West Ham Corporation Tramways
West Ham Corporation Tramways tramcar 102 in the London Transport Museum | |
Operation | |
---|---|
Locale | County Borough of West Ham |
Open | 1 July 1903 |
Close | 1 July 1933 |
Status | Closed |
Infrastructure | |
Track gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) |
Propulsion system(s) | Electric |
Statistics | |
Route length | 16.8 miles (27.0 km) |
West Ham Corporation Tramways operated a tramway service in the County Borough of West Ham between 1901 and 1933.[1]
History
West Ham Corporation took over the North Metropolitan Tramways horse drawn services in stages starting on 1 July 1903. A programme of modernisation and electrification was undertaken, and the first electric services ran on 27 February 1904.
The company built up a fleet of 134 tramcars in a chocolate and cream livery.
The company experimented with trolley buses as early as 1912. At the annual conference of the Municipal Tramways Association from 25–27 September 1912, an Austrian Cédès-Stoll was the first trolleybus to carry passengers in London, along Greengate Street.
Closure
The services were taken over by London Passenger Transport Board on 1 July 1933.
References
- ↑ The Golden Age of Tramways. Published by Taylor and Francis.