New Plymouth Trolley

The world is full of critics......

The arrival of these four trolley buses in New Plymouth in 1950
changed my life forever.

They were built in the local tramway workshops which had just
finished three OPS 1 half cabs, and were the last buses built in New
Plymouth.
They were wooden construction,very similar (and with good
reason....same plans ) to the Fiducia trams and the trolleys that
Wellington built at Kilbirnie.
There were only very minor variations between the Cities.

The Crossley chassis were built in Manchester England, and were
consecutively numbered amongst Wellingtons.
The main difference was electrical, the NP buses had traction
batteries for off road movements.
They were 33 feet long and were the only single deck chassis that
Crossley motors made ...width 8'2''. 42 seats.

They could have been longer which would have ballanced them as they
had quite a bob tail look about them.
The driving position was abominable.
A very hard upright drivers seat and very heavy steering.
The steering wheel was actually on a slight vertical angle, and the
footpedals were too close to the feet causing the operator to sit
sort of stooped over them.

When I worked in Wellington on the trolley Buses as a mechanic, they
were very unpopular and only rostered on broken shifts or shorts.
An attempt was made around 1970 to improve things and No 4 was fitted
with a BUT steering box and modified pedals bent to better suit the
driver. BUT road wheels were also fitted......A very expensive
modification.
No4 was accepted for a while, and No 7 was similarly converted but
never finished. It never re entered service and became an office
within Kilbirnie workshops during building alterations until sold.

I drove No 3 at the Wellington trolley bus festival, and believe me
it was a beast !!!!
Of course being a Gunzel one does not complain does one ?

WGB





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