| Aberdeen Corporation Tramways | |
|---|---|
 Tram 34 on Union Street, Aberdeen ca. 1900 | |
| Operation | |
| Locale | Aberdeen |
| Open | 27 August 1898 |
| Close | 3 May 1958 |
| Status | Closed |
| Owner(s) | Aberdeen City Council |
| Infrastructure | |
| Track gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) |
| Propulsion system(s) | Electric |
| Statistics | |
| Route length | 16.12 miles (25.94 km) |
Aberdeen Corporation Tramways formerly served the City of Aberdeen, Scotland.
The city's tram system was the most northerly municipal tramway in the United Kingdom. It started on 26 August 1898 when the Aberdeen Corporation purchased the assets of Aberdeen District Tramways. The council paid the purchase price of £84,735 (equivalent to £11,920,000in 2023), [1] representing £15 per share, and they also took over the temporary loans amounting to £10,000 (equivalent to £1,410,000in 2023) [1] and the mortgages of £9,050 (equivalent to £1,270,000in 2023). [1] [2]
From 1906 to 1918 the system fell under the care of R. S. Pilcher who served as general manager and chief engineer. [3]
The system was electrified, with trams using the standard trolley poles until 1935 when bow collectors were fitted to take power from the overhead wires. The trams were double deck and painted in a dark green and cream livery, often with the words "CORPORATION TRANSPORT" painted prominently on the sides.
In the late 1930s the city purchased 18 trams from Nottingham Corporation Tramways, which closed in 1936. Further secondhand trams were later obtained from Manchester. The last new trams for the city were built by R Y Pickering of Wishaw in 1949.
The city's best known service was route 1, from Bridge of Don to Bridge of Dee, the numbering of which is preserved by the current number 1 bus service serving the same areas. The city's last tram operated on 3 May 1958, being replaced by diesel buses.
A short stretch of track that served as a terminus for the Sea Beach route remains alongside the Beach Boulevard where, following their final day in service, the entire fleet was burned. [4] This remainder formerly ran right across to the former Constitution Street depot (now Aberdeen Science Centre), however the western end is now occupied by a hotel.
| No. | From | To | Via | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bridge of Dee | Bridge of Don | Union Street | Known as "The Bridges" [5] |
| 2 | Castle Street | Mannofield [6] | Great Western Road | Withdrawn 2 March 1951. [7] [8] |
| 3 | Castle Street | Castle Street | Union Street, Queen's Cross, Fountainhill Road, Rosemount Place, Rosemount Viaduct, Union Terrace | Circular Route |
| 4 | Castle Street | Hazlehead | Queen's Road | Subsequently operated by buses. [9] Withdrawn in 1986 following bus deregulation. [10] |
| 5 | Castle Street | King's Gate | Union Terrace | |
| 6 | Castle Street | Castle Street | Union Terrace, Rosemount Viaduct, Rosemount Place, Fountainhill Road, Queen's Cross, Union Street | Circular Route |
| 7 | St Nicholas Street | Woodside, Scatterburn | George Street, Great Northern Road | |
| 9 | Castle Street | Sea Beach | Constitution Street | |
| Castle Street | Fonthill Road | Crown Street | Included a branch via Whinhill Road that terminated at Duthie Park. Withdrawn on 30 May 1931 and replaced with the number 6 bus. [11] |
The tram system was supported by 14 bus routes numbered No. 4, No. 8 and No. 11 through to No. 22, No. 4 being an extension of the No. 4 tram route.
There was a tram depot at Queen's Cross (grid reference NJ 92362 05887 ). The building was purchased by Grampian Television in 1960 and converted into their television studios and headquarters. In 2003 Grampian Television relocated their studios and offices to new premises; the former tram depot was subsequently demolished by 2004 with new flats built on the site.
Following the closure of the tram system, Aberdeen Corporation continued to operate buses. Following the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973, the fleet passed to the new Grampian Regional Council in 1975, becoming Grampian Regional Transport. The dark green and cream livery was retained. Following the Transport Act 1985 the company was subsequently privatised, becoming the GRT Group, which later became FirstGroup. As of 2009, buses in Aberdeen are operated by First Aberdeen.
There were proposals for a new tramway system in 2013, but they were rejected in September 2014.
The Heaton Park Tramway is a heritage tramway that operates within Heaton Park, a large municipal park in the English city of Manchester. It is operated by the Manchester Transport Museum Society, a registered charity.
Xplore Dundee is a bus operator based in Dundee, Scotland, operating services mainly within the city. The operator also runs a service to Edinburgh Airport. It is a subsidiary of McGill's Bus Services.
Hazlehead Park is a public park in the Hazlehead area of Aberdeen, Scotland. 180 hectares in size, it was opened to the public in 1920, having formerly been the estate of Hazlehead House, home of William Rose, shipbuilder. It is heavily wooded and contains many walking tracks.
The network of transportation in Aberdeen is extensive and diversified, like that of many comparably sized cities.
Media in Aberdeen have long been published or broadcast. The main newspaper of the city and the surrounding area, the Press and Journal, has been made and printed in the city since 1748, making it Scotland's oldest newspaper.
First Aberdeen is the main bus company operator in Aberdeen, Scotland. It is a subsidiary of FirstGroup.
Grampian Transport Museum is a transport museum and charitable-based trust located in Alford, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. Its exhibits chart the history of transport in the north east of Scotland through dramatic displays, working and climb-aboard vehicle exhibits and video presentations.
Derby Corporation Tramways was the tram system serving the city of Derby, England. It opened on 27 July 1904.
Dundee Corporation Tramways formerly served the City of Dundee in Scotland. The corporation had financed the construction of a horse tramway in 1877, but had then leased it to the Dundee and District Tramways Company. They had replaced most of the horse trams with steam tram locomotives pulling trailer cars from 1884, but in 1897 the corporation decided that it would run the tramway system itself. After some negotiation and the payment of compensation, they took over the system in 1899, with a view to electrifying it. Electric trams started running in 1900, and the changeover was completed in 1902.
Edinburgh Corporation Tramways was a Scottish tram network that formerly served the City of Edinburgh, Scotland. The city used four-wheeled double-decked trams painted dark red (madder) and white – a livery still used by Lothian Buses and the modern light rail Edinburgh Trams.
Portsmouth Corporation Transport was a tram, trolleybus and bus operator formed in 1898, serving the city of Portsmouth, and owned by Portsmouth Corporation. Tram services ended in 1936, trolleybus services in 1963, while bus operations continued until the company was privatised in 1988.
Leicester Corporation Tramways was a tramway system in Leicester, England from 1901 to 1949.
The Derby Tramways Company operated horse-drawn tramway services in Derby, England from 1880 to 1904.
Wolverhampton Corporation Tramways operated a tramway service in Wolverhampton between 1902 and 1928.
Coventry Corporation Tramways operated a tramway service in Coventry, England, between 1912 and 1940.
The Camborne and Redruth Tramways company operated an electric freight and passenger tramway service in the Cornish towns of Camborne and Redruth between 1902 and 1934.
The Cruden Bay Hotel Tramway operated an electric tramway service between the Cruden Bay Hotel and Cruden Bay railway station between 1899 and 1940.
Wemyss and District Tramways operated a tramway service between Leven and Kirkcaldy between 1906 and 1932.
The Aberdeen District Tramways operated a horse-drawn tramway services in Aberdeen between 1874 and 1898.
Routes 1, 1B, and 2 are bus routes in Aberdeen operated by First Aberdeen.
The Bridges tram-to-bus switch will not take place until 1959
The service provided by Grampian Regional Council transport to Hazlehead Park ended with bus deregulation in October, 1986