Trolleybus miniatures, models and the real things by Ashley Bruce with Gottfried Kure My friend Ashley from across the pond has a new book out on the history of the trolley bus. A huge book that covers the obscure and yet surprisingly nostalgic subject of the Trolleybus in miniature with much reference to the real things on which so many models are based. With over 1500 pictures, mostly in colour, and detailing historic attempts to motorize the miniatures, plus museum and industry models, and over 1270 commercial types including all known variants and many adoptions. A veritable encyclopedia that serves not only to indicate the worldwide scope of vehicle types but also better shows what long gone trolleybuses once looked like. Including the thoughts of those involved in making trolleybus models and a reflection, in great detail, of a transport mode that evokes much passion, since 1882 and into the future. Click the photo to the left for a link to his page.

Whether you refer to it as a trolleybus, a trolley bus, a trolleycoach, a trolley coach, a trackless trolley, an electric bus, or an electric trolley bus ( ETB ) they ran in quite a few North American cities. By the end of the 20th Century, only 9 cities in North America still operated them: Boston, Philadelphia, Dayton, Seattle, San Francisco, Edmonton, Vancouver, Mexico City and Guadalajara. Two museums, the Illinois Railway Museum and the Seashore Trolley Museum, also display and operate trolleybuses.

Major North American trolleybus manufacturers were AM General, Brill (American Car ACF and Canadian Car CCF), Electric Transit Industries (ETI), Flyer, Kenworth, Marmon Herrington, Neoplan, Pullman Standard, St Louis Car Company and Twin Coach (Fageol). Mitsubishi and Toshiba built trolleybuses for Mexico City. New Flyer is building (late 2006) new Vancouver and Philadelphia trolleybuses.