The Paisley District Tramways Company began operations in 1903 taking over from an earlier company which had operated horse-drawn trams. Electric tram operations began in 1904 [1] and the network covered over thirty kilometres. The company was unable to return a dividend to it's investors and was taken over by Glasgow Corporation Tramways in 1923. Trams continued to run in Paisley until the late 1950s.
Information for No. 68 (1068)
Built:
1919
Builder:
Hurst Nelson
Motor:
2 Metropolitan-Vickers 101DR electric motors
Power:
120 hp (89 kW)
The Paisley District Tramways Company had an eventual fleet of seventy-two trams most of which were taken over by the Glasgow Corporation. The preserved tram No. 1068 (68 in Paisley service) only had a short life with it's original company. It entered service in 1919, a short double-decker tram with an open top deck (the most common type of tram operated by Paisley). The tram was based on the M Class tram of the London County Council Tramway. The tram was heavily modified by Glasgow, adding a top cover, enclosed balconies and a new truck and motors. The tram was withdrawn in 1953 and preserved and has been partially restored to original condition.
Another ex-Paisley tram (No. 17 a single decker) has also been preserved at the Museum of Scottish Industry Life. Number 16 has also been preserved and is at Glasgow Bus Museum.
1068 at Crich
1068 carries Glasgow Corporation livery
Another view of 1068 (left)
[1] Charles Knapper, The Golden Age of Tramways (David & Charles, 1974) p. 214
The Class 357 was built to modernise services on the London, Tilbury & Southend line out of London Fenchurch Street [1]. Two batches of this EMU, part of the "Electrostar" family, were built which have the same front end of the Turbostar DMUs like the Class 168. They were built to replace Class 312s and allow other EMUs to be cascaded to other routes.
Information
Number built:
269 (74 4-car sets)
Built:
1999-2002
Builder:
Adtranz / Bombardier
Motor:
Adtranz traction motors (25kV AC OHLE)
Power:
2, 010 hp (1, 500 kW)
Formation:
Driving Motor Standard Open (DMSO)+Motor Standard Open (MSO)+
Pantograph Trailer Standard Open Lavatory (PTSOL)+DMSO
The original batch of 46 sets is known as the 357/0 and were built in the late 1990s though production and reliability problems delayed their entry into service for a number of years. A second batch of 22 sets was ordered to replace the remaining 312s, these are the 357/2s and entered service in the early 2000s.
A number of these have been modified to 357/3 standard which includes more space by changing the 3+2 seating to 2+2 (reducing the number of seats of course) and with a revised interior design. All 357s have been upgraded with regenerative braking.
357 013 at Southend Central
All are operated by c2c, though some have been loaned to NX East Anglia for a time. They are due to be replaced by c2c in the early 2120s though could find new work elsewhere.
357 001 at West Ham
357 021 at Fenchurch St
357 314 at Limehouse
357 208 at Leigh-in-Sea
357 008 passes Shadwell
[1] Colin J Marsden, DMU and EMU Recognition Guide (Ian Allan, 2013) p. 272
While other cities were beginning to dismantle their worn-out street tram networks in the early 1950s Leeds was looking at modernising their network. They built two prototype single decker trams similar to the type used on the Continent [1]. The aim was to build a fleet of two hundred of these trams to replace their existing double-decker trams. Unfortunately these plans came to naught and the extensive Leeds tram network was closed in 1959.
Information
Number built:
2
Built:
1953
Builder:
Charles H Roe
Motor:
4 Crompton Parkinson CP92B2 electric motors (DC OHLE)
Power:
180 hp (134 kW)
The trams were built by Charles H Roe of Leeds with bogie trucks by Maley & Taunton and electric equipment by Compton Parkinson. The two trams differed in the brakes used. Tram 601 had air and magnetic brakes and 602 electric brakes with am Allen West VAMBAC controller which combined braking and acceleration, though it was later fitted with a foot activated brake to avoid roll back on gradients. Tram 602 has been preserved at the National Tramway Museum. It's service life was short, it was withdrawn in 1957 and was preserved in 1960.
602 at Crich
602 has central doors
The Fischer Bow collector can be seen here, this was common for Leeds trams
[1] Charles Knapper, The Golden Age of Tramways (David & Charles, 1961) p. 126
This first wave of British Railways Diesel Multiple Units (which appeared even before the Modernisation Plan) were known as the "Derby Lightweights" because they were built at BR Derby and had low weight thanks to aluminium bodies and short under frames [1]. The first batch consisted of eight 2-car sets for Leeds-Bradford services and were an instant hit with the public, passenger receipts on the services they were used on increasing 400% in seven years.
Similar improvements with revenue were seen across the board after the introduction of later DMUs. Both cars in this initial batch were powered with Leyland engines and had torque converter transmission. Mechanically these units were based on pre-war LMS designs and proved troublesome in service [2].
Information
Number built:
217 (1, 2 and 4-car sets)
Built:
1954-55
Builder:
BR Derby
Motor:
Leyland or BUT (AEC) 6-cyl horizontal diesels
Power:
(Leyland) 250hp (186kW) (BUT) 300 hp (224 kW)
Formation:
(Preserved set) Driving Motor Brake Standard (DMBS)
+Driving Trailer Composite Lavatory (DTCL)
The second batch were built in a variety of configurations (the single railcars have been dealt with separately). They were fitted with BUT (AEC) diesels and had a different transmission and gearbox (fluid flywheel and preselector gearbox). This arrangement proved more reliable and popular with BR and indeed became the standard for the hundreds of BR DMUs which followed in the 1950s and 1960s.
Being non-standard the Derby Lightweight DMUs were withdrawn fairly early and all had gone from revenue service by 1969. However a 2-car set and a railcar survived into departmental use. The 2-car set became an ultrasonic test train and traversed the entire network returning data on track conditions [3]. Following withdrawal in the mid-1980s it has been preserved and in the process of being restored.
M79018 at Wirksworth
Restoration continues
M79018 at Wirksworth (a Class 122 to the left)
Another view of M79018
[1] Brian Haresnape, Diesel Multiple Units: The First Generation (Ian Allan, 1985) p. 22 [2] Colin J Marsden, DMU and EMU Recognition Guide (Ian Allan, 2013) p. 26 [3] Colin J Marsden, Departmental Stock (Ian Allan, 1984) p. 28
Croydon Tramlink 058 has had a varied service life. It was originally built in 1978 for Deutsche Bahn as DB Netz 53 0692 for it's fleet of track maintenance and construction vehicles, the Klv43 being the most highly produced vehicle of this type for DB with eight hundred and twenty four built over a long period.
53 0692 was sold to Croydon Tramlink and renumbered 058 to do a similar job in 2006 though only lasted with the modern day London Transport tram operator until 2009. It was then sold to Crich Tramway Museum where it is in regular service helping to maintain the museum tramway network.
Information
Number built:
1 (transferred to Croydon Tramlink)
Built:
1978
Builder:
Sollinger Hütte
Motor:
KHD F6L 413F 6-cyl diesel
Power:
148 hp (110 kW)
Tramlink 058 is diesel powered allowing it to be used when the overhead electric current is turned off. It is fitted with a powered Atlas crane. Tramlink 058 is accompanied by the flatbed trailer Tramlink 061 (DB Nets 53 0692-3).
058 and 061 at Crich
Both are still in the colour and livery they last carried for Croydon Tramlink
Side view, 058 can also carry supplies
Rear view, both vehicles were re-gauged when they arrived at Crich
