Yorkshire and North East of England

Peter Waller

• Publisher: Pen & Sword Transport
• Year: 2016
• ISBN:
  9781473869646
• Topic: Technology & Engineering
• Subtopic: Transportation & Navigation
• Index: Technology & Engineering

This is the second of a new series of books that will cover the history of tramway operation in the British Isles. Focusing on Yorkshire and the North-East of England, this book provides an overview of the history of tramways in the region from the 1860s, when one of the pioneering horse trams that predated the Tramways Act of 1870 operated for a brief period in Darlington, through to the closures of the last traditional tramways – Leeds and Sheffield – in 1959 and 1960, respectively. Concentrating on the systems that survived into 1945 – Bradford, Gateshead, Hull, Leeds, Newcastle, Rotherham, Sheffield, South Shields and Sunderland – the book provides a comprehensive narrative, detailing the history of these operations from 1945 onwards, with full fleet lists, maps and details of route openings and closures. The story is supported by some 200 illustrations, both colour and black and white, many of which have never been published before, that portray the trams that operated in these towns and cities and the routes on which they operated. Bringing the story up-to-date, the book also examines the two second-generation tramways built in the region – the Tyne & Wear Metro and Sheffield Supertram – as well as informing readers where it is still possible to see surviving first-generation trams from the region in preservation.

LEEDS

Leeds could lay claim, via the Roundhay operation that started in November 1891, to be a pioneer of electric trams powered via the overhead. Although there had been a number of route closures during the 1930s, these were all the routes outside the city boundary – following a decision taken in 1932 – and the bulk of those routes within the city that were predominantly single track with loops. These closures dramatically improved the financial position of the transport department and were, to an extent, countered by the opening of extensions. Work continued on improving the network as late as 1942 with the doubling of the Compton Road route. The fleet had also undergone considerable modernisation, with the construction of the 100 ‘Horsfield’ cars in 1931/32, the 17 ‘Middleton Bogies’ in 1933-35 and the three four-wheel cars, Nos 272-74, in 1935. At the outbreak of war in September 1939, the vast bulk of the fleet was less than 20 years old. Most may have been traditional four-wheel cars but regular fleet modernisation had ensured the trams still had many years of useful service in them.

Much of the development of the Leeds system during the 1930s was the result of the management of W. Vane Morland, appointed in 1932. The Leeds system emerged from the Second World War with its fleet supplemented by the acquisition of second-hand trams from Hull, and of single-deck Sunderland No 85, along with ambitious plans for tramway development including the construction of subways to serve the central area. This latter project was announced in November 1944 by the city council and followed on from Vane Morland’s two reports to the Reconstruction Committee produced in April and June 1944. Vane Morland recognised that street tramways in the central area might have to be reduced, but he saw subways as a means of retaining this form of transport. Authority had been granted in 1941 for the extension of the Belle Isle route, which had been opened as far as Belle Isle circus on 22 July 1940, and this was confirmed in 1945; work started on the extension and the first halfmile was opened on 24 February 1946, while work continued on the eventual link through to Middleton.

Map of the Leeds network as at 1945.

In 1949 a new terminal stub was constructed at St Chad’s, Headingley, to replace the life-expired crossover at West Park; with the southern wall of Headingley Depot forming a backdrop, ‘Pilcher¹ No 281 stands on the St Chad’s stub awaiting its next duty. R. W. A. Jones/Online Transport Archive (LS32)

At the end of the war there remained three sections of route that were predominantly single track and, in furtherance of the pre-war policy, these sections were quickly converted to bus operation. The routes affected were the 11 – Harehills via Beckett Street – and the 19 – to Lower Wortley – both of which were converted on 25 August 1946, and the section of the 27 beyond Hyde Park to Cardigan Road that survived until 7 December 1947. Following the conversion of the 11 in August 1946, through services were introduced between Gipton and Dewsbury Road, a revision that brought the ex-Hull cars to York Road for the first time. The Gipton service, route 21, was renumbered 11 as from 15 September 1946. Apart from these abandonments, five sections of line over which no regular services operated also disappeared; these were: Reginald Terrace (12 November 1944), Marsh Lane to Kirkgate (former inward line, 19 November 1944), St Pauls Street to Westgate (29 October 1945), Stanley Road (4 February 1946) and Infirmary Street (22 September 1946).

Fleet changes in the immediate postwar period were relatively limited. The second batch of ex-Hull cars was delivered following that system’s closure on 30 June, and the conversions of August 1946 and December 1947 did not result in significant withdrawals. The early postwar years witnessed some withdrawals, most notably the bulk of the surviving balcony cars and the first of the ex-Hull cars (Nos 471/76), but the first of the ex-Manchester cars (No 287) entered service on 3 August 1946. Initially this car emerged in a grey livery but with Leeds’ coat of arms and destination blinds. Another change saw the introduction of paper or painted adverts, which resulted in the end of lining out on the upper-deck panels. A number of the ‘Chamberlain’ cars received replacement P35 trucks that were built by the corporation itself at Kirkstall under licence from Brush.

During 1947, work was undertaken on the track with relaying undertaken in Meadow Lane, Burmantofts Road, Headingley and Boar Lane, and with new terminal stubs being constructed at Stainbeck Lane (Chapeltown, opened 1948), Haddon Road (Kirkstall Road) and St Chads Road (Headingley, built to replace the life-expired crossover at West Park, opened early 1949). Late 1948 saw work in hand relaying the Dewsbury Road route and on work towards the completion of the Belle Isle to Middleton extension. The latter saw a slightly premature passenger journey when an inexperienced driver mistook the Belle Isle terminus and proceeded a short distance over the new route. The extension opened in two stages in 1949 – on 6 March, when No 164 in the pale blue livery was the first car to use the new line, and 28 August, when No 268 was the first car to carry passengers on the new circular route via Middleton (route 12) and No 271 the first via Belle Isle (the 26) – thus completing the circle. The completion of the route marked the final extension to the Leeds network.

In 1948 the corporation decided to restore one of the surviving ‘Balcony’ cars, No 309, for film use and possible preservation; in the event, No 328 was restored – as No 309 – and is seen here in its post-restoration condition. Unfortunately, when withdrawn in 1951, there were no parties willing to take it on for preservation and the car was consequently scrapped. Barry Cross Collection/Online Transport Archive

On the vehicle front No 276, eventually the only all-new four-wheel car to enter service in Leeds post-war, was officially launched on 15 September 1948 and entered public service five days later. One of the three ex-London Transport ‘HR/2’ cars acquired pre-war emerged in June 1948 in a modified version of the pale blue livery that adorned ‘special’ cars in place of the more usual deep blue; the period witnessed a considerable experimentation in livery treatment. Also in 1948 the chief engineer, V. J. Matterface, introduced a complex system of car classification so that, for example, the ‘Middleton Bogies’ became Classes D2 (Brush-built) or D3 (English Electric-built). In early 1948 there was a renumbering of certain trams: Nos 275, 176 (original), 105, 321, 332 and 287 became Nos 349, 342, 275, 337, 338 and 280 respectively. No 280 emerged with its new number repainted in the standard dark blue livery. Between September and December 1948 a further six ex-Manchester trams, Nos 281-86, entered service in a revised paler blue livery with silver roof. Nos 281 and 282 were initially used on the Roundhay/Moortown/Lawnswood routes, but complaints from passengers over the quality of the ride led them to be transferred to Swinegate Depot for use on lines with less reserved track. Originally it had been decided to restore No 309 for possible preservation; however, No 328 was in better condition and the two cars swapped identity. The new No 309 reappeared in the fleet’s old brown and yellow livery, and was used for film and other work. In this guise it survived until 1951 when, with more expenditure required, it was offered for potential preservation. There were no takers, unfortunately, and the car made its one-way journey to Cohen’s scrapyard in October 1951.

Leeds Corporation introduced the Ultimate type of ticketing equipment to trams on 16 December 1948. They were first used on the corporation’s buses three years later. This is an example from the first style of tickets by GNP. Author’s Collection

On 18 January 1949 it was decided that the section of line between Kirkstall Abbey and Hawksworth Road would be converted to bus operation. The reason was that the track was in a poor condition and would cost £43,000 to repair for a section that carried relatively little traffic. It was also agreed not to take further a proposed half-mile extension to the Horsforth route as the corporation did not wish to operate trams outside the city’s boundary (indeed, many of the pre-war abandonments had been to withdraw services beyond the boundaries). On 30 January 1949 Bramley Depot was closed to permit its conversion into a bus garage; to accommodate the displaced trams a line previously occupied by works cars at Swinegate was used and a second siding installed.

December 1948 saw a further change with the introduction of the Ultimate ticket system; this was introduced initially on vehicles at Headingley and Chapeltown depots, although it was found unsuitable for use on Nos 272-74; as a result Nos 272-74 were transferred to Swinegate and No 273 was sent to Kirkstall for reseating used second-hand seats from Bradford. All tram services operated using the Ultimate system by the end of 1950, although the conversion of the city’s bus services took longer. More trams were, by this date, appearing in a lighter blue livery and the decision was made that, in the future, fleet numbers would be displayed using the simpler Gill Sans typeface. Relaying was undertaken on the Middleton route and along Corporation Road, although the rarely used curve in City Square linking Infirmary Street with Park Road was removed. On 6 June 1949 the first of the ex-Southampton cars, No 290, entered service in the light blue livery; it had been repainted in Southampton before heading north, but had undergone a full overhaul at Kirkstall before entering service. In all, eleven ex-Southampton cars entered service; a further twenty-six were acquired, but their poor condition meant that all were ultimately scrapped either in Leeds or Southampton...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Copyright
• Contents
• Abbreviations
• Preface
• Introduction
• Bradford
• Gateshead
• Hull
• Leeds
• Newcastle
• Rotherham
• Sheffield
• South Shields
• South Yorkshire Supertram
• Sunderland
• Tyne & Wear Metro
• Preservation
• Bibliography