Ipswich Trolleybus 126 - first time under the wires for years

Scanned from 8mm cine, filmed by E.J.M. Abbott.

Trolleybus 126 was numerically the last trolleybus to be purchased by Ipswich Corporation and was one of a batch of 12 Sunbeam F4 vehicles with Park Royal 56 seat bodywork. It entered service in 1950 registered ADX 196. It ran in Ipswich until 1962 when it was sold with some other members of the batch to Walsall Corporation Transport, where it continued to operate until 1970. It was purchased for preservation that year and then returned to Ipswich. The exterior of the bus was restored in 1980 for the Centenary of Public Transport celebrations in Ipswich.

The vehicle spent some time at Sandtoft Transport Centre near Doncaster when it was first restored, where it was able to operate under their overhead wiring.

This video was filmed on 29th and 30th May 1982, and covers the trip from Ipswich to Sandtoft, and it includes a nice section where 126 was allowed to free run down Landseer Road hill in Ipswich, which was part of an original trolleybus route. It also shows 126 under the wires for the first time it last ran in Walsall. A subsequent Sandtoft open day is also shown. 126 was not used much at Sandtoft, as the interior was not deemed suitable for passenger carrying, and it eventually returned to the Ipswich Transport Museum, where it is now housed.