Portsmouth Corporation Transport

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Portsmouth Corporation Transport
Portsmouth tram No 84.jpg
Portsmouth Corporation Transport tram No. 84 at Milestones Museum in Basingstoke
Overview
Headquarters Portsmouth
Locale England
Dates of operation24 September 190110 November 1936 (trams) 1988
Technical
Track gauge 4 ft 7+34 in (1,416 mm)
Length15.75 miles (25.35 km) (1927)

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. [1]

Contents

History

Corporation of Portsmouth Passenger Transport Department (CPPTD), otherwise known as Portsmouth Corporation Transport, was formed by the Portsmouth Corporation Tramways Act 1898 (61 & 62 Vict. c. ccxxix), allowing Portsmouth Corporation to take over the existing horse-drawn tramways. [2]

The right to purchase the existing tramways was exercised in January 1901 and the system closed whilst it was converted to electric traction, being completed in September 1901. However, horse traction did not end completely and continued on the Hilsea to Cosham line until May 1903. [3] The compulsory purchase of all of the lines of the Portsmouth Street Tramways Company within the borough, left the company with a short stub line from the boundary at Hilsea to Cosham. The parent company, The Provincial Tramways Company, extended the line to Waterlooville and reopened as the Portsdown and Horndean Light Railway on 2 March 1902. [3] Through working later took place, until Southdown purchased the company in 1935, then shut the line down.

Trolleybuses replaced trams for the first time on the South Parade Pier to Cosham route on 4 August 1934 followed quickly by replacement of trams with trolleybuses on the other routes. The last tram was No. 106 and ran on 10 November 1936. [4] Portsmouth Corporation Transport continued to operate the trolleybuses officially until 27 July 1963 (although it did operate trolleybuses on late evening services 17/18 and 19/20 for a few weeks afterwards), after which it continued purely as a bus operator, until 1988, when it was privatised. [5]

Preservation and survivals

A 1934-built AEC661T Trolleybus AEC-Trolleybus-RV4649-843.jpg
A 1934-built AEC661T Trolleybus

For many years, vehicles of Portsmouth Corporation Transport were preserved at the City of Portsmouth Preserved Transport Depot (CPPTD), based at the Broad Street bus depot in Portsmouth. Zoned for redevelopment, this site closed in 2003. [6] Many vehicles were dispersed, but the CPPTD found a new home at Wicor Farm in Portchester and some of the vehicles have been returned. Unfortunately access to the new location is only by appointment, but some members of the collection have been used for free trips along Southsea seafront in the summer, since 2008.

The body of a Portsdown and Horndean Light Railway tram survives at the Old Kiln Light Railway where it has been incorporated into a station building.

Some surviving track can still be seen in the cobbled road surface of Broad Street, Old Portsmouth, 50°47′32″N1°06′31″W / 50.792268°N 1.108746°W / 50.792268; -1.108746 , and in Rugby Road, south of Fratton Station, 50°47′39″N1°04′37″W / 50.794157°N 1.077007°W / 50.794157; -1.077007 .

Related Research Articles

Cosham is a northern suburb of Portsmouth lying within the city boundary but off Portsea Island. It is mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086 along with Drayton and Wymering (mainland) and Bocheland (Buckland), Frodington (Fratton) and Copenore (Copnor) on the island.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chesterfield tramway</span>

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trams in Kingston upon Hull</span> Historic tram system in Kingston upon Hull

The Kingston upon Hull tramway network was a network of 4 ft 8+12 instandard gauge tram lines following the five main roads radially out of the city centre of Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, England. Two of these lines went west, and two east. The fifth went to the north, and branched to include extra lines serving suburban areas. Additionally a short line linked the city centre to the Corporation Pier where a ferry crossed the Humber Estuary to New Holland, Lincolnshire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Birmingham Corporation Tramways</span> Birmingham tramway operator (1904-1953)

Birmingham Corporation Tramways operated a network of tramways in Birmingham from 1904 until 1953. It was the largest narrow-gauge tramway network in the UK, and was built to a gauge of 3 ft 6 in. It was the fourth largest tramway network in the UK behind London, Glasgow and Manchester.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">London United Tramways</span> Tram and trolleybuse operator in western and southern London

London United Tramways Company Limited was an operator of trams and trolleybuses in the western and southern suburbs of London, UK, from 1894 to 1933, when it passed to the London Passenger Transport Board.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Portsdown and Horndean Light Railway</span> Tram service that ran initially from Cosham to Horndean in Hampshire, England

The Portsdown and Horndean Light Railway was a tram service that ran initially from Cosham to Horndean in Hampshire, England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Reading Corporation Tramways</span>

Reading Corporation Tramways operated a tramway service in Reading in the English county of Berkshire between 1901 and 1939.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Manchester Corporation Tramways</span> Municipal operator of electric tram services in Manchester (1901-1949)

Between 1901 and 1949 Manchester Corporation Tramways was the municipal operator of electric tram services in Manchester, England. At its peak in 1928, the organisation carried 328 million passengers on 953 trams, via 46 routes, along 292 miles (470 km) of track.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trolleybuses in Reading</span>

The Reading trolleybus system served the town of Reading in the English county of Berkshire and was owned by Reading Corporation, who had operated an electric tramway since 1901. As there was a need for major refurbishment of the tramway in the 1930s, they decided to replace it with a trolleybus network. The first route was converted on 18 July 1936, and by mid 1939, trolleybuses were running over most of the tramway routes, with the last tram running on 20 May. By the standards of the various now-defunct trolleybus systems in the United Kingdom, the Reading system was a moderately sized one, with a total of four routes, and a maximum fleet of 63 trolleybuses, a size that lasted from 1 December 1950 to 27 March 1952.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trolleybuses in Cleethorpes</span> Discontinued public transport system in Lincolnshire, England

The Cleethorpes trolleybus system once served the holiday resort of Cleethorpes, in Lincolnshire, England. Opened on 18 July 1937, it replaced part of the Great Grimsby Street Tramways, a tramway that had served both Cleethorpes and the neighbouring seaport of Grimsby. It was closed on 4 June 1960.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trolleybuses in Doncaster</span>

The Doncaster trolleybus system once served the town of Doncaster, South Yorkshire, England. Opened on 22 August 1928, it gradually replaced the Doncaster Corporation Tramways. By the standards of the various now-defunct trolleybus systems in the United Kingdom, the Doncaster system was a moderately sized one, with a total of 6 routes, all radiating out from the town centre, and a maximum fleet of 47 trolleybuses. The Bentley route was the first to close, on 12 February 1956, and the Beckett Road route was the last to go, on 14 December 1963.

The South Lancashire trolleybus system once served towns in South Lancashire, England, including Atherton, Bolton, Swinton and Leigh and St Helens. Opened on 3 August 1930, it replaced the South Lancashire Tramways network.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Buses in Portsmouth</span> Public transport in the city of Portsmouth, England

Buses in Portsmouth are a form of public transport in the city of Portsmouth, England. Motor bus services in Portsmouth began in 1919, and were expanded in the 1930s following the closure of the Portsmouth Corporation Transport tram network. Trolleybuses were also operated between 1934 and 1963. Until 1988 the majority of services were provided by Portsmouth Corporation Transport, a municipal bus company owned by Portsmouth City Council. Other services into the city were operated by Southdown Motor Services, latterly as a subsidiary of the National Bus Company.

Pontypridd Urban District Council Tramways operated a tramway service in Pontypridd between 1904 and 1931. Part of it used the route of the Pontypridd and Rhondda Valley Tramway Company's horse tramway. Between 1919 and 1927, it was the only system in Wales where through running onto a neighbouring system occurred. In 1930, part of the system was converted to use trolleybuses, and the former horse tramway section was replaced by motor buses in 1931, bringing the tramway era to an end. During the Second World War, a number of trolleybuses were borrowed from other systems, to cope with heavy traffic, but the use of electric vehicles ended in 1957. Most of the vehicles were sold on to other undertakings, and the system was the last in Britain to be run by an Urban District Council.

Llanelly and District Electric Tramways operated a standard gauge tramway service in Llanelli, Wales, between 1908 and 1933. It was the successor to a 3 ft gauge horse tramway, which ran from 1882 until 1908. A complex series of negotiations took place in the early 1900s, resulting in the horse tramway being converted to an electric tramway. Standard gauge horse trams were run initially, until the company completed North Dock power station, which supplied electricity to the tramway. Two of the employees who worked on the construction went on to found Balfour Beatty.

The Provincial Tramways Company was a holding company for horse tramway companies in various regional towns of England. It was floated in July 1872 by means of a prospectus inviting public subscription for shares in the new company. The published prospectus lists the towns where it was proposed to operate horse tramways as Plymouth. Cardiff, Dundee. Portsmouth. Southampton and Tynemouth. Initially those in Plymouth and Cardiff were constructed and in operation as reported to the half yearly meeting of the company in 1873.

The Portsmouth Street Tramways Company operated horse tramways in Portsmouth, England. It was started under the terms of a Provisional Order of 1874 and was a wholly owned subsidiary company of The Provincial Tramways Company.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Great Grimsby Street Tramways</span> Former tramway in Lincolnshire, England

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stockport Corporation Tramways</span>

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.

References

  1. Bob Rowe (2012). Portsmouth Corporation Transport. Venture Publications, Limited. ISBN   9781905304479.
  2. "Welcome to Portsmouth - THE PORTSMOUTH TRAM SYSTEM". 2009. Retrieved 22 September 2009.
  3. 1 2 "Peter Gould - Portsmouth Corporation Transport 1901-1986" . Retrieved 22 September 2009.
  4. Keith Turner (1996). Directory of British Tramways: Every Passenger-Carrying Tramway, Past and Present. Patrick Stephens Limited. ISBN   1-85260-549-9.
  5. "The former municipal operators". Buses Focus. Autumn 1996. p. 53.
  6. "The City of Portsmouth Preserved Transport Depot - Broad Street - The Final Open Day". 9 March 2003. Retrieved 15 July 2010.