TRAMS # 3.

 

NEW SOUTH WALES GOVERNMENT STEAM TRAM No 47.  1885.

 

Built in the Beyer Peacock works in Gorton, Manchester uk in 1885. This steam tram was destined for export and as it was expected to be pulling much heaver loads it was much larger than those built for the home market. With 30 inch driving wheels and weighing almost 16 tons it was a true giant of a tram engine, although it did boast a number of features in common with other road going locomotives including the fully enclosed wheels and a mechanism in this case a `Wilkinson patent` exhaust superheater that was designed to reduce the amount of smoke emitted. It was shipped out to Australia in April 1885 so that it could be assessed by the New South Wales government tramways for possible use on the Redfern Station route in Sydney, but because it proved unsatisfactory in operation, running short of steam despite being heavy on fuel, it lost out to a rival design.

 

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LEAMINGTON and WARWICK TRAMWAYS and OMNIBUS COMPANY No 1. 1881.

 

Leamington and Warwick 1 is an open topped double decked horse tram that once ran on a single track tram line from Leamington Spa railway station to the Lord Leycester Hospital ( actually an ancient alms house ) in Warwick. The tramway opened for passengers on 21st November 1881 and the three mile length of line was covered in 50 minutes at a cost of 3d. Two well known Leamington men were actively involved in setting up the company as a result of which the first trams were known as `Wackrill and Brights Rattlesnakes`.

 





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GLASGOW CORPORATION TRANSPORT No 1282.  1940.

 

These tramcars were intended to serve as ambassadors for the city, they were built to the highest level of specification and are considered to be among the most luxurious of tramcars ever to have entered public service. These double deck, fully enclosed bogie electric tramcars entered service in 1940. The seating capacity was 26 downstairs and 38 upstairs. Withdrawn from service in 1962.

 

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LEEDS CITY TRANSPORT No 345.  1921.

 

Leeds 345 was originally built in house by Leeds City Transport in 1921 as a typical open balcony four wheeler with reversed stairs, in common with virtually the entire Leeds passenger fleet at the time. As the Leeds fleet was modernised during the 1930s, however the open balcony cars appeared increasingly obsolete even though they were still by this stage less than 20 years old. As this was also an era of financial stringency, the transport committee decided that instead of replacing them all with new trams they would convert the later ones such as 345 with the aim of modernising their appearance and thereby extending their working lives.

 

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LONDON UNITED TRAMWAYS No 159.  1902.

 

As a mode of mass transportation, tramcars are not normally associated with the luxury end of the transport market, but in early Edwardian days, when private cars were still a rarity, tram operators in affluent areas might expect reasonable levels of patronage provided they were able to offer superior levels of comfort and style. One such operator was London United Tramways, which began providing electric passenger tram services in the fashionable west London districts of Hampton Court, Hammersmith and Wimbledon in 1901. In order to appeal to the well-heeled passengers living along many of their routes, London United Tramways purchased a large batch ( 150 ) of W class tramcars built to an elegant Edwardian design featuring six Tudor arch windows from the Shropshire based factory of G.F. Milnes. The basic design was an open top, short canopy, double deck bogie car whose lower deck was sumptuously furnished with carpets, curtains, padded seating and inlaid walnut ceiling while upper deck was finished off with an elaborate wire mesh screen.

 

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LIVERPOOL CORPORATION No 869.  1936.

 

Liverpool was one of Britain's first generation tramway `giants` being the third largest system in England with 97 miles of routes by the end of the war and a fleet of some 744 tramcars, of which a significant number had been built in the 1930s. In contrast with many other major British cities, Liverpool was actively investing in its tramway during the 1930s by building new routes and renewing its fleet with more modern cars. The performance of 12 double decker bogie cars which entered service in 1931/32 radically transformed the public attitude towards the city's trams as these 70 seat air brake cars were fast, comfortable and represented a clear departure from the rather conventional looking four wheel vehicles that had previously provided the backbone of the fleet.

 

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OPORTO TRAMWAYS No 273.  1928.

 

This is a design that became popular in North America and in several continental tramways, particularly those enjoying warmer climates than we tend to experience here in the UK. Known as the semi - convertible tramcar as patented by the American manufacturer J.G.Brill, this particular design was in effect, a hybrid vehicle, offering a kind of half way house between traditional wooden bodied open sided tramcars of the kind that operated in many British seaside resorts during the summer months and the fully enclosed tramcars that came to be favoured by most inland tramway systems. In parts of  North America where the climate veered from extremely hot during the summer months to exceedingly cold in winter, many tramway operators originally operated fleets of both types of cars, which was extremely expensive and wasteful. The manufacturer of the body was Oporto Transport and the manufacturer of the truck was BSI Brill 39E bogies. Withdrawn from service in 1995.

 

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