Leith Corporation Tramways

The Leith Corporation Tramways was a short-lived tramway company in Leith, Scotland. The company took over from the horse-drawn Edinburgh Street Tramways [1] in the Leith corporation district in October 1904. Work on electrification began immediately with electric tram services up and running by August 1905. The company survived until 1920 when it was taken over by Edinburgh Corporation Tramways. The tram routes continued to operate until 1956.

Tram on Newhaven Road [1]

Information
Number built:	36
Built:	1905
Builder:	British Thomson-Houston & Brush Electrical United Electric Car Works of Preston
Motor:	2 GE54 electric motors (500v DC OHLE)

Leith Corporation operated a fleet of thirty-six trams (plus a couple of works cars). All were double decker trams, thirty were open on top and six having a covered top deck. The tram car order was shared equally between British Thomson-Houston and Brush Electrical. The bodies were made by the United Electric Car Works in Preston, all trams used Brill 21E trucks and GE motors.

These trams were inherited by the Edinburgh Corporation and most of the open top deck were modernised with covers. The trams survived until the mid-1930s with the last scrapped in 1936. The company also operated a combined sweeper and sprinkler car.

Car depot [2]

Tram on Craighall Road [2]

[1] "Leith Corporation Tramways", Street Railway Journal (Vol. XXVI No. 24) Dec 9 1905, p. 1014
[2] Ibid. p. 1017