Wolverhampton Corporation Tramways

Wolverhampton Corporation Tramways
Operation
Locale Wolverhampton
Open 6 February 1902
Close 11 July 1928
Status Closed
Infrastructure
Track gauge 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm)
Propulsion system(s) Electric
Statistics
Route length 13.85 miles (22.29 km)
Map of the tram routes in 1930 including those in Birmingham

Wolverhampton Corporation Tramways operated a tramway service in Wolverhampton between 1902 and 1928.[1]

History

In 1900 Wolverhampton Corporation bought the Wolverhampton Tramways Company which had operated a standard gauge horse-drawn tramway since 1878.

A modernisation scheme followed immediately re-gauging to 3'6" and electrification. The tramway was unique in using the Lorain Stud contact system,[2] and because of this, connections to other networks in the area could not be made until 1921, when the council decided to convert to overhead wiring.

The first line opened on 6 February 1902. The main service connected Wolverhampton railway station with the 1902 exhibition in West Park.

Additional lines soon followed and the basic system was complete in 3 years. A further line was added in 1909 to Penn Fields.

Fleet

The company ordered 24 tramcars for its initial operations

Later additions were:

Surviving trams

Car 49 is operational at the Black Country Living Museum.

References

  1. ↑ The Golden Age of Tramways. Published by Taylor and Francis.
  2. ↑ "Trams in Wolverhampton". Wolverhampton History and Heritage Society. Retrieved 2008-07-01.
This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Wednesday, April 09, 2014. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.