| Overview | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Headquarters | Lowestoft | ||
| Locale | England | ||
| Dates of operation | 1903–1931 | ||
| Successor | Abandoned | ||
| Technical | |||
| Track gauge | 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) | ||
| Length | 4.08 miles (6.57 km) | ||
| |||
Lowestoft Corporation Tramways was the operator of the electric tramway system that served Lowestoft from 22 July 1903 until 8 May 1931. [1]
A notice was published in the London Gazette on 23 November 1900 stating the intention of Lowestoft Corporation to construct a tram line going from Lowestoft to the old parish of Pakefield, stopping off at places on the way all in the county of East Suffolk. [2]
The system was built to a gauge of 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) and had a maximum extent of 4.08 miles (6.57 km). The buttons [3] and cap badges [4] of Lowestoft Corporation Tramways depicted an angel with a halo and wings holding a shield, containing a crown above a rose, based on the borough coat of arms, illustrated in this postcard.
In the late 1920s the Corporation decided to replace the trams with motor buses rather than renew the infrastructure. The line was closed in stages, with the section north of the harbour closing in April 1931 and the southern section on 8 May 1931. [5]
For several years prior to the closure of the tram system in 1931, the Corporation operated motor buses concurrently with the trams. The first few buses were lettered "Lowestoft Corporation Tramways", but as the fleet grew the lettering was changed to "Lowestoft Corporation Transport". [6]
The northern terminus was on the A12 midway between the junction with Hollingsworth Road and the junction with Harris Avenue. From there it followed the A12 south to its other terminus at Pakefield where the A12 has a junction with Pakefield Street and Stradbroke Road. That area is still often referred to as the Pakefield terminus or Pakefield Tramways. The terminus itself was in front of what is still known today as The Tramway's Hotel. [7]
A branch from this north–south route ran westward from the Suffolk Hotel on station square along Denmark Road to the depot in Rotterdam Road, with the entrance opposite the end of Essex Road. The shed was four lanes with a glass peak to the roof. The lines were still in situ in the depot's shed and yard during the 1960s when the depot was being used for Lowestoft Corporation buses. [8] In 2009 the shed building was still being used, but not as a shelter for public transport vehicles.
Located in Norwich Road, adjacent to the depot, was Lowestoft Corporation's electricity generating station. Originally opened in 1901, its output capability was increased in 1903 to cope with the tramway's electrical load. [6]
The fleet consisted of:
The East Anglia Transport Museum owns an original 1904 open top double deck Lowestoft Corporation tramcar, [9] which had been a static exhibit but as of 2009 is being restored to fully working condition for operation on the museum's track.
The East Anglia Transport Museum is an open-air transport museum, with numerous historic public transport vehicles. It is located in Carlton Colville a suburb of Lowestoft, Suffolk. It is the only museum in the country where visitors can ride on buses, trams and trolleybuses, as well as a narrow-gauge railway.
Sheffield Tramway was an extensive tramway network serving the English city of Sheffield and its suburbs.
The Chesterfield and District Tramways Company and its successors ran a tramway system in the Derbyshire town of Chesterfield, England. The first horse-drawn line opened in 1882, and in 1897, the system was taken over by Chesterfield Corporation, who extended and electrified it in 1904 and 1905. Additional tramcars were purchased, but two had to be scrapped after a disastrous fire at the depot in 1916. The system suffered from a lack of maintenance as a result of reduced staffing levels during the First World War, and the trams were replaced by trolleybuses in 1927.
Reading Corporation Tramways operated a tramway service in Reading in the English county of Berkshire between 1901 and 1939.
The Taunton Tramway was an electric street tramway in Taunton, the county town of Somerset, England. It operated a fleet of six narrow gauge tramcars on a single route of 1.66 miles (2.67 km) between 1901 and 1921 when the tramway closed due to a dispute over the cost of electricity.
Norwich Electric Tramways served the city of Norwich in Norfolk from 30 July 1900 until 10 December 1935.
Ipswich Corporation Tramways was an electric tramway system that served the town of Ipswich in Suffolk from 23 November 1903 until 26 July 1926.
Luton Corporation Tramways served the town of Luton in Bedfordshire from 21 February 1908 until 16 April 1932.
Bournemouth Corporation Tramways served the town of Bournemouth in Dorset from 23 July 1902 until 8 April 1936.
Gloucester Corporation Tramways operated an electric tramway service in Gloucester between 1904 and 1933.
Brighton Corporation Tramways operated an electric tramway service in Brighton between 1901 and 1939.
Tramways in Exeter were operated between 1882 and 1931. The first horse-drawn trams were operated by the Exeter Tramway Company but in 1904 the Exeter Corporation took over. They closed the old network and replaced it with a new one powered by electricity.
Cambridge Street Tramways operated a horse-drawn tramway service in Cambridge, England, between 1880 and 1914.
Wigan Corporation Tramways operated a tramway service in Wigan, England, between 1901 and 1931. The first tramway service in the town was run by the Wigan Tramways Company, whose horse trams began carrying passengers in 1880. They began replacing horses with steam tram locomotives from 1882, but the company failed in 1890 when a Receiver was appointed to manage it. The Wigan & District Tramways Company took over the system in 1893 and ran it until 1902. Meanwhile, Wigan Corporation were planning their own tramway system, obtaining an authorising Act of Parliament in 1893, and a second one in 1898. This enabled them to build electric tramways, and in 1902, they took over the lines of the Wigan & District Tramways Company.
At the peak of Britain’s first-generation tramways, it was possible to travel by tram all the way from Pier Head at Liverpool to the Pennines in Rochdale by tram.
Bath Tramways Company and its successors operated a 4 ft horse-drawn tramway service in Bath between 1880 and 1902. From 1903 until its closure in 1939 an expanded route carried electric trams operated by Bath Electric Tramways Company.
Halifax Corporation Tramways operated a tramway service in Halifax, West Yorkshire, England between 1898 and 1939. After considering lifts and inclined planes to assist trams in negotiating the steep hills to the south of the town, they obtained permission to build a conventional system in 1897, and the first three routes opened in 1898. By 1905 there were 37 miles (60 km) of track and 96 tramcars, supplied by two manufacturers. In 1921, an additional route was added to the system, and the Corporation embarked on a programme of building their own tramcars, some of which replaced existing vehicles, while some extended the fleet. During the 1930s, the trams were gradually replaced by motor buses, either run by the Corporation or by private companies, and the last tram ran on 14 February 1939.
The tramways in Plymouth were originally constructed as four independent networks operated by three different companies to serve the adjacent towns of Plymouth, Stonehouse and Devonport in Devon, England. The merger of the 'Three Towns' into the new borough of Plymouth in 1914 was the catalyst for the three companies to join up under the auspices of the new Plymouth Corporation. The network was closed in 1945, partly as a result of bomb damage during World War II.
The Great Grimsby Street Tramways Company was a tramway serving Grimsby and Cleethorpes in Lincolnshire, England. It was a subsidiary of The Provincial Tramways Company. They opened a horse tramway in 1881, running from the Wheatsheaf Inn in Bargate to the border with Cleethorpes, with a branch along Freeman Street, and extended the line into Cleethorpes in 1887. It followed the trend of many British systems, and was converted to an electric tramway in December 1901. Small extensions were made to the system at both ends, but the basic plan of the system remained the same throughout its life.
Bradford Corporation Tramways were a tramway network in the city of Bradford, West Riding of Yorkshire, England which operated trams from 1882 until 1950 and trolleybuses from 1911 until 1972. The track gauge of the tramways was 4 ft.
Stockport Corporation Tramways operated a tramway service in Stockport, England, between 1901 and 1951. It was preceded by a horse tramway from Levenshulme to Stockport, which opened in 1880, and was ultimately run by the Manchester Carriage and Tramways Company. A second independent horse tramway opened in 1890, running to Hazel Grove. In 1899 the Corporation bought the first line, electrified it, and leased it back to the operating company. Their powers to buy the Stockport and Hazel Grove Tramway, authorised by the same Act of Parliament, were not exercised until 1905.
