York Corporation Tramways

York Corporation Tramways

Map of York Corporation Tramways
Operation
Locale	York
Open	20 January 1910
Close	16 November 1935
Status	Closed
Infrastructure
Track gauge	3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm)
Propulsion system(s)	Electric
Depot(s)	Fulford Cross
Statistics
Route length	8.49 miles (13.66 km)

The York Corporation Tramways provided an electric tramway service in York between 1910 and 1935.^[1]

History

In 1909 the Corporation of York purchased the assets of the City of York Tramways Company for £8,856^[2] (equivalent to £832,536 in 2015).^[3] Initially it took over the operation of the horse-drawn tramway, but put into effect immediate plans for its electrification and extension. These modernisation works were carried out at a cost of £89,471 (equivalent to £8,411,001 in 2015).^[3]

Fleet

The company operated a fleet of 45 tramcars.

• 1–18 Eighteen cars 1910 from British Thomson-Houston for £10,914 (equivalent to £1,004,766 in 2015) ^[3] (including No 19)
• 19 Water car 1910 from British Thomson-Houston
• 20–23 Four additional cars 1912 from British Thomson-Houston
• 24–27 Four additional cars 1912 from British Thomson-Houston at a cost of £550 10s each (equivalent to £49,154 in 2015),^[3]
• 28–31 Four additional cars 1913 from Brush for a total of £2,960 (equivalent to £262,674 in 2015),^[3]
• 32–35 Four trailer cars 1914 from Brush for a total of £1,912 (equivalent to £165,482 in 2015) ^[3]
• 36–41 Six additional cars 1915 from Brush at a cost of £811, 10s each (equivalent to £58,646 in 2015),^[3]

Before 1925, the fleet was renumbered and new cars were delivered:

• 1–26 (Original 1–18 and 20–27)
• 27–30 (Original 28–31)
• 31–36 (Original 36–41)
• 37 English Electric Company 1925 single man operated (damaged in a collision in 1925). Converted to a sand and salt carrier.
• 37–38 Two cars built by the company in 1929 from the truck from the water car, a spare truck and the trailer bodies.
• 39–41 Three second hand cars from the Wolverhampton Corporation Tramways (Wolverhampton numbers 46, 50 and 56).
• 42–45 Four second hand cars from the Burton upon Trent Corporation Tramways (Burton number 21-24).

Routes

The system eventually expanded to 6 main routes out from the city centre:

• Acomb Road
• Tadcaster Road (from the junction with Ainsty Avenue)
• Queen Victoria Street (from the junction with Albermarle Road) via Bishopthorpe Road
• Fulford Village (the depot was off Fulford Road opposite the Infantry Barracks at SE 6085 5013.
• Lawrence Street and Hull Road (from the location of the Beeswing Hotel)
• Haxby Road (from the Rowntree's Cocoa Works))

Closure

The system was closed on 16 November 1935.

References

1. The Golden Age of Tramways. Published by Taylor and Francis.
2. Tramway Review, Issue 18, 1955.
3. UK CPI inflation numbers based on data available from Gregory Clark (2016), "The Annual RPI and Average Earnings for Britain, 1209 to Present (New Series)" MeasuringWorth.