Maidstone Corporation Transport
Encyclopedia
Maidstone Corporation Transport was the operator of trams, trolleybuses and motorbuses in Maidstone
, Kent
from 1904 to 1974. The operations of Maidstone Corporation passed to Maidstone Borough Council Transport in reorganisation of local government in 1974, expanding the Borough boundaries.
, supplemented by routes to Loose
and Tovil
by 1907. The Barming trams were replaced by trolleybuses in 1928, and the Loose trams replaced in 1930. The Tovil tram was replaced by buses in 1929. The Maidstone trolleybus system
was expanded with development of new housing until 1963, when the decision was made to convert to buses. The last trolleybuses ran on 15 April 1967.
The tramway's main depot with its offices and sheds were located on the north side of Tonbridge Road, about 50 metres east of its junction with Queens Road. These premises were subsequently used by trolleybuses. As of 2009 the site had become a residential development named the Coach Yard, but some of the original tramway tracks and cobbles were still visible in a preserved central section of its accessway and car park.
A smaller tramshed (capacity 4 trams) was located in Pickering Street, Loose, and was also later used by the trolleybuses.
In 1974, under local government reorganisation and expansion of the borough boundary, Maidstone Corporation Transport became Maidstone Borough Council Transport.
and cream colour scheme, with gold Maidstone Corporation lettering and the council crest. A Fiesta blue and cream livery was introduced for the buses that replaced the trolleybuses.
owned by Maidstone and District
, Maidstone Corporation acquired five of their trolleybuses. Also purchased were two vehicles from the closing Brighton
system, including now-preserved 52.
Maidstone operated a universally double-deck fleet of motorbuses. Vehicles showed only destinations with no route numbers. The latter batches of motorbuses were standardised on the Leyland Titan as follows:
52 is at the East Anglia Transport Museum
, 56 and 72 at The Trolleybus Museum at Sandtoft
, Lincolnshire
,
and Nu-Venture
painted buses in liveries reminiscent of the ochre and fiesta blue Corporation liveries, with Arriva Dennis Dart
3176 and Nu-Venture Leyland Olympian
100 in ochre and Nu-Venture Leyland Titan
T857 in fiesta blue.
Maidstone
Maidstone is the county town of Kent, England, south-east of London. The River Medway runs through the centre of the town linking Maidstone to Rochester and the Thames Estuary. Historically, the river was a source and route for much of the town's trade. Maidstone was the centre of the agricultural...
, Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
from 1904 to 1974. The operations of Maidstone Corporation passed to Maidstone Borough Council Transport in reorganisation of local government in 1974, expanding the Borough boundaries.
History
Maidstone Corporation Tramways began operation on 14 July 1904 with the introduction of a service to BarmingBarming
Barming is a civil parish in the Maidstone District of Kent, England. It lies to the west of Maidstone, the county town, and had a population of 2234 persons . The eastern end of the parish is part of the built-up area of Maidstone, although the remainder is much more rural...
, supplemented by routes to Loose
Loose, Kent
Loose is a village some south of Maidstone, Kent, situated at the head of the Loose Valley. The village and the Loose Valley form the Loose Valley Conservation Area. The fast flowing River Loose which rises near Langley runs through the centre of the village and once supported a paper making...
and Tovil
Tovil
Tovil is a civil parish in the Borough of Maidstone, in Kent in the South East of England.It is a mixture of residential and industrial zoning, with an increase in commercial usage towards the centre of Maidstone, and more arable use on the outskirts....
by 1907. The Barming trams were replaced by trolleybuses in 1928, and the Loose trams replaced in 1930. The Tovil tram was replaced by buses in 1929. The Maidstone trolleybus system
Trolleybuses in Maidstone
The Maidstone trolleybus system once served Maidstone, the county town of Kent, England. Opened on , it gradually replaced the Maidstone tramway network....
was expanded with development of new housing until 1963, when the decision was made to convert to buses. The last trolleybuses ran on 15 April 1967.
The tramway's main depot with its offices and sheds were located on the north side of Tonbridge Road, about 50 metres east of its junction with Queens Road. These premises were subsequently used by trolleybuses. As of 2009 the site had become a residential development named the Coach Yard, but some of the original tramway tracks and cobbles were still visible in a preserved central section of its accessway and car park.
A smaller tramshed (capacity 4 trams) was located in Pickering Street, Loose, and was also later used by the trolleybuses.
In 1974, under local government reorganisation and expansion of the borough boundary, Maidstone Corporation Transport became Maidstone Borough Council Transport.
Liveries
Maidstone Corporation started out with an ochreOchre
Ochre is the term for both a golden-yellow or light yellow brown color and for a form of earth pigment which produces the color. The pigment can also be used to create a reddish tint known as "red ochre". The more rarely used terms "purple ochre" and "brown ochre" also exist for variant hues...
and cream colour scheme, with gold Maidstone Corporation lettering and the council crest. A Fiesta blue and cream livery was introduced for the buses that replaced the trolleybuses.
Fleet
Maidstone operated a fleet of Sunbeam trolleybuses. In 1959, following closure of the nearby Hastings Tramways trolleybus systemTrolleybuses in Hastings
The Hastings trolleybus system once served the town of Hastings, East Sussex, England. Opened on , it gradually replaced the Hastings tramway network....
owned by Maidstone and District
Maidstone & District Motor Services Ltd
Maidstone & District Motor Services Ltd was a bus company based in Maidstone, Kent. The company operated bus and coach services in Mid and West Kent and East Sussex from 1911 until 1998. The company's surviving operations were absorbed into Arriva Southern Counties.-Early years:In 1908 a hired...
, Maidstone Corporation acquired five of their trolleybuses. Also purchased were two vehicles from the closing Brighton
Brighton
Brighton is the major part of the city of Brighton and Hove in East Sussex, England on the south coast of Great Britain...
system, including now-preserved 52.
Maidstone operated a universally double-deck fleet of motorbuses. Vehicles showed only destinations with no route numbers. The latter batches of motorbuses were standardised on the Leyland Titan as follows:
- http://www.sct61.org.uk/ms1.htm Leyland Titan PD2/20 Massey 1956
- http://themunicipals.fotopic.net/p38316643.html Leyland Titan PD2/30 Massey 1957-59
- http://eamonnsphotos.fotopic.net/p42444608.html Leyland Titan PD2A/30 Massey 1961-63
- http://eamonnsphotos.fotopic.net/p42444607.html Leyland AtlanteanLeyland AtlanteanThe Leyland Atlantean is a model of double-decker bus built by Leyland in the United Kingdom from 1958 to 1986....
PDR1/1 Massey 1965-68 - http://eamonnsphotos.fotopic.net/p42444541.html Leyland Atlantean PDR1A/1 Northern Counties 1971
- http://eamonnsphotos.fotopic.net/p42444543.html Leyland Atlantean AN68/1R Northern Counties 1972
Preserved vehicles
- http://kensbuspics.fotopic.net/p2243519.html 26 (26 YKO), a 1963 Leyland Titan PD2A/30 bodied by MasseyMasseyMassey may refer to:In places:* Massey, New Zealand, a suburb Auckland* Massey, Ontario, Canada* Massey Island, Nunavut, Canada* Massey, Maryland, United StatesPeople with the surname:* Massey In education:...
- http://paulmichael.fotopic.net/p41858517.html 52 (LCD 52), a 1953 British United Traction trolleybus bodied by Weymann. Purchased secondhand by Maidstone
- http://www.sandtoft.org.uk/picviewer.shtml?56.jpg 56 (GKP 511), a 1944 Sunbeam W4 trolleybus, rebodied by Roe in 1960
- http://www.sandtoft.org.uk/picviewer.shtml?maidstone72.jpg 72 (HKR 11), a 1947 Sunbeam W4 trolleybus bodied by Northern Coach Builders
- 86 (BDY 809), a 1947 Sunbeam trolleybus bodied by Weymann. Purchased secondhand by Maidstone
52 is at the East Anglia Transport Museum
East Anglia Transport Museum
The East Anglia Transport Museum is an open air transport museum, with numerous historic public transport vehicles . It is located in Carlton Colville a suburb of Lowestoft, Suffolk...
, 56 and 72 at The Trolleybus Museum at Sandtoft
The Trolleybus Museum at Sandtoft
The Trolleybus Museum at Sandtoft is a transport museum which specialises in the preservation of trolleybuses. It is located by the village of Sandtoft, near Belton on the Isle of Axholme in the English county of Lincolnshire.-Description:...
, Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire is a county in the east of England. It borders Norfolk to the south east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south west, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire to the west, South Yorkshire to the north west, and the East Riding of Yorkshire to the north. It also borders...
,
Maidstone centenary of transport
2004 saw the centenary anniversary of transport in Maidstone. In commemoration there was a rally, cavalcade and running day featuring preserved vehicles from Maidstone Corporation and other local operators, together with present-day operators. Local bus operators Arriva Southern CountiesArriva Southern Counties
Arriva Southern Counties is a bus operator in London, Surrey, West Sussex, East Sussex, Kent and Essex in England. It is a regional division of Arriva.- History :...
and Nu-Venture
Nu-Venture
Nu-Venture Coaches Ltd is an Aylesford, Kent-based bus company. Established in 1960s as a coach company, Nu-Venture once operated coach tour holidays all over Europe, and, in the 1980s, a London commuter service, but coach hire activities ceased in 2010....
painted buses in liveries reminiscent of the ochre and fiesta blue Corporation liveries, with Arriva Dennis Dart
Dennis Dart
The Dennis Dart is a rear-engined midibus built by Dennis in the United Kingdom. More than 11,000 were built during 18 years of production....
3176 and Nu-Venture Leyland Olympian
Leyland Olympian
The Leyland Olympian was a double-decker bus built by British Leyland/Leyland Bus in the United Kingdom from 1980 to 1993. It was the last Leyland bus model in production before the demise of Leyland Bus.-Construction:...
100 in ochre and Nu-Venture Leyland Titan
Leyland Titan (B15)
The Leyland Titan was a model of double-decker bus produced by the Leyland Truck & Bus division of British Leyland from 1977 until 1984, almost exclusively for London Transport.-Development:...
T857 in fiesta blue.
External links
- Maidstone Corporation routes in 1973
- SCT'61 website Photos and descriptions of Maidstone Corporation trolleybuses and early motorbuses
- Maidstone Corporation Trolleybus Historical site including route map
- Fotopic collection with some Maidstone Corporation preserved vehicles
- Fotopic collection of Maidstone centenary running day
- List of preserved trolleybuses
- Southbus web page Centenary celebrations
