Christchurch trolleybus turntable
Encyclopedia
The Christchurch trolleybus turntable formed part of the Bournemouth trolleybus system
, which served the town of Bournemouth
and its environs, on the south coast of England
.
was used to turn around all Bournemouth trolleybus
es terminating at Church Street, Christchurch
, a borough and town adjoining Bournemouth in the east.
Manually operated, the turntable remained in use until the closure of the Bournemouth trolleybus system on . It is still in existence, and is now a Grade II listed building.
, in Huddersfield
, West Yorkshire
, England
(in operation 1939–1940; demolished late 1980s), and the Unterburg trolleybus turntable in Solingen
, Germany
(still in use for heritage trolleybus services). A fourth known trolleybus turntable was one used on the Guadalajara trolleybus system
in Mexico
in the 1980s, in a since-closed trolleybus-only tunnel in the city centre, on a temporary basis in 1982–1983 and again from 1985 until early 1988 (when the tunnel closed for the start of work to convert it for use by Guadalajara's light rail system).
Trolleybuses in Bournemouth
The Bournemouth trolleybus system once served the town of Bournemouth, then in Hampshire, but now in Dorset, England. Opened on , it gradually replaced the Bournemouth tramway network....
, which served the town of Bournemouth
Bournemouth
Bournemouth is a large coastal resort town in the ceremonial county of Dorset, England. According to the 2001 Census the town has a population of 163,444, making it the largest settlement in Dorset. It is also the largest settlement between Southampton and Plymouth...
and its environs, on the south coast of England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
History
Opened on , the turntableCar Turntable
A car turntable or driveway turntable is a rotating platform designed for use by a car; they can be motorized or manually rotated and are usually installed in a driveway or in a garage floor. They rotate a motor vehicle to facilitate its easier or safer egress...
was used to turn around all Bournemouth trolleybus
Trolleybus
A trolleybus is an electric bus that draws its electricity from overhead wires using spring-loaded trolley poles. Two wires and poles are required to complete the electrical circuit...
es terminating at Church Street, Christchurch
Christchurch, Dorset
Christchurch is a borough and town in the county of Dorset on the south coast of England. The town adjoins Bournemouth in the west and the New Forest lies to the east. Historically in Hampshire, it joined Dorset with the reorganisation of local government in 1974 and is the most easterly borough in...
, a borough and town adjoining Bournemouth in the east.
Manually operated, the turntable remained in use until the closure of the Bournemouth trolleybus system on . It is still in existence, and is now a Grade II listed building.
Significance
The Christchurch turntable is said to be one of only four trolleybus turntables ever to have been constructed worldwide. Two other such turntables are the similarly abandoned Longwood trolleybus turntableLongwood trolleybus turntable
The Longwood trolleybus turntable formed part of the Huddersfield trolleybus system, which served the market town of Huddersfield, in West Yorkshire, England.-History:...
, in Huddersfield
Huddersfield
Huddersfield is a large market town within the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees, in West Yorkshire, England, situated halfway between Leeds and Manchester. It lies north of London, and south of Bradford, the nearest city....
, West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire is a metropolitan county within the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England with a population of 2.2 million. West Yorkshire came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972....
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
(in operation 1939–1940; demolished late 1980s), and the Unterburg trolleybus turntable in Solingen
Solingen
Solingen is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located on the northern edge of the region called Bergisches Land, south of the Ruhr area, and with a 2009 population of 161,366 is the second largest city in the Bergisches Land...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
(still in use for heritage trolleybus services). A fourth known trolleybus turntable was one used on the Guadalajara trolleybus system
Trolleybuses in Guadalajara
The Guadalajara trolleybus system serves Guadalajara, the capital city of the state of Jalisco in Mexico.Opened on 20 November 1976, the system is owned and operated by Sistema de Transporte Colectivo de la Zona Metropolitana . , it had two lines, each of which connected the area west of the city...
in Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
in the 1980s, in a since-closed trolleybus-only tunnel in the city centre, on a temporary basis in 1982–1983 and again from 1985 until early 1988 (when the tunnel closed for the start of work to convert it for use by Guadalajara's light rail system).
See also
- History of BournemouthHistory of BournemouthThe History of Bournemouth and human settlement in the surrounding area goes back for thousands of years.In 1800 the area was largely a remote and barren heathland, used only by smugglers and revenue troops...
- Transport in Bournemouth
- Listed buildings in Christchurch, Dorset
External links
- Bournemouth Corporation Trolley Buses: A Brief History
- Bournemouth trolleybus picture gallery - including images and description of the turntable.