June 21, 2014:
I got up at 8:30 am and got dressed. I went to the lobby for breakfast. After breakfast, I got my things together and walked to the bus stop. The first route #70 bus actually drove past me without stopping! However, I had plenty of time and the bus ran frequently. I walked to a nearby park and ride lot and waited for the next bus. I got on and rode to the Frenchgate Mall where the bus terminal is.
I bought a bottle of Pepsi from a store in the mall and waited for my bus which was scheduled to leave at 11:00 am. The bus arrived a few minutes before 11:00 am. It was a double decker bus operated by Isle Coaches. I let the driver know I was going to the trolleybus museum.
I got a seat on the upper level at the front. The bus soon departed.
It was a 43 minute bus ride to Epworth where I got off and photographed the bus.
Epworth wasn't near the museum. I had to transfer to a shuttle run by one of the museum's motor buses which was an ex London single decker. I photographed it before I got on.
The bus soon departed. I compared this to as if the Halton County Radial Railway Museum back home ran a free shuttle from the museum to Highway 7 which is the nearest transit route; a bus route run by GO Transit.
The ride was about 15 minutes long. We soon arrived at the trolleybus museum. I saw BBC #189 with its poles on the wires suggesting it will run. I got off and photographed the bus I arrived on.
I then paid my admission and went inside. The first thing I did was photograph BBC #189.
I saw a piece of paper in the window of the bus giving a brief history of #189. I saw that the museum had bought the bus from Edmonton for $1. I then read how they found $2.10 in change inside the bus! However, it obviously cost quite a bit of money to ship the bus from Edmonton to England.
I then photographed more trolleybuses including #5088; an ex Athens, Greece trolleybus visiting from another museum.
I saw a museum member was getting into #189 to move it. I walked over. He told me he was just moving the bus a length ahead, but 189 would be in service later. I took one more photo of #189.
I went up to the front and noticed the remnants of the 8 and the second 9 from when the bus ran as #9189 in Toronto. I couldn't make out the 91 though. I then photographed other trolleybuses in the collection.
There was a tour of the garage. I decided to go on it. He first pointed out double deck trolleybus #99 from Bournemouth.
Next was a horse pulled line cart and Reading double deck trolleybus #113 which I believe is the first trolleybus acquired by the museum.
Next was Manchester trolleybus # 1344.
Next was Nottingham #493.
Next, visitors were shown trolleybus #140 from Porto, Portugal and a line truck.
Meanwhile, the person giving the tour showed various components of the trolleybus overhead. He explained how the spacer bar between the wired was made out of wood so if a coach dewired and struck it, the spacer would break instead of bringing down a considerable amount of overhead wire!
I looked behind me to see BBC #189 drive past. I left the tour and filmed #189 pass. It stopped a short distance away. I sprinted to #189 and was able to get on and go for a ride! This was the first time since the Dayton Charter I rode on a BBC from Edmonton.
#189 went to in front of the main boarding area and looped around. I got off and photographed #189. When I got off, I mentioned how Edmonton was stupid to get rid of trolleybuses to a museum member. He said the people who pushed to get rid of them used arguments to get rid of trolleybuses in Britain which were proven false!
Meanwhile, museum members had pulled out coach #5 from Limoges, France. I photographed it.
Meanwhile, museum members arranged a group of five buses including #189. I photographed the line up.
Museum members gave a brief history of each bus. When they got to #189, the announcer mentioned that one of the visitors {me} had ridden it in Edmonton. I felt like a celebrity. Nothing like that has EVER happened at previous transit museums I've visited.
I ran into museum member Bruce who looks after #189. Prior to this trip, I emailed him asking when would be the best chance to see #189 operating. When he recognized me, he said glad I could make it.
#189 was going out next. I went for another ride. I then photographed #189.
I then went for a ride on the visiting trolleybus from Athens. I noticed that the bus made a cool sound when it was accelerating. I got off and photographed the bus.
I then went on bus #5 from Portugal. I got off and photographed it.
I photographed a bus awaiting restoration and then went on the oldest running trolleybus in the museum; Liege, Belgium coach #425 which was built in 1932.
I then went for a ride on British double decker trolleybus #72. I photographed before I got on.
During the ride, I photographed #189 from the upper deck of #72.
I went for one last ride on coach #202 from France which is a combined trolley and diesel bus kind of like what runs presently in Boston on the Silver line. I photographed #202.
It was time to go. I boarded the bus that brought me from Epworth to Sandtoft. When I got to Epworth, I photographed the bus.
I then walked a block to catch the bus back to Doncaster. When it arrived, I photographed it.
The ride back to Doncaster was uneventful. Once I got back, I had dinner. I then caught a bus back to my hotel. When I got back, I worked on this report some more and went online. I eventually set my alarm and called it a night.
June 22, 2014:
I got up and got dressed. I went to the lobby for breakfast. After breakfast, I returned to my room and got my stuff. I then walked to the bus stop. The route #70 doesn't run on Sundays, so I had to take the route #72. I had a long wait, but the bus came and I rode it to the Frenchgate Mall. I still had plenty of time though. I wandered around and bought a book at a bookstore. I then bought lunch from the food court while I waited for my bus to the trolleybus museum.
Unlike yesterday, the bus was a free bus that went directly to the museum. It also left at noon instead of 11:00 am. I thought it would be the same bus that took me between Epworth and the museum the day before, but when the bus arrived, it was double decker #1357. I got on and took a seat on the top deck at the front. The bus soon departed.
We arrived at the museum about 40 minutes later. I got off and photographed the bus.
I went inside and paid admission. The buses that were running the day before were running again; including BBC #189. I photographed #189 and coach #22, a 1 ½ decker trolleybus from Germany.
I photographed and filmed some of the running trolleybuses before I went for a ride on #189.
I got off and photographed #189.
I spoke with Bruce about #189 and its sister trolleybuses. After awhile, I photographed some old streetcar bodies.
They had another line up with some trolleybuses. I photographed it.
I went for another ride on #189 and then photographed it.
I then went for a ride on Liege #425 and photographed it.
I went for a ride on double decker trolleybus #72 and then photographed it.
I had hoped to ride #5088 again, but it was time to catch the shuttle back to Doncaster. I photographed #189 again.
The bus I would take was the single deck bus I rode between Epworth and the museum the day before. I photographed it before I got on.
When I was on the bus, I saw them pull out an old motor bus. I photographed from the bus.
The bus back to Doncaster departed. The ride home was uneventful. I got off and went outside the Frenchgate Square terminal and filmed the bus departing.
I wandered around the area for a little while. At one point, I photographed a double decker in service.
I had dinner at a KFC. I then walked back to the Frenchgate terminal and caught a route #72 bus back to my hotel. I worked on this report some more before I started packing. I eventually called it a night.
Click to read about my trip back to London: Part 3
