Liverpool Corporation Tramways Streamliner Car

Having begun the modernisation of it's tramcar fleet in the early 1930s with the Priestly Bogie Cars, which were fully enclosed and had double bogies, the Liverpool Corporation built a series of modern trams throughout the 1930s including a large fleet of 163 Streamliner cars (also known as "Liners").

869 at Crich

Information
Number built:	163
Built:	1936-37
Builder:	Liverpool Corporation Edge Lane Works
Motor:	4 GEC WT184 electric motors (550v DC OHLE)
Power:	144 hp (107 kW)

The Streamliners were fitted with EMB bogies [1] and had a high passenger carrying capacity [2]. Unfortunately they were also expensive to run. Although Liverpool had continued to invest in it's tram network in the 1930s, post-war the network was run like as in most places. Withdrawals of the Streamliners began in the 1950s. However, forty six were sold to Glasgow Corporation where they continued to be used until 1960.

The example shown here, Number 869, was the second Streamliner to be built. It was sold to Glasgow in 1954 and continued in use until 1960 when it entered preservation. However it was not fully restored to working order until 1993. It is now at Crich Tramway Museum.

Side view showing the double bogies

View of the destination blinds

[1] Brian P Martin, Liverpool Tramways 2: Southern Routes (Middleton Press, 1998) Fig. 120
[2] Martin Jenkins & Charles Roberts, Merseyside Transport Recalled (Ian Allan, 2014) p. 25