Bradford City Tramways Worm-drive Car

By the 1920s Bradford City Tramways was facing increasing competition from the motor bus. To compete with this new threat an experimental tram was designed and built, the first by the company's own workshops, for quiet operation and to operate at higher speeds than earlier trams. The single decker tram was fully enclosed with a central door. The tram had two bogies, each with it's own motor. The English Electric series-wound motors were designed to reduce the hum associated with earlier motors and were connected to the axles via a worm drive.

The tram in operation [1]

Information
Number built:	1
Built:	1926
Builder:	BCT Thornbury Depot
Motor:	2 English Electric electric motors (DC OHLE)
Power:	126 hp (670 kW) / 1, 350hp (1, 005kW)
Formation:	(175/0) DMSL (Driving Motor Standard Lavatory)+DMSL (175/1) DMSL+MSL (Motor Standard Lavatory)+DMSL

Although the tram was a smooth runner with a good performance it's Achilles heel was it's size, it could seat only thirty four passengers which made it unsuitable for use in peak hours [2]. The tram only served for five years and was scrapped in 1931.

[1] "British car designed for quiet operation", Electric Railway Journal Vol. 60 No. 19 (May 7 1927) p. 817

[2] R.W. Rush, British Electric Tramcar Design (Oxford Publishing, 1976) p. 107