Swansea Constitution Hill Incline Tramway

Swansea Constitution Hill Incline Tramway

Junction of Hanover Street and Constitution Hill, the site of the Cable Tramway
Operation
Locale Swansea
Open 27 August 1898
Close 1902
Status Closed
Infrastructure
Track gauge 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm)
Propulsion system(s) Cable
Statistics
Route length 0.175 miles (0.282 km)

The Swansea Constitution Hill Incline Tramway operated a cable tramway service on Constitution Hill in Swansea between 1898 and 1902.[1]

History

The Swansea Constitution Hill Incline Tramway Company developed this tramway with consulting engineer George Croydon Marks, 1st Baron Marks. It was built by George Webb and Company. It operated along Constitution Hill between the lower terminus at St. George Street which is now Hannover Street and the upper terminus at Terrace Road. There was an average gradient of 1 in 5 with a maximum of 1 in 3.5. The total elevation was 185 ft. It opened for service on 27 August 1898.

Two counterbalanced cars built by the Brush Electrical Engineering Company were fixed to the steel cable, guided by pulleys in a conduit. At the top of the hill the winding house contained two Tangye gas engines.

Closure

The line was not a success and operated for just over three years until it closed for traffic in early 1902.

References

  1. The Golden Age of Tramways. Published by Taylor and Francis.
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