FOR BTA MEMBERS:  The 2026 AGM A reminder to members that the Annual General Meeting of the Bradford Trolleybus Association will take place on Saturday 25 April 2026 at 2:00 pm at The Leonardo Hotel, 2 Thornton Road, Bradford  BD1 2DH Please see the AGM Notice (sent with Trackless 260) if you are unable to attend in person and would like to participate via “Zoom”. After the formal meeting Andy Feather will give a talk about his experiences working with Bradford’s overhead line engineers, with more background to his recent book “In Search of Perfect Curves”.

Bradford and its trolleybuses

New technology has made electric vehicles a widespread reality, but electric buses are nothing new. Over a century ago the trolleybus was born – an electric bus drawing its power from a network of overhead wires. Trolleybuses served British towns and cities for many years and Bradford had an impressive system. They disappeared from British streets in 1972 but a number survive in museums where many of them are still in operation.

The first and the last

In 1911 Bradford had the distinction, jointly with Leeds, of being the first operator of trolleybuses in the UK. At its peak it had a fleet of over 200 vehicles and when the system closed Bradford was the country’s last remaining operator.

Bradford Trolleybus 758

The Association’s principal mission is to complete the restoration of no.758, one of Bradford’s last new trolleybuses purchased in 1950. It enjoyed an eventful history during its service days and after taking part in part in the Diamond Jubilee celebration in 1971 it became the last rear-entrance trolleybus to run in the UK. Read more…

No.758 is currently resident at Keighley Bus Museum, where it has been cared for since 2013 and is now in the final stages of a long-term restoration project.

Since entering preservation 758 had several moves and experienced many ups and downs. Read more… A massive amount of work has been done since restoration began. Read more about Restoring No.758 and Latest Progress.

We still need more funding and volunteer support to complete the project and expect to finish by late-2026. Read more … Latest reports are posted on our Facebook page. When completed, 758 will return to The Trolleybus Museum at Sandtoft and join the operational fleet in service for visitors.

The Bradford Trolleybus Association

The BTA was formed when the Bradford system closed in 1972, following the successful acquisition by two founder members of no.834: one of the City’s most modern trolleybuses. Today the Association owns one vehicle, no.758, the unique survivor of a batch of eight Weymann-bodied BUT 9611Ts built for Bradford during 1950.

758’s restoration has so far cost almost £70,000 and could not have been achieved without massive financial support and commitment from our members. We need to keep up the momentum and are always delighted to welcome new members and new volunteers to help with the work. BTA members receive our quarterly magazine Trackless and a monthly e-newsletter. Read more …

The BTA has been a contributing society at The Trolleybus Museum at Sandtoft since its foundation in 1972 and the Museum’s 40th anniversary Bradford commemoration in 2012 was a memorable event.