Huddersfield Corporation Tramways

Huddersfield Corporation Tramways operated between 1883 and 1940 to 1,416mm gauge. The trams were initially horse and steam powered but electric trams began operating from 1901. The first trams built for the corporation were twenty five double bogie double deckers built by G.F. Milnes. These had open top decks initially.

English Electric built 121 [1]

Information for original tramcars
Number built:	25
Built:	1900
Builder:	G.F. Milnes

A second batch of thirty six tramcars built by the British Electric Car Company were built as the electrified network expanded. These tramcars were single bogie cars though were also double deckers. More trams were built in the following decades by the United Electric Car Company which later became part of English Electric. The corporation also operated a couple of dedicated coal trams.

Despite much of the tram fleet still being fairly young the corporation began converting over to trolleybuses in the early 1930s. The trams ran for the final time in June 1940. All trams were scrapped.

[1] English Electric Journal 1923-04 Vol 2 Issue 4 p. 175

Birmingham Corporation Tramways Radial Class

This large fleet of tramcars was built in 1906 and 1907 for the recently electrified Birmingham tram network. These single truck trams were the first to have top covers from new. The trams also used the radial design of truck, from Mountain & Gibson of Bury who undercut the original intended supplier Brush Traction. The tram bodies were built by the United Electric Car Company of Preston. Dick, Kerr electrical equipment was also fitted though some trams later were fitted with General Electric motors.

Information
Number built:	150
Built:	1906-07
Builder:	United Electric Car Company
Motor:	2 DK6A electric motors (550v DC OHLE)
Power:	70 hp (52 kW)

The trams entered service in 1906 and operated from depots in Washwood Heath and on the Coventry and Moseley Roads. The trams had a seating capacity of fifty two, twenty four lower and twenty eight on the upper deck [1]. The trams served into the late 1930s when withdrawals began, though the last was not withdrawn until 1945.

One tram, number 107, has survived. It was withdrawn in 1939 and later used as a summer house. Restoration is ongoing at the Aldridge Transport Museum.

Number 107

[1] P.W. Lawson, Birmingham Corporation Tramway Rolling Stock (Birmingham Transport Historical Group, 1983) p. 30

Leith Corporation Tramways Sweeper Sprinkler Car

As well as it's fleet of street trams, the short lived Leith Corporation Tramway also operated this sweeper and sprinkler car. The car was fitted with two brooms, a snow plough and a sprinkler with a 1000 gallon (4546 litre) water tank.

Picture from [1]

Information
Number built:	1
Built:	1905
Builder:	United Electric Car Works of Preston
Motor:	2 GE58 electric motors (500v DC OHLE)

The car was fitted with two GE58 six-turn armature motors and British Thomson-Houston electrical equipment.

[1] "Leith Corporation Tramways", Street Railway Journal (Vol. XXVI No. 24) Dec 9 1905, p. 1018

City of Carlisle Electric Tramways

City of Carlisle Electric Tramways operated between 1900 and 1931. The service began with six lines to 1, 067mm gauge radiating from Carlisle railway station. This remained the tramway's network, plans for new routes could not be afforded. The company began operating motorbuses in the early 1920s and changed it's name to the Carlisle & District Transport Company in 1926. The company was purchased by the Carlisle Corporation in 1931, the tram system was closed.

One of the single decker trams [1]

Information for original tram cars
Number built:	15
Built:	1900
Builder:	United Electric Car Company
Motor:	Dick, Kerr electric motors (DC OHLE)

The company began operations with a fleet of 15 United Electric Car Company trams (12 double decker and 3 single decker), these were replaced by 12 new trams from the same manufacturer in 1912 after Ballfour Beatty bought the tramway company. Three other trams from other sources were also added to the fleet in the 1920s.

Two open-topped double deckers

Tram shed

Two of the double deckers

[1] "The electric tramway system of Carlisle, England", Street Railway Journal (Vol. XVI No. 41 October 13 1900) p. 986

Lanarkshire Tramways

Lanarkshire Tramways was a short lived tramway company which operated between Hamilton, Motherwell and Wishaw. The company began operations in 1903 with 1, 416 mm gauge track, slightly narrower than standard gauge but matching the neighbouring Glasgow Corporation network, a connection to which was formed in 1907. The company ceased operations in 1931, being badly affected financially by the General Strike of 1926 [1] and growing motor bus competition, the routes being switched over to motor bus operations.

Tram 77 [2]

Information for UECC cars
Built:	1908
Builder:	United Electric Car Company of Preston
Motor:	2 x British Thomson-Houston interpole motors (DC OHLE)
Power:	70 hp (52 kW)

Originally trams operated were double deckers with open tops, however to complete better with motor buses the trams were retrofitted with top covers [2]. They were fitted with British Thomson-Houston electric equipment including B-510 controllers. One tram has survived into preservation.

Tram 60 before addition of top cover [2]

[1] Charles Klapper, The Golden Age of Tramways (David & Charles, 1974) p. 219

[2] G.F. Moller, "Light weight double deck car for Scottish tramway", Electric Railway Journal Vol. 71 No. 12 (March 24 1928) p. 494

Great Central Railway Petrol Autocar

In 1912 the Great Central Railway ordered this petrol-electric railcar, or autocar, from British Westinghouse, the bodywork sub-contracted out to the United Electric Car Company of Preston. The autocar had a six cylinder petrol engine powering a generator which fed two traction motors on one of the bogies. The autocar had a cab at each end and used a Westinghouse controller similar to that used in tram cars.

GCR Autocar [1]

Information
Number built:	1
Built:	1912
Builder:	United Electric Car Company of Preston British Westinghouse
Motor:	6-cylinder petrol
Power:	90 hp (67 kW)

The autocar began trials in early 1912, initially used between London Marylebone and South Harrow [1]. The autocar could carry fifty passengers, although it could only travel at up to 72 km/h (45 mp/h) it had good acceleration. After the war it was used a shuttle service between Macclesfield Central and Bollington. It remained in service, by now in LNER ownership, until 1935. 

Engine compartment and cab [1]

[1] "Westinghouse Petrol-Electric Car for GC Railway", Electrical Review (Vol 70 No. 1796) April 26 1912, p. 664

West Ham Corporation Tramways

West Ham Corporation Tramways began operations in 1901. They took over the horse drawn tram services of North Metropolitan Tramways and converted them to electric, with the first electric services running in 1904. They became the biggest municipal tram operator in London apart from LCC [1] with an eventual fleet of 134 tramcars. West Ham Corporation Tramways was absorbed by the London Passenger Transport Board in 1933.

Preserved tram 102 at the London Transport Museum

Information for 1910 series
Number built:	6
Built:	1910
Builder:	United Electric Car Company of Preston
Motor:	Westinghouse electric motors (DC OHLE / conduit)
Power:	70 hp (52 kW)

Tram number 102, which has been preserved at the London Transport Museum, is one of six built in 1910 with Peckham trucks and General Electric and Westinghouse electrical equipment. The tram was built for overhead electric collection but later converted to use underground conduit collection on lines between Stratford and Aldgate.

West Ham Corporation Tramways set up a dedicated telephone system in 1916 to allow the traffic controller to contact traffic regulators at various important parts of the system [2], thought to have been the first such system on a tram network. This allowed for much faster fault and accident reporting and contingency planning.

A Traffic Regulator on the telephone [2]

[1] R.W. Kidner, The London Tramcar 1861-1952 (Oakwood Press, 1992) p. 101

[2] "West Ham Telephone Control System", Electric Railway Journal Vol. 54 No. 8 (August 23 1919) p. 397

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

Bolton Corporation Tramways

Bolton Corporation Tramways began operating an electric tram service in 1899 taking over from Bolton Horse Tramways. In the early years of the twentieth century the network was expanded with a number of new lines opened. In fact extensions to the network continued until 1924 and at it's maximum extent the tramway was a combined fifty two kilometres in length. However like most tram networks the decline began in the 1930s and the tramway was shut down in 1947.

Tram 46 [1]

Information for original UEC fleet
Number built:	86
Built:	1899-1903
Builder:	G.F. Milnes / United Electric Car Company
Motor:	2 Witting, Eborall & Company electric motors (500v DC OHLE)
Power:	60 hp (45 kW)

The original fleet of trams was built by G.F. Milnes (later the United Electric Car Company), they were all double decker single truck trams with electric equipment by Witting, Eborall & Company [2]. Later trams were added to the fleet by Brush, UEC and English Electric making an eventual fleet of 138. Bolton were quick to fit top covers to their trams with trams being fitted with them in the early 1900s.

One tram (number 66) has been preserved and is operated by the Blackpool Tramway.

The first electric tram to enter Bolton [2]

[1] "New type of car for Bolton, England", Street Railway Journal (October 3, 1903) p. 645
[2] "The interurban systems of the South Lanchashire Tramways", Street Railway Journal (August 22, 1903) p. 261

Wallasey Corporation Tramways

Wallasey Corporation Tramways began operations in 1903 on Merseyside replacing a horse tramway what had operated since 1879. The initial service served between the Seacombe and New Brighton ferries with two more routes added later on. The fleet eventually compromised seventy eight trams which were built in a number of batches between 1902 and 1920.

Information for 37-41 Class
Number built:	4
Built:	1908
Builder:	United Electric Car Company

Although the trams were built by a variety of manufacturers they all shared the "Bellamy roof" style established in Liverpool (named after the manager who introduced it) [1]. The style had an enclosed roof but with open balconies. The last batch of trams built by Brush in 1920 still retained this style even though it was rather old fashioned by then. The original plan was for the trams to have the roofs fitted so they could be easily removed and the trams could be converted from open to closed and back in minutes. However after serious water leaks in bad weather it was decided to make the roof permanent.

The tram network didn't last long. Closures began in 1929 and the network was completely shut down in 1933. One tram, Number 78, has survived into preservation. This Brush built tram was the last one built and spent fifty years serving as a store in a farmyard in North Wales before being handed over to a preservation society in 1978 and now runs as part of the Wirral Tramway.

Three views of Wallasey 78 at Wirral Transport Museum

Wallasey trams wore this lime green and cream livery

The open balcony can be seen here

The roof and balcony can be seen here

[1] R.W. Rush, British Electric Tramcar Design 1885-1950 (Oxford Publishing, 1976) p. 85

Bournemouth Corporation Tramways

Bournemouth Corporation Tramways served the town from 1902 until the closure of the system in 1936. The complete system had a route length of about twenty six kilometres, and included the Poole & District Electric Tramway which the Bournemouth Corporation took a lease on in 1905. Originally the tramway used a mixture of overhead and conduit electric collection though later switched to entirely overhead. The tramway at it's peak had one hundred and fifty two tramcars of which all but one were double decker. The tramway was to 1, 067mm gauge unlike the majority of tramways though the same as neighbouring systems.

Information for standard bogie cars
Number built:	86
Built:	1902-1926
Builder:	G.F. Milnes, Brush, United Electric Car Company
Motor:	2 Westinghouse 226N electric motors (DC OHLE)
Power:	80 hp (60 kW)

Eighty six of the tramways were standard bogie cars which were built over a twenty-four year period. Although there were some detail differences such as with the seating and stairs the latter batch of tramcars were not very different to the original ones built by G.F. Milnes [1]. The preserved tramcar Number 85 was one of a batch of ten built in 1914 by the United Electric Car Company. It survived the end of the Bournemouth system being one of ten tramcars sold to the Llandudno & Colwyn Bay Electric Railway Company and continued to work there until 1956.

Number 85 preserved at Crich

Number 85 is preserved as it was in Bournemouth service

Interior

[1] R.W. Rush, British Electric Tramcar Design 1885-1950 (Oxford Publishing, 1976) p. 51

Birmingham Corporation Tramways 301 Class

The Birmingham Corporation Tramways street car network was the fourth largest in Britain. Unlike most other tram networks it was to 3ft 6in narrow gauge (and was the largest narrow gauge tram network [1]). The 301 Class was built for an expansion of the network in 1911 for routes Birmingham Corporation Tramways had taken over to Handsworth, Selly Oak and Kings Norton [3]. However the 301 Class was also slightly lower than earlier trams (and a bit longer) to allow it to pass under a low bridge at Aston. This became the standard height for subsequent trams.

Information
Number built:	100
Built:	1911
Builder:	United Electric Car Company / Dick, Kerr & Company
Engine:	2 DK13A traction motors (550v DC OLHE [2])
Power:	80 hp (60 kW)

The 301 Class introduced a number of new features which later became standard across the fleet, the design taking advantage of operational experience gained from earlier types. The 301 Class had interpole electric motors (which were better for tram cars with electric braking and which were used on more challenging routes [4]). They also had notch regulator controllers, a new type of Westinghouse magnetic brake and some flexibility in the movement of the axles.

The original order for the 301 Class was for sixty cars with the car bodies built by the United Electric Car Company and equipment by Dick, Kerr. Another forty cars were ordered to replace cars inherited from the companies Birmingham Corporation Tramways had taken over which were found to be in a poor condition [5].

Some cars were converted into single deckers in the First World War though later converted back as the routes they were being used on saw passenger increases. Most of the fleet remained intact until the Second World War though post-war withdrawals began in earnest and the 301 Class ended service in 1950. Car 395 was saved from scrapping (one of only two Birmingham trams to survive) and since 1953 has been in Birmingham Science Museum / Thinktank.

395 preserved at Thinktank

View of 395's roof

Notice the staircase

Upper floor was open at both ends on this class of tram

Entrance

Guards at the front and sides

[1] P.W. Lawson, Birmingham Corporation Tramway Rolling Stock (Birmingham Transport Historical Group, 1983) p. 13 
[2] “New power station at Birmingham, England”, Street Railway Journal December 1906 Vol. XXVIII No.22 p. 1043 [3]
[3] Lawson p. 43
[4] Lawson p. 192
[5] Lawson p. 45