There are 3 traction poles left, the one you showed plus one at Llandaff Fields and near Sainsbury's Newport Rd. 4 Cardiff trolleybuses survived. The single decker and the flag bedecked one which I part owned 1968-1970 are at The Bus Depot Broad St Barry. Visitors welcome Tuesday and Saturday with a guaranteed cuppa. Hope you can make time to visit us.
Thank you for that wonderful tour of my original home city. There is so much that I had never really noticed, despite passing some of the things almost daily. As regards the trolleybus poles, quite a large amount of the metalwork was used to build the new miniature railway in St.Julian's Glebelands in Newport. This was done when the St. Mellons Model Engineering Society (later Newport MES) moved to Newport, and was enabled by the late Felix Cunuder who was the Deputy Transport Manager and also a keen model engineer himself. The Italians who stayed in Wales certainly made an impact (for the better), with nearly every valley café having an Italian name- I often had lunch in them whilst doing deliveries in a summer holiday job.
I wrote a e-learning module on the Italians in Wales as part of an EDI project and it is fascinating how their community has such an impact on South Wales. I didn't know that about the Newport MES. I do need to visit them sometime, keep promising myself a visit.
I rode a Cardiff trolleybus circa 1968. I think it was from a stop close to the old bus station and Cardiff Central. I vividly remember the conductor pulling a very long bamboo pole out from under the chassis to apply the electrical contacts to the catenary. Thanks yet again, Bob. You happen to live in a fascinating city, in an unforgettable country. Lucky you!
Thank you for this! I've only lived in cardiff for 14 years and didn't know half of this stuff! really interesting, so very much appreciated. Also - worked closely with the guy that runs cornerstone and visited many times before over the years, but was completely unaware of the bricks story! thanks again
Great video Bob, really well presented!! Interesting to see the photo of the single storey trolley bus never seen one if those before. A great advert for the city, well done!! All the best!!
Thanks for this one Bob, I held off watching it until Easter so I could let you point out some possibles for when I visit with my son next Saturday. Good on yer Sir 😊
There is a second trolleybus pole in Bute Terrace - it's closer to the railway bridge than the one in the video. There are also remnants of trolleybus overhead wire supports on the GPO building (now the Parkgate Hotel) on Westgate Street/Park Street. I've got photos of these but unfortunately can't attach them to this comment.
Thanks Bob for a most interesting video, I well remember as a little boy using the bequeathed drinking fountain on my way to Wildes stamp shop in Frederick Street back in the early 1960's , my Mum bought me a penny black on mulready envelope for my 7th birthday ..still got it..plus going on the trolley bus down to the docks to catch the ferry over to Weston
There are several buildings in Cardiff (I think some disappeared fairly recently) that look like they are made out of crazy paving and I always assumed it was just a fashion at the time they were built. Now I'm wondering how many were built out of ballast?
Many thanks. I make them mainly on the old railways in the area but have one planned about the canals that were in Cardiff and another on bath houses. It's all about finding time to get out and film.
@@bobsrailrelics thanks for the reply, I'm a subscriber and enjoy the content on your channel. I find the rail based stuff very interesting and enjoy the history of Cardiff in general. Hope you find the time to keep getting out and filming 👍🏼
@@bobsrailrelics I used to live on Radyr Road in Llandaff North as a kid late 70's early 80's. Part of the canal used to run along the back of Hazeldene Avenue/ Hailey Park. I'm sure you'd be well aware of that but I'd love to see that included. It would've linked to the old Cow and Snuffers pub.
@@matthewh5862 I'm going to focus on the city centre this time but seeing the old photos I may go further up at a later date. The but by Llandaff North is really interesting