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Original Text (Annotation: EAW043563 / 2036259)
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West Ham Trolleybus Depot. Built as a tramcar shed by West Ham Corporation to accommodate 150 cars opened on 25 October 1906. A Trolleybus appeared here as early as 1912 when the depot hosted a single deck Cedes Stoll trolleybus to demonstrate to The Municipal Tramways association, wiring for the occasion being erected in Greengate Street. Trolleybus services were to operate from here under LPTB however, commencing on 6th June 1937, the first bus - number 622, being driven out of the depot by the mayor, Alderman Mrs. Daisy Parsons JP. On this day four routes began running - 669, 687, 697, and 699. Trams continued to run from the depot until 9th June 1940 when they were converted to trolleybus operation, routes 565, 567,and 665. During the Blitz West Ham Depot suffered damage on at least seven occasions, the worst being on Sunday 3oth July 1944 when, just after midnight a V1 flying bomb made a direct hit. One hundred and fifty four trolleybuses were affected, one (number 364) was completely wrecked and a further 18 needed new bodies, one of which had only just received a new body a few months before from an earlier incident at Tottenham Court Road. Conversion to diesel buses was spread over three phases - first the Commercial Road routes 567, 569, and 665 ended on 11th November 1959, followed by routes 669, 685, 689, and 690 on 2nd February 1960. The last trolleybus routes, 687, 697, and 699 ceased on 26th April 1960. '