Photography by David Page
Climbing St Ehochs Road on the routes to Wibsey, St Enochs Road Top and Buttershaw route.
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The last motor bus journey from Wibsey to the city centre took place on Saturday 23rd April 1955 and the Wibsey trolley bus era commenced the following morning, with trolley buses 685 and 677 making the journeys to St Enoch's Road top and Acre Lane terminus respectively. The allocated service numbers were 44 - St Enoch's Road top, 45 - Wibsey terminus, 46 Buttershaw (from 1956), and 47 - Little Horton. Fares from the city were St Luke's Hospital - 1d., Brigella Mills - 2d., Southfield Lane - 3d., St Enoch's Road top - 3d, Wibsey - 4d.
St.Enoch's Road passengers seem to have got quite a bargain, having to pay only the same fare as to Little Horton NB The fares are obviously in old currency as the new decimal currency was not introduced until 1971. Colin Wright (from whose article these extracts are taken) and his two schoolboy friends were unable to make the journey on the very first trolley bus as they were all choir boys and attended their Sunday morning services.

Later in the day, however, and before their evening choir duties, they at last sampled the long awaited thrill of a trolley bus ride to town and back. They were &suitably impressed by the silent, fume-free vehicles and their rapid ascent of St Enoch's Road. During the summer of 1955, the route was extended to Buttershaw via Wibsey Park Avenue and Reevy Road West. Despite delays in the completion of road surfaces near Boltby Lane, on the Buttershaw estate, on Sunday 8th April 1956 the three choirboys boarded the first public service trolley bus journey to Buttershaw Cooper Lane and back, before quickly taking up their places in the choir stalls of St Paul's church.
To be continued... Stella H Carpenter