Matchbox/Lesney 56a; London Trolleybus

Trolley buses were somewhere between a bus and a tram. They ran on the road with pneumatic tyres like a bus, and were driven and steered by a driver. However they were electrically powered and took their power, like a tram, from overhead power cables. They were introduced to London in the early 30s and remained in service for more than 30 years. They were used in very many towns and cities around the United kingdom, not just London, although this is a model of a trolley bus from London.

Lesney made the model from 1958 to 1965. It is always red but there are a number of variations to the colour of the poles on the roof, the wheels and the decals. The poles on the roof by the way are what connected the bus to the power supply and would normally hang from the wires at an angle.

On early releases the poles were picked out in black, this was soon dropped so the easy spot is black poles = rarer and more valuable example. As regards wheels - look for grey or silver plastic - these get a good premium over black wheels or metal wheels. The real prize though is to find one with 'BP Visco-Static' on the side advertising, it usually reads 'Peardrax'.

Matchbox/Lesney 56a; London Trolleybus; Red, Black Poles, Metal Wheels, Peardrax	Matchbox/Lesney 56a; London Trolleybus; Red, Red Poles, Metal Wheels, Peardrax	Matchbox/Lesney 56a; London Trolleybus; Red, Black Wheels, Peardrax

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Last Edit: 12/06/2024		Page Added 26/03/2021