Another postcard from a series of postcards issued in 1977 by City of Cardiff Transport. This 38 seat, No. 242, EBO 895, Single Deck Trolleybus was built in 1949. 'There were five of these single deck trolleybuses - an extra one was built in 1965 - used on the Monument & Pier Head route because of the low railway bridge in Bute Street. They all had GEC electrical equipment and the first five had a Conductor-operated 'Pay-as-you-enter' fare system - in use until 1950 - passengers boarded at the rear and alighted at the front where there was an air-operated sliding door. The sliding doors were not used after 1954. By 1955 there was a total of 79 trolleybuses in Cardiff. No. 242 was withdrawn in 1964 when the Bute Street route was converted to motorbus operation.' [001] [388]
The trolleybuses picked up their electrical supply via an overhead pantograph which often had to be reconnected by the conductor after the driver rounded a bend too fast! A favourite spot was the bend out of St. Mary Street in front of the castle where the conductor would swear under his breath and extract a long wooden pole from a receptacle at the rear of the vehicle and reconnect the contacts whilst the traffic of Cardiff sounded their horns and fumed! The overhead suspended wires traversed the main routes through Cardiff.
As a member of the Excelsior Ropes Works Band (formerly the Melingriffth Band) I recall heading the Lord Mayor's Parade through Queen Street (prior to its pedestrianisation). The drum major (Derek xxxx?) got a little carried away and threw his mace a little higher than normal and if hit the trolleybus cables, turned and landed across the twin cables, shorting out the trolleybus electrical systems for the city! As I was in the last row of the band with only the drummers behind, by the time I marched onward and under, the sparks were still dropping. There were many people applauding as I recall but it wasn't for the music!
