Maidstone Corporation Transport

Maidstone Corporation Transport was the operator of trams, trolleybuses and motorbuses in Maidstone, Kent from 1904 to 1974.^[1] The operations of Maidstone Corporation passed to Maidstone Borough Council Transport in reorganisation of local government in 1974, expanding the Borough boundaries.

History

Preserved tramlines pictured in 2009.

Maidstone Corporation Tramways began operation on 14 July 1904 with the introduction of a service to Barming, supplemented by routes to Loose and Tovil by 1907.^[2] The Barming trams were replaced by trolleybuses in 1928,^[2] and the Loose trams replaced in 1930.^[2] The Tovil tram was replaced by buses in 1929.^[3] 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.^[3]

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.^[2] These premises were subsequently used by trolleybuses.^[2] As of 2009 the site had become a residential development named the Coach Yard, but some of the original tramway tracks and cobbles have been left 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.^[2]

In 1974, under local government reorganisation and expansion of the borough boundary, Maidstone Corporation Transport became Maidstone Borough Council Transport.

In the film The Lincoln Lawyer Mickey Haller's (Matthew McConaughey) Los Angeles apartment is decorated with route signs from Maidstone Corporation Transport buses. The termini Senacre and Park Wood are clearly visible as police officers search the room.

Liveries

Maidstone Corporation started out with an ochre and cream colour scheme, with gold Maidstone Corporation lettering and the council crest.^[4] 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 system owned by Maidstone & District, Maidstone Corporation acquired five of their trolleybuses. Also purchased were two vehicles from the closing Brighton system, including now-preserved 52.^[5]

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:

• Daimler CVG6's Brush 1949^[6]
• Leyland Titan PD2/20 Massey 1956^[7]
• Leyland Titan PD2/30 Massey 1957-59^[8]
• Leyland Titan PD2A/30 Massey 1961-63^[9]
• Leyland Atlantean PDR1/1 Massey 1965-68^[10]
• Leyland Atlantean PDR1A/1 Northern Counties 1971^[11]
• Leyland Atlantean AN68/1R Northern Counties1972^[12]

Preserved vehicles

• 26^[13] (26 YKO), a 1963 Leyland Titan PD2A/30 bodied by Massey Brothers
• 52^[14] (LCD 52), a 1953 British United Traction trolleybus bodied by Weymann. Purchased secondhand by Maidstone
• 56^[15] (GKP 511), a 1944 Sunbeam W4 trolleybus, rebodied by Roe in 1960
• 72^[16] (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, 56 and 72 at The Trolleybus Museum at Sandtoft, Lincolnshire,

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 Counties 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. ^[17]

• 

  Arriva Southern Counties 3176, (P176 LKL), a Plaxton-bodied Dennis Dart SPD, in centenary livery

• 

  Nu-Venture Leyland Titan T857 (A857 SUL) in fiesta blue centenary livery

• 

  Nu-Venture Alexander RH bodied Leyland Olympian 100 (H838 PTW), wearing the centenary ochre livery

References

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

Former bus companies of the United Kingdom
National	Associated Motorways Blazefield Holdings British Bus British Coachways British Electric Traction Fraser Eagle GRT Group National Bus Company Thomas Tilling
England	Former bus companies operating in England North West England Birkenhead Transport Blackburn Transport Blue Bus and Coach Services Bluebird Bus and Coach Bu-Val Buses ChesterBus Citibus Tours Crosville Motor Services Finglands Coachways First Chester & The Wirral Glenvale Transport GM Buses John Fishwick & Sons JPT Lancashire United Transport Maynes Bus Maytree Travel MTL North Western Road Car Company (1923) North Western Road Car Company (1986) Pennine Blue Red & White Services Ribble Motor Services Speedwellbus Transdev Northern Blue UK North Yelloway Motor Services North East England Black Prince Buses Busways Travel Services Durham Travel Services Geldards Coaches Jolly Bus Leon Motors Mexborough and Swinton Traction Company Northern General Transport Company OK Motor Services Samuel Ledgard South Yorkshire Transport Tates Travel United Automobile Services Venture Transport West Riding Automobile Company West Yorkshire Road Car Yorkshire Rider Yorkshire Terrier Yorkshire Traction Midlands A2Z Travel Barton Transport Birmingham City Transport Birmingham Motor Traction Chase Coaches First Northampton Glossopdale Bus Company Go West Midlands Ludlows North Birmingham Busways People's Express Premiere Travel Probus Management South Notts Bus Company Stevensons of Uttoxeter Travel Merry Hill Travel Your Bus Wesley Coaches Zak's Buses Eastern England Eastern National Omnibus Company MK Metro TWH Bus & Coach South West England Badgerline Bristol Omnibus Company Devon General Greyhound Motors Great Western Railway Hants & Dorset Motor Services Shamrock Buses Southern National Sureline Trathens Travel Services Truronian WebberBus Western Greyhound Western National South East England Alder Valley Aldershot & District Traction Badger Vectis Boro'line Maidstone Brijan Tours Bygone Buses Cavendish Motor Services Centra City Clipper Countryliner East Kent Road Car Company Invictaway Kent Top Travel Maidstone & District Maidstone Corporation Transport Marchwood Motorways Moss Motor Tours Portsmouth Corporation Transport Shamrock Buses Southampton Citybus Southdown Motor Services Thames Transit Thames Valley Traction Tillingbourne Bus Company Velvet Yellow Bus Services Greater London Bexleybus Birch Brothers Boro'line London Capital Citybus Capital Logistics Connex East Thames Buses First London Grey-Green Harris Bus Imperial Buses London Buslines London Country Bus Services London Country North East London Country North West London Country South East London Country South West London Easylink London Electrobus Company London Forest London Pride Sightseeing London Traveller MTL NSL Buses Thorpes Travel London Travel Surrey Westlink
Scotland	Former bus companies operating in Scotland Scottish Bus Group Central Scottish Clydeside Scottish Eastern Scottish Highland Scottish Kelvin Central Buses Kelvin Scottish Lowland Scottish Midland Scottish Northern Scottish Western Scottish Other operators Arriva Scotland West A1 Service Dart Buses First Stop Travel Gibson's of Moffat McKindless Munro's of Jedburgh Oban and District Scottish Motor Traction Strathclyde Buses Western SMT
Wales	Former bus companies operating in Wales Companies Crosville Motor Services Islwyn Borough Transport National Welsh Omnibus Services Padarn Bus Red & White Services Rhondda Transport Company South Wales Transport Western Welsh