Municipal Vehicles in Preservation

An important part of the market for commercial vehicles was the municipal or local-authority sector. These authorities had responsibilities for such services as maintaining roads, street lighting, refuse collection and education. They also managed the fire brigades and ambulance services in their areas. Many towns and cities had their own municipally owned public transport, often initially with trams then later trolleybuses or buses.

All of this gave rise to a range of specialist vehicles, at first horse-drawn and then on to steam and motorised. These ranged from road rollers to gully emptiers, dustcarts to mobile libraries. There were tower wagons to maintain streetlights and the overhead wiring for trams and trolleybuses. Many of these vehicles have survived to pass into preservation. The trams, buses, fire engines and steam rollers will often display the name and livery of their original owner. But other vehicles, such as vans and lorries rarely do so, and may have been modified or rebodied subsequently, so giving little clue to their history.

This book showcases a diverse range of vehicles that were all originally operated by municipal authorities and later preserved through a vibrant collection of previously unpublished images.