New trolleybuses

[jamespetts]

My Christmas project for 2022-2023 has been to add more trolleybuses to the pakset: until very recently, there were only a small number of types, mostly double deckers, and only those appearing on the London and Glasgow systems, with the result that a great many significant models were omitted, and, even more importantly, there were no trolleybuses before 1931, whereas in fact, trolleybuses first ran in the UK from 1911.

I have now completed the trolleybus project and document the additions in this thread. I will include images of the old trolleybuses alongside the new ones to give a complete picture. The trolleybuses will be documented in order of introduction date. Note that nearly all of these trolleybuses have multiple liveries, including Bradford (light blue), Teesside (green) and London (red); many also have Birmingham (dark blue) and, after 1949, Glasgow (green/orange/cream). The idea is to give players a basic choice of colour scheme to allow distinguishing among different players' vehicles.

As with many historical and contemporary road vehicles, the chassis are often built by a different manufacturer from the body, giving a wildly diverging specification. I have generally followed the convention of naming the vehicles after the chassis and specifying the complete vehicle based on what is likely to be considered to be the most useful contemporary body by Simutrans standards. Some existing trolleybuses in the pakset that were formerly named by body type and/or London Transport class have been renamed to follow this convention.



This is the original Railless Electric Traction (RET) trolleybus introduced in Bradford in 1911, a small single deck vehicle with solid tyres that could seat 28 passengers.



This is Bradford's own development on the RET original, the Bradford-Brown trolleybus, with slightly enhanced specifications (including being able to seat 29 passengers and slightly improved acceleration), seen here in the Bradford livery.



This is the first double deck trolleybus in the UK (1914), the Cedes/Dodson, capable of seating up to 34 passengers.



This is the RET B10 trolleybus, a diminutive trolleybus intended for driver only operation.



This is the Straker-Squire A-type, an innovative trolleybus in its day (1921).



Here is the AEC 602T, the first in a long line of successful AEC trolleybuses, from 1922.



This is the RET F12, a 51 seater double decker from 1922.



This is the double deck version of the Straker-Squire A type.



This is the RET LF30, a 52-seater double decker from 1924.



This is the AEC 607T, a double decker from 1926.



This is the AEC 603T, a single decker from 1926 featuring pneumatic tyres (earlier trolleybuses all had solid tyres).



This is the Guy-BTX-60, the first three axle/six wheel trolleybus from 1926, carrying 60 passengers on pneumatic tyres.



This is the Straker LL, an updated version of the A type.



This is the AEC 605T, a small one person operated trolleybus from 1927 as used in Bradford.



This is the Guy BTX-37, a six wheel single decker trolleybus from 1928 capable of seating 37 passengers.



This is the Karrier E6, a rival to the Guy BTX-66, a double decker on three axles from 1928 carrying 60 passengers.



This is the English Electric A-type, a single deck trolleybus from 1929.



This is the English Electric E11, a double decker with what was a powerful motor for its time (1929). Not shown because it looks virtually identical is the EE11/100 (the version with an even more powerful 100hp motor from 1931), whose motor power would not be surpassed for some time.





This is the Guy BTX-66, an updated version of the Guy BTX-60, capable of seating 66 passengers, available from 1930.



This is the Guy BT-32, a 32 seat single decker trolleybus from 1930 that set the standard for medium sized twin axle single decker trolleybuses for the rest of the decade.



This is the Leyland TBD1, a twin axle double deck trolleybus from 1931 with seating capacity for 48 based closely on the famous petrol powered Leyland Titan TD1 - so closely, in fact, that the model retains an engine compartment and even radiator.



This is the Karrier E4S, the single deck version of the Karrier E4 and rival to the Guy BT-32.



This is the AEC 663T trolleybus as purchased by London United Tramways in 1931. That company called it the A1 class, and it was nicknamed the "diddler". This is one of the trolleybuses that was added to the pakset many years ago, albeit has now been updated with multiple liveries. This was formerly the earliest available trolleybus in the pakset.





This is the Karrier E6/II - an updated version of the Karrier E6 from 1931, carrying 60 passengers.



This is the Guy BT-48, a 48 seater double deck twin axle trolleybus competing with the Leyland TBD1.



This is the Leyland 662T, a single decker trolleybus closely based on the petrol powered Regent chassis (again, right down to the radiator and engine compartment).



This is the AEC 661T of 1932, capable of seating 48 passengers. Note the dummy radiator grille, although this body at least has a flat front.





This is the Leyland TB2 of 1932, a twin axle 50 seat double decker of the sort supplied to Lanelli in south Wales when it first opened its trolleybus system - a system well remembered by my mother and grandmother, who used to ride on it regularly until its closure in 1952.



This is the Leyland TTBD1, the first Leyland 3 axle trolleybus, from 1932, seating 60 passengers.



This is an updated version of the Guy BT-32.





This is the Karrier E4, a 4 wheel double deck model from Karrier seating 50 passengers.



This is an updated version of the Karrier E6 from 1934, carrying 64 passengers.







This is an updated version of the AEC 661T from 1934, carrying 60 passengers on two axles. This is shown in London Transport livery, although London Transport in fact only ever bought the one, and it was the only two axle model ever used by London Transport. Other operators, however, took a great many more.



This is the Leyland TTB2, a powerful three axle 60 seater trolleybus which was shorter and lighter than some contemporary designs to make it more suitable for use in hilly areas. For this purpose, a number were ordered in 1935 by London Transport, in whose livery it is depicted here.



This is the Leyland TTB3, released at the same time as the TTB2, with a longer body, higher weight, greater passenger carrying capacity of 64 but a less powerful motor, more suited to flatter terrain.





This is the AEC 664T from 1935, of which great numbers were purchased by London Transport to replace trams. It can carry up to 70 passengers.



This is the Karrier E6A, a 68 seater three axle double decker from 1935.



This is the Leyland TB3, Leyland's offering in the single deck 32 seat market.



This is the Guy BTX-39, a 39 seater three axle single decker with a powerful motor.



This is the Leyland TB4, an update on the TB2, introduced in 1936 and carrying 56 passengers on two axles.



This is the Leyland TTB4, one of the trolleybuses already in the pakset, albeit under a different name, being the London Transport class name of K2. One of these trolleybuses can be seen in the London Transport Museum in Covent Garden. It seats 70 passengers and is introduced in 1936.



This is the Guy BT-56, a 56 seater two axle trolleybus from 1936 to replace the earlier BT-48.



This is an updated version of the Karrier E4, a 4 wheeled trolleybus from 1936 carrying 56 passengers.



This is the Guy BTX-68, a 68 seater 3 axle trolleybus from 1938.



This is the Karrier W4, the "utility" model from 1942 with more inexpensive production and hard wooden seats. Some of these were purchased by the Lanelli system in the 1940s.

These are upgradable in the late 1940s to a "relaxed utility" specification version with upholstered seats and thus a higher comfort.



This is the Karrier W4S, the single deck version of the Karrier W4.





This is the Sunbeam F4S, a 32 seat single decker from 1947.



This is an updated version of the Guy BTX-68, introduced in 1947.





This is the BUT 9611T, a twin axle 56 seat model from 1947.



This is the BUT 9641T - another trolleybus that was already in the pakset as the MCW Q1, but has been renamed to match the standard chassis based naming convention. This is a 70 seater six wheeler from 1948 extensively used by London Transport.



This is the Sunbeam F4 from 1948 - Sunbeam's answer to the BUT 9611T, a twin axle 56 seater.





This is the Sunbeam S7, a 70 seater six wheel trolleybus from 1948.



Another trolleybus that was already in the pakset, this is the Sunbeam F4A, a twin axle 62 seater from 1952, taking advantage of the relaxed regulations on size for twin axle vehicles to be introduced at around that tme.





This is the BUT RETB-1/1, a standee trolleybus introduced in Glasgow in 1953, with seats for 27 but a standing capacity of 40.



This is the BUT 9613T from 1957, another trolleybus already in the pakset, this vehicle can carry 71 seated passengers on two axles.



This is the BUT RETB-1/2, another trolleybus already in the pakset, these single deckers from 1958 could seat 55 people.



Also already in the pakset, this is the Routemaster trolleybus, a vehicle designed but not actually produced, but included in the pakset to allow players to continue using trolleybuses for longer than they were actually used in the UK.



Similarly to the previous trolleybus, this is the Dennis Electroline, another relatively modern trolleybus of which only one was built as a prototype but was never placed into service. This was also already in the pakset.