10 was never rebuilt. This information came from URABUS.

[greeens1]

Thank you kindly for that interesting imformation I was too young to remember any real detail when I saw them running, I went on them on the last day in traffic in 1959 .
Regards greens...

[lunchbox]

Wonderful pix. Thanks. Love the robust little poles supporting the time clocks at the terminii, complete with standard "tramway" finials !!!

And can somone put names to the guys in the tour pic please? (Arthur "Trolley Pole" Perry is an obvious stand-out.....

[Leopard_071]

A few photo of single deck trolley buses in Sydney

[Bedford-29]

Your last picture in the S/D trolleybus line is No:1 not No:2.And by the look of No:1 it looks like its at Rushcutters bay somewhere near the depot.