Huddersfield Trolleys and Buses

In the early days of tram operations, the local borough or corporation would lay tracks that would carry the trams, while the cars would be operated by private enterprise. All this changed on 11 January 1883 when Huddersfield Corporation was given government dispensation to operate its own system. The last Huddersfield tramcar operated to Brighouse on Saturday 29 June 1940 and no vehicle survived into preservation.

In 1933 a complete regeneration of the transport system was undertaken when the Corporation opted to replace its ageing trams with trolleybuses. Such importance was placed on the trams (and then trolleybuses) that it was a rare sight to see a motorbus in the centre of Huddersfield before the early 1960s. After 1960, however, the Corporation converted to diesel motorbuses.

In a nostalgic look back on the trolley and bus services of the town, Michael Berry looks at the history and demise of the Huddersfield system.