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THE CITY

LONDON UNITED TRAMWAYS

HISTORY OF THE CITY LONDON UNITED TRAMWAYS

A history, 1894–1933

GEOFFREY WILSON First published in 1971

This edition published in 2007 Routledge 2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon, OX14 4RN

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London United Tramways ISBN10: 0-415-41753-8 (volume) ISBN10: 0-415-41933-6 (subset) ISBN10: 0-415-41318-4 (set)

ISBN13: 978-0-415-41753-2 (volume) ISBN13: 978-0-415-41933-8 (subset) ISBN13: 978-0-415-41318-3 (set) Routledge Library Editions: The City LONDON UNITED TRAMWAYS A History - 1894to 1933

GeoffreyWilson

ILLUSTRATED

LONDON GeorgeAllen & Unwin Ltd RUSKIN HOUSB MUSBUM STRBBT FIRST PUBLISHBD IN 1971

This book is copyright under the Berne Convention. All rights reserved.Apart from any fair dealingfor the purpose of private study, research,criticism or review, as permitted underthe Copyright Act, 1956, no part of this publication may be reproduced,stored in a retrieval system,or trans- mitted, in any form or by any means,electronic, electrical, cheInical, mechanical,optical, photocopying,recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the copyright owner.Enquiries should be addressed to the Publishers.

ISBN 0 04 388001 0

PRINTBD IN GRBAT BRITAIN in I I point Plantin type (z point leaded) BY W & J MACKAY & CO LTD, CHATHAM LUET, LUET, let me see. O! COUTse, CLet there be light'. ANON

We honour OUT chairman, we seroe the public and we trust in God. JAMBS CLIPTON ROBINSON Acknowledgments

I shouldlike to recordmy gratitudeto the following for supplyingin- formation and material,without which this book would not have been possible: MessrsJ. Allen and G. Baddeley;Reverend Peter W. Boulding; Mr AnthonyBull; Miss FlorenceD. Comerton;Messrs R. Elliott; C. Hamil- ton Ellis; G. Gundry;Alan A. Jackson;J. Joyce; C. F. Klapper;Addison H. Laffin, Jr (Bay Area Electric RailroadersAssociation); Charles E. Lee;A. W. McCall; andWalter McGrath;Professor George W. Hilton (University of California); Mr Thomas 0 Grady; the late Mr Boin OMahony, K.M; Messrs Alan T. Newman; G. Rogers; L. J. Ross (ElectricRailroaders Association Inc., New York); R. Tustin; and Cyril Smeeton (Hon. Publications Officer, Tramway and Light Railway Society); Mrs O. Warrell; Mr Bryan Woodriff; A. RandowLtd.; The ChamberlainCourt (City of London);Press Office, LondonTransport; GeneralManager, Bradford City Transport;Publicity Officer, Bristol OmnibusCo. Ltd; Royal Societyof Arts; Borough Surveyor,London Boroughof Merton; Institution of ElectricalEngineers; British Trans- portArchives; Greater London Record Office (MiddlesexRecords); City Librarians,Cork City Library andCity ofWestminster Public Libraries; BoroughLibrarians of the London boroughsof Baling, Hammersmith, Hillingdon, Hounslow, Kingston, Merton, and Richmond, and their helpfulstaffs at the main and district libraries(particular thanks are due to Miss W. M. Heard,Librarian in chargeof Referenceand Information Services, Chiswick District Library); Borough Librarian, Middles- brough. I am most grateful to Miss Carol Dennettfor relieving me of much typing in thefinal stagesand to my sonTerry for helpingme to checkthe typescript.My thanksgo to Mr J. Braidleyfor producingthe map and to Mr Mark Shearmanfor help with the photographs. Any errorsand omissions are mine. I shall begrateful to all readerswho point themout. GEOFFREY WILSON OctoberI969 Merton PaTk, London, SWI9. Contents

PROLOGUE page 17 I. EnterRobinson 29 2. The OpeningShots 35 3. Battle Grounds 44 4. Electricsat Last 57 5. Junkets- And Hard Bargains 62 6. New Ground- And 'Underground' 78 7. Mainly Robinson 90 8. HamptonCourt and Uxbridge 95 9. Into Surrey 108 10. RoundingOff 115 II. Chill Winds - And New Brooms 125 12. A 'TramwayKing' Passes 132 13. LUT, MET and BET 137 14. Wartime Readjustment 145 15. SpencerMakes His Mark 150 16. Mild Revival 157 17. Modernization 164 18. Finale 170 EPILOGUE 179 APPENDIX I Routesand Service Numbers, by A. W. McCall 181 II Faresand Tickets, by A. W. McCall 200 III TheFleet 226 IV Rulesand Regulations 229 BIBLIOGRAPHY 233 INDEX 234 Illustrations =.g.=

I. One-horsesingle-deck car 2. Reckenzaun'sbattery car 3. Acton High Street facing 16 4. Pair-horsecar in Chiswick S. Pair-horsecar outsidethe new Acton depot 6. Kew Greenterminus 7. Kew - Richmondhorse car 17 8. London'sfirst public electrictramway opens 9. Inauguralcars arrive at Baling Town Hall 10. Chiswick car-shedready for the inauguralbanquet 32 II. No. 101,'flagship' of type X 12. Lower deckof the first LUT electriccars 13. Upperdeck of the firStL UT electriccars betfl1een 32-3 14. Type X No. 141 IS. Conductoralters destination indicator of type X No. 133 16. Type X No. 126 32-3 17. Young'sComer, Chiswick 18. Carspassing outside LUT offices in Chiswick High Road 19. Type Z No.6 facing 33 20. Type X No. 117 21. Type W No. 184 22. Nos 4 (type Z) and182 (type W) 23. Cars 7 and 19 of type Z 24. At Hounslow('Bell') terminus 2S. No. 61 of type Z (later Y) 26. ShepherdsBush in May 1903 27. Holiday crowdsat ShepherdsBush 28. TypeX No. 143 29. TypeX No. 125 30. Nos 33S (type T) and148 (type X) facing 49 31. TypeX No. 132 32. No. 112 on Baling Common 33. TypeX No. 138 34. Type Z (later Y) No. 78 List ofIllustrations 35. Type W No. 210 36. TypeW No. 223 between64-5 37. TypeT No. 336 38. Hillingdon on the newly-openedUxbridge route 39. Type Z (later Y) No. 15 at Uxbridgeterminus 40. Type W No. 212 at RichmondBridge terminus 41. Cars in King Street,Twickenham 42. Type W (later U) No. 295 on left andtype W No. 248 facing 65 43-47 Specimentickets between80-1 48. LCC cheapmidday ordinaryand workman tickets issuedby LUT on route89 96-7 49. Carson inspectionpit tracksin Fulwell depot 50. Type W No. 249 inauguratesTeddington service in 1902 51. Type W (later U) No. 212 52. Bottleneckin HamptonHill 53· Type W (later U) No. 266 54· Type W No. 173 facing 97 55. Sir JamesClifton Robinson 56. L UT 'Serenader'in Garrick Villa grounds 57. LUT bandat Garrick Villa 112 58. Holiday crowdsby the river at Hampton 59· Guestsof Sir Oifton Robinsonat Garrick Villa 60. Sir Oifton andLady Robinsonat Garrick Villa between112-13 61. Type W No. 196 62. In Broad Street,Teddington 63. Wideningby PegWoffington's cottage,Teddington 112-13 64· Disruptionin EdenStreet, Kingston 65· Triangularjunction at HamptonWick 66. HamptonCourt terminus,with type W car No. 296 facing 113 67. TheMayor of Kingstontakes type T No. 320 acrossKings- ton Bridge 68. Bedeckedcars cross Kingston Bridge 69. TheMayor of Kingstondrives No. 302 128 70• Brucedrives No. 321 on BOT inspection 71• Type T No. 330, headingfor KingstonHill 72 • Type T No. 309 at HamptonWick in 1906 between128-9 73· Surbiton,with No. 168 of type W 74· Victoria Road,Surbiton 75· TypeT No. 327 76. Car on King's Roadshuttle List of Illustrations 77. Type W No. 162 78. DittoDS terminuswith T No. 312 lacing 129 ~~: } Type T No. 213 in KingstonRoad, New Malden 81. TypeWNO.43 144 82. TypeW (later U) No. 287 83. Type W (later U) No. 269 84. Type W No. 200 betflJeen144-5 85. Type W (later U) earsNos 272 and274 86. Type W No. 156 87. Type W No. 260 144-5 88. Type W No. 180 on Summerstownservice 89. Tooting-boundcar at WandIeBridge, Merton 90. Type W No. 263 with crew lacing 145 91. 'Electric earsstop hereif required' 92. 'Electric earsstop here' 93. 'Carsstop hereon Sundaysduring hoursof divine service' 94. Paradeofears at Fulwell depot 160 95. Type U (ex-W) No. 296 andtype W No. 168 with Lee cars at Tooting 96. Lee car at WimbledonHill terminus 97. LUT andLee carsat Kew Bridge betroeen16cr1 98. Contretempsin Kingston 99. Type U (ex-W) No. 300 100. Type W No. 240 16cr1 101. L UT conductress,Mrs E. Seal 102. Type Y (ex-Z) No. 48 103. Barbertruck on No. 52 104. CarsNos 141 and142 convertedto 'Hood ears' lacing 161 105. Specialcar for privatehire 106. Pullman-typesaloon of oneof the privatehire cars 107. Type S2 No. 342 176 108. No. 341, the first P AYB car 109. Moving routeindicator inside P AYB car 110. VestibuleofpAYB car No. 342 III. Type S2 No. 344 betfOeen176-7 112. Type T No. 324 113. Top deckof reconditionedNo. 307 114. The HounslowClub andInstitute (LUT) wives' andchil- dren'souting 176-7 List of Illustrations

115. 'PopPy'~O.350 II6. Type T ~o. 320 II 7. ~o. 261 at Shephe'ds Bushin 1928 facing 177 II8. Type T ~o. 335 II9. ~o. 2II which bee une type WT in 1928 120. ~o. 396, last ofth. 'Felthams' 192 121. 'Feltham'type ~o 353 122. Saloonof a 'Feltham'car 123. 'Feltham'~o. 356 at Uxbridge between192-3 124. 4-wheelticket van ~o. 4 (later 004) 125. Water car in original condition 126. Water car in final condition 127. Bogie storesvan ~o. 005 128. Type W ~o. 254 andtrolleybuses 129. Trolleybusesat Twickenham 130. Trolleybus~o. 33 at Teddington facing 192 131. Modemview of the former Chiswick power station 132. Curvedstaircase and gallery in the former Chiswick power station 133. Wellington Roadentrance to Fulwell Depotwith trolleybuses 208 134. Trolleybusin WimbledonHill Road 135. Trolleybus~o. 43 in original condition 136. 74-seatercentre-entrance experimental trolleybus 209 Top: WestMetropolitan Tramways one-horse single-deck car on Shepherds Bush-Young'sCorner Service. (O.J. Morris Collection). Centre: Recken- zaun's battery car tried out at Kew Bridge in 1883. (London Transport). Bottom:Acton High Streetin LUT horse-cardays. (Courtesy Acton Library) Left: LUT pair-horsecar on Hammersmith-KewBridge service. Note the 'Bristol' style of the number on the dash. Right: Bedeckedfor Queen Victoria's Jubileein 1897 is this LUT pair-horsecar outsidethe new Acton depot.

The Kew Greenterminus of the Kew-Richmondhorse tramway. (Courtesy RichmondLibrary)

Kew-Richmondhorse car outside Richmond depot, possibly on its final run in 1912. Prologue

Eag_e

'Will you walk or haveyou time to take a tram?'So ran a local joke in the West Londonof the early 189Os.The butt was the ramshackleWest MetropolitanTramways, a systemwhich after a few years of operation hadfailed to makea financial successof running its four horse-carroutes. The West Metropolitanhad startedoff in good style in 1881, taking over a ShepherdsBush-Acton horse-car line from an earlier operator and quickly addingnew routes,one along GoldhawkRoad to Chiswick, anotherfrom Chiswick to Kew Bridge, yet anothersouth of the river, from Kew Greento Richmond,and finally a link betweenHammersmith and Chiswick. It hada goodly heritage.The routes, along main roads,including two of themain western highways, had a soundtraffic potential.Competition from .horsebuses and often roundaboutand slow steam-workedrailways was hardly vigorous,and the districts traversedwere growing rapidly. Its constructional burst, subsequentfruitless attempts to reduce operatingcosts by finding a workablealternative to horsetraction, and a seriesof ambitiousprojects to extendboth into centralLondon andto the west seemedto sapany energythat the managementmay oncehave possessed.By 1893 when its long-sufferingdebenture holders successfully appointeda receiver,the only hopeseemed to lie in sellingthe whole concernfor as good a scrapvalue as could be obtained- or in finding a saviour. Nucleus of the West Metropolitan, the ShepherdsBush-Acton tramway,opened in two sectionsin 1874 and 1878, was one of the first permanenttramways to be laid in London,where tramway construction was lagging behind that of the provinces.London might have led the way in Britain in 1857 if the newly-formedLondon General Omnibus Company- foundedtwo yearsearlier under French auspices - had been successfulin promotinga tramway betweenNotting Hill and the Bank by way of Maryleboneand the City Road, with a branchfrom Kings Crossto Fleet Street. Streettramways were an Americaninvention which sprangfrom the circumstancethat someearly American railways were laid down main streetsof towns. It was a logical stepto lay a line for local useonly. The 17 Prologue first authenticatedstreet railway beganin Manhattanin 1832as a downtown prolongation of a proposedsteam railway, the New York and Harlem. Pariswas thefirst city in Europeto adopttramways. Alphonse Loubat openeda demonstrationline in 1853 and beganpublic servicein 1855, hence the Paris-based'General' company's initial interest in running both trams and busesin London. In 1859John Curtis beganoperating a 'rail-bus'service in Liverpool, running his vehicles over the Mersey dock lines, but it was acrossthe Mersey, in Birkenhead,that Britain's first true tramway was opened, with greateclat, on August 30,1860. It ran betweenWoodside and BirkenheadPark and it was the first British ventureof eccentricAmerican GeorgeFrancis Train, of whom more will be said later. Train had tried without successto gain Parlia- mentary powers for tramways in this country. He then patentedhis special rail systemand began to build lines by agreementwith local authorities. Although the LGOC hadproposed to usea flush-type rail, so as not to inconvenienceother road users, Train adoptedan L-shapedstep rail with the top of the vertical part laid slightly proud of the road surface. His methoddid not recommenditself to cabmen,carriage drivers and cartersand his flamboyant mannercannot have endearedhim to local bigwigs. The line, though relaid with grooved rails, was short-lived. But it madean intense impression on a Birkenheadyoungster who was destined to make his mark on the urbantransport scene. Train laid step-rail lines in West Derby (Liverpool) and London in 1861. They were equally ephemeral.So also was a line in Darlington, and only a changeto groovedrail after Train had quit the British stage savedhis Hanley-Burslemtramway from sharingthe early demiseof its fellows. Train's first plan for London comprised a large loop line, from Finchley Roadto Baker Street,Wigmore Street,Regent Street, Oxford Street,Portman Square, Gloucester Place and back. He was unlucky in thatthere was a railway boomat thetime, so thattramway schemes failed to attractsupport, and was foolish in persistingin his steprail. He had to settle in London for three short, disconnectedlines, all openedin 1861. The first was along BayswaterRoad, betweenMarble Arch andPorchester Terrace, and was openedon March 23, 1861,in the 18 Prologue presenceof a greatCl'owd of celebrities,including CharlesDickens and DouglasJerrold. It was followed on April ISth by a line along Victoria Street between Victoria Station and Westminster Abbey, and on August 15th by one from the south side of WestminsterBridge to KenningtonGate. Train's lines were laid on the understandingthat they were to be removedat shortnotice if authority required. It soondid. TheBayswater line closedin the September,the Victoria Streetline in March 1862and the Kenningtonline in June1862. The first two routeswere never againto seetramways but the third would later becomepart of the SouthLondon trunk tramwaysystem. Sustainedtramway developmentin this country should perhapsbe reckonedfrom the inaugurationof the Liverpool TramwayCompany's servicein November1869. The companywas the first tramway under- taking to gain an Act of Parliament. The TramwaysAct of 1870 beganas a sincereattempt by the Board of Trade to regularizethe procedurefor promoting and laying down tramways. Had it passedin the form intended,urban transport might have developeddifferently. But the Bill had a rough passagethrough Parliament and it emergedladen with irksome provisions. Board of Trade certificates which had neededno Parliamentarysanction were rejectedin favour of ProvisionalOrders, which requiredsuch approval. Frontagers,that is, ownersand occupiers of propertyalong the proposed route, gainedthe right to object in general,and of veto wherethe line was to run within 9 feet 6 inchesof the kerb for a lengthof 30 feet and a third of their numberopposed. The sanctionof streetauthorities was still necessary,but -a truly British compromise- promotersgained the right to overcomelocal authority vetoesif their line was to run through severaldistricts andwas supportedby authoritiesfor at leasttwo-thirds of its length! Even so, the benevolenceof the Metropolitan Board of Works augured'well for the prospectsof tramway promotersin London and severaltramway entrepreneurs hoped to extendtheir activities to central London, not merely the suburbs.But such powerful opposition was musteredthat all projectsfor tramwaysin the City andWest End were postponedfor considerationby a joint selectcommittee of both Houses. Theeffect of the findings ofthis committee- which alsorecommended thatthe procedurefor PrivateBills shouldbe broughtinto line with that for ProvisionalOrders - was effectively to sealoff centralLondon from 19 Prologue tramways,with the resultthat, for goodor ill, Londonwas neverto gain a truly comprehensivetram network. The psychologicaleffects were as severeas the physical. In London,tramways came to be regardedas all very well for the suburbs,particularly the less fashionable,but not the thing for the City or West End. The first permanenttramways in the inner suburbsall openedin 1870:the Brixton-Kennington section of theMetropolitan Street Tram- ways (May 2nd); theWhitechapel-Bow section of the North Metropoli- tan Tramways(May 9th); andthe New Cross-BlackheathHill sectionof the Pimlico, Peckhamand GreenwichTramways (December 13th). Although Train's Bayswaterventure had been a badchoice of route, as it servedonly a well-to-do district with a carriage-owningpopulation, therewere good possibilitiesfarther west, basedon the traffic centreof ShepherdsBush, which was served by the Metropolitan and West London Railways. On May 12, 1870 the Southall Ealing & ShepherdsBush Tram- Railway (later Tramway)Company was incorporatedto build andwork a line from UxbridgeRoad Station (Shepherds Bush) along the Uxbridge Road to Acton, Ealing, Hanwell and the 'Red Lion' at Norwood (Southall).In 1872,before constructionhad begun, its engineer,George Billinton, tried unsuccessfullyto promotean extensionfrom Southallto Uxbridge. In the sameyear RichmondVestry consideredthe constructionof a tramway along Kew Road. It was the start of an equivocalattitude to tramwaysby the Richmondauthority which was to last for forty years. On December16, 1873, Reid Brothers,of City Road,began work on the first sectionof the SE & SB, betweenUxbridge Road Station and the 'PrincessVictoria' (Askew Crescent),Acton Vale, a distanceof I mile 10 chains.It was openedon JuneI, 1874. Thecost of £5,500a mile was said to be lower than that of any other metropolitantramway yet built. Even so, the line was not a financial successand it ceasedworking on February20, 1875,when revenue was statedto be£40 a weekand work- ing costs£27. Reid Brothers took control and the Board of Trade sanctionedre- opening on September21st. When the Board of Trade heard the owners' application in July to extendthrough Acton, it was said that 1,000passengers were using the tramway daily andthat some £19,000 of the authorizedcapital of £25,000had beenspent. The owners gained a Provisional Order in 1876 to extend I mile 5 20 Prologue chains to a point 25 yards west of 'Priory Road' (Acton Lane). The extensionwas openedon February18, 1878. Meanwhile there had beenabortive anempts,in 1874 and 1875, to build other lines in connectionfrom ShepherdsBush to both Notting Hill and Kensington. Althoughthe LGOC hadlong sincegiven up any aspirationsto operate both tramsand buses,it was quite willing to supply horsesto tramway operators.Accordingly from February 18, 1878, it horsed the Acton tramwayby agreementwith CharlesCourtney Cramp, to whom the line had beenleased for .[.600 a year. By this time there was agitation for tramways in the Isleworth district. In an editorial in its December14, 1878, issue,the Richmond and TruickenhamTimes said: '. • • it is a notoriouslyinconvenient fact that thereare few districts so badly off for the meansof locomotion as that lying betweenthe Middlesexside of RichmondBridge and Brent- ford.... Comparedwith the antique,doleful and jolting "bus", the tram car is almost a palaceon wheelsand in point of comfort it is far beyondthe averageof South-WesternRy. carriages.•.• ' The know- ledgethat a roadwas usedby tramsgenerally put otherdrivers on their guard,'and thus in actualpractice· it has beenfound that on thorough- fareswhere there is this supposedneed for specialcaution, and therefore its exercise,accidents least frequently occur'. The engineerto the Brentford,Isleworth & TwickenhamTramways, then promoting a Bill, took up the newspaper'stheme, saying that experiencein London showed that even in narrow streetstramways aidedtraffic regulation. TheBI & T Bill wasfor 5 miles 39 chainsof line betweenKew Bridge, Brentford,Isleworth, St Margaretsand the Middlesex side of Richmond Bridge. Frontagersin both Brentford and Isleworthwere in favour but thewealthier residents of 'EastTwickenham' were indignant. When the Bill came before the Commonsthe solicitor for Lady Chichestersaid that it would be 'intolerableto have the tagrag and bobtail disgorged beforeher ladyship'slodge'. Thescheme was shornof its St Margaretssection and passed as a line betweenBrentford Bridge and North Street,Isleworth. In 1878 there were proposalsfor tramways betweenHammersmith Broadwayand both Kew Bridge and Barnes.In 1879 the Brentford & Isleworth companysought to extendfrom its authorizedline at Busch Comer,Isleworth, to both HounslowHeath and Twickenham and lay a

21 Prologue branchfrom Hounslow ('Bell') for somedistance along the Bath Road towardsCranford. New vigour seemedabout to beinjected into WestLondon tramway development,sad,ly languishing, by the incorporation on August 12, 1881, of the West Metropolitan Tramways Co. Ltd, with a capital of £100,000,to acquirethe Shepherds Bush-Actonline and build exten- sions. The new concernbegan energetically. In March 1882 it took over the Acton line and by Act of August 10, 1882, was reincorporatedas a statutorycompany under the sametitle. Powerswere gainedat the sametime for lines from Hammersmith Broadway through Turnham Green to the Middlesex side of Kew Bridge; from the Surreyside of that bridge,alongside Kew Gardens,to Richmond (Lower Mortlake Road); and from ShepherdsBush along GoldhawkRoad to join the Hammersmith-KewBridge line at Young's Comer. (Young was a greengrocerwhose shop stood on the comer of King Streetand GoldhawkRoad.) Kew Bridge, predecessorof the presentstructure, was consideredtoo narrowfor a tramway,a fact which was profoundlyto affect thecourse of tramwayhistory in the area. The routeswere openedas follows: ShepherdsBush-Young's Comer. March 18, 1882 Youngs Comer-KewBridge ('Star and Garter') December16, 1882 Kew Bridge (southside)-Richmond (Lower Mortlake Road) April 17, 1883 HammersmithBroadway-Young's Comer July 14, 1883 The Kew Bridge (north side) section was soon the scene of an interesting experimentin battery traction. Anthony Reckenzaun,an Austrian settledin England,tried out a convertedhorse car in which fifty cells hadbeen placed under the seatsin the lower saloonto supply power to a motor driving one of the two axles. Electric lamps and bells were also installed. It was saidthat the batteriescould operatethe car, with a full load of forty-six passengers,for seven hours. The top speed achieved was 6 m.p.h. Although the experiment was claimed as a success,it apparently lastedonly a day, March 10, 1883. Accordingto The Graphic the car had

22 Prologue to be helped up a rise by horsesafter a connectingband had failed. Throughoutthe 1880s there were abortive efforts to promote new tramwaysin WestLondon. Somewere by theWest Metropolitan, which in 1884,for example,sought powers for 8 miles 13 chainsof doubletrack and 6 miles 23 chains of single track in Acton, Hammersmithand Southall.In 1885 the Brentford& District Tramwayspromoted a Bill to incorporateand build tramways from Kew Bridge to Isleworth and Twickenham,and to HounslowBarracks, totalling abouteight miles of line. TheB & I company'strack in Brentfordand Isleworth had apparently becomedisused by this time. The Hounslow Local Board resolvedin 1889to lift it betweenBrentford Bridge and BuschComer and between IsleworthUnion andMill Plat. At the sametime the WestMetropolitan was examiningthe possibilitiesof extensioninto Brentford. There was a schemeby the Acton & HammersmithTramways in 1887 to incorporatea companyto build lines betweenAskew Arms and Hammersmithvia Askew and Paddenswickroads, and from Hammer- smith along Hammersmith Road as far as Avonmore Road, West Kensington,2 miles 39 chainsin all. In view of later developmentsit was unfortunate that the West Metropolitancould not follow up quite a Parliamentarytriumph in 1889, when, optimistically, it was authorizedto extend along the Uxbridge Road to Ealing and Hanwel1; from ShepherdsBush via Morland, Latimer, Lancaster,Cornwall, WestboumePark and Porchesterroads to HarrowRoad; from AskewArms to GlenthomeRoad, Hammersmith; and lay new track betweenUxbridge Road Stationand Acton Vale. The new lines, totalling 5 miles 67 chainsof double and 5 miles 24 chainsof single line, were to be worked by cable or other system.The company also gained power to raise additional capital of £187,500, thoughtwo yearsbefore it had tried to get its capital reduced. This ambitiousprogramme seems almost like bravadowhen the company was struggling hard enoughto keep its existing systemgoing. It canbe explainedonly by the parallelof the Metropolitanand Metropol- itan District Railways and their thrust ever deeperinto the suburbsin order to bring fresh traffic to the expensiveInner Circle. Batterieshad not provided the answerto the questfor mechanical tractionand, like othertramways at this time which hadruled out steam haulage,the WestMetropolitan beganto seeksome form of propulsion in which the power was transmittedfrom a central source. 23 Prologue It is necessaryhere to digressbriefly to considerwhat progresshad beenmade in applyingelectricity from sucha source.On May 16, 1881, Wernervon Siemens- who hadshown a small electriclocomotive at the Berlin Exhibition of 1879 - beganpublic service on a It-mile line in Berlin which used the running rails as conductors.The obvious dis- advantagessoon led to the provision of a third rail, as adopted by Britain's first electric lines, the Giant's CausewayPortrush & Bush Valley Railway & Tramway and Magnus Volk's railway on Brighton beach- both openedin 1883 - and the Bessbrook& Newry of 1885. But a third rail, unlessprotected in someway, was out of thequestion for a streetrailway. Both in Germanyand America there were experi- mentswith a troller, a small collectorrunning on top of anoverhead wire and flexibly connectedto the car. The American ex-naval lieutenant Frank J. Spragueperfected the under-runningtrolley arm and wheel method.His systemopened at Richmond,Virginia, on February2, 1888, was animmediate success and heralded the remarkable spread of electric tramwaysduring the next twenty years. In more conservativeBritain, aestheticand other reasonsseemed at first likely to precludeany generaladoption of overheadtrolley tramways. On September29, 1885 a conduit electric tramway, designedby Michael Holroyd Smith, was openedalong the seafrontat Blackpool, ancestorof Britain's last remaining urban tramway today. The slot systemfor cabletraction had already been perfected in Americaand had lately beenapplied in Londonon HighgateHill. But the vestriesin the West Metropolitan'sarea, as well as the MetropolitanBoard of Works, objectedat that time to a slot in the road for electric traction. A way out seemedto be offered by the Lineff closed-conduitsystem, with which the West Metropolitan conductedtrials between1888 and 1890, using a 200-yardsection of specially-equippedtrack on the west side of Chiswick Depot. Betweenthe running rails were laid 3-foot sectionsof ordinary rail whosetop was flush with theroad surface. Below this rail but not in contact with it was a strip of flexible hoop iron laid on an electrical con- ductor.When a car cameover a given sectionof track, a powerfulmagnet underthe car lifted up a 3-foot rail sectionand allowed themotors to be energized.When the car passedthe rail dropped back to its original position, the processbeing repeatedall along the line. Although high hopes were entertainedof this device - the West Metropolitanhoped to reduceworking costsby 50 percent by usingit - 24 Prologue the Line1f systemjoined the great ranks of highly ingeniousbut over- complex systemsthat were never put into practice. Even to function moderatelywell, it would certainlyhave required meticulous laying and maintenance. An abortive Bill of 1890 was that of the West London Tramways Company,which soughtincorporation and powers to build lines from Acton to Hanwell and·Hammersmith, and in Kensington,Paddington and Fulham.In the following Sessionthe promotersasked for powerto reincorporatethe companyand build tramwaysspecifically in Uxbridge Road, Askew Road, PaddenswickRoad, The Grove, Hammersmith Road, ShepherdsBush Road, Richmond Road (ShepherdsBush), NorlandRoad, Lancaster Road and Tavistock Road, and to haverunning powersover part of the West Metropolitan. In 1891 the West Metropolitanhopefully informed the public in the WestLondon Advertiser of its plansfor completerelaying and electrification. It also proposedto revive its 1889powers to extendfrom Acton to Hanwell and from Hammersmithto Addison Road. Speakingat thecompany meeting on March I, 1892,E. H. Bayley, the chairman,expressed confidence in the future, despite'one of the most trying yearsexperienced', and looked forward to the adoptionof electric tractionat no distantdate. The company had spent [,5,742 on providing for doubletrack betweenHammersmith and Kew Bridge -a work com- pletedin 1893 - but the vestriesconcerned agreed to maintainthe track at their costfor the first year. Thecompany was nothing if not a trier. Althoughby 1893it waspretty decrepit,it askedfor powersnot only to build new lines and substitute new for existinglines but also to usesteam, electric or othermechanical power,divide theundertaking into two or moreparts, authorize Hammer- smith Vestry to lend [,20,000towards the cost of building certainlines, raisefresh capital and again extendthe time for authorizedlines. It was a bold gaspbut a dying one. On June13, 1894, the receiver whom the debentureholders had appointedthe year before offered the undertakingfor sale as a going concern.The assetswere listed as:

Chiswick Depot (just off Chiswick High Road, betweenthe present Merton andEnnismore Avenues), with stablingfor 140-170horses, a 3-storey granary, fodder stores, sheds for 20 cars, seven cottages arrangedas 14 dwellings for workmen,a yard andan exerciseground ShepherdsBush Depot (betweenShepherds Bush Road and Wells 25 Prologue Road)with stablingfor 61 horsesand a yard for sevenpair-horse cars Richmond Depot (Kew Road) with stabling for 30 horsesand a coveredyard for 6 cars 34 pair-horseand single-horsecars 15 new pair-horsecars, being suppliedby G. F. Milnes, Birkenhead

The sum of £750,000had beenspent on the systemand a revenueof £25,000derived. Thecondition of the WestMetropolitan, or at leastof the Acton line, which seemsto havebeen the worst part, may be judgedfrom an article in the September1894 issue of Railway World. 'The local authorities have maintainedwith some show of reasonthat when their officials returnedfrom anearly morning stroll, ladenwith debrisof the permanent way, in the shapeof piecesof rail 3 or 4 feet long, they were justified in holdingthat the tramways in their streetswere unquestionably a nuisance and, as such,should be removed.' The writer said that to comparethe West Metropolitanto a modem tramway was like comparinga London Chatham& Dover third class coachto the comparableaccommodation of the ScotchExpress. He went on: 'Only a personalinspection of the museumof antiquitiesnow in the yard of the Chiswick depot can give an adequateimpression of the extraordinarycondition to which both rolling stock and permanentway had beenallowed to fall. Someof the cars would serveadmirably as a 'pre-historicpeep', while therail sections,ranging from the stringer and Kincaid to the more recent girder pattern, deservethe study of the TramwaysInstitute.' It is not surprisingthat there was no mad rushto securesuch a prize. In fact no bids were madeat the auctionon June13, 1894. But behind the scenes,in Bristol, there was great activity. On August 6, August Krauss,tramway contractorof Bristol and director of the City of York Tramways,bought the West Metropolitan assets for £30,000through the Court of Chancery.The Railway World of August 1894 understoodthat Krausswould spend£25,000 on doubling in Acton and Hammersmith andwould put new carson theActon and Kew Road routes.The track, it reported,had fallen into a dangerousstate, but becauseof thepurchase an inquiry into the condition of the Acton line had beensuspended. Kraussbought the West Metropolitan on behalfof a new company, the London United TramwaysCo. Ltd, of which he was a signatory. The companyhad beenregistered in Bristol, with an addressat Clare 26 Prologue StreetHouse, and had been incorporated on July 19, with commendable speedin view of its aim. Its capital was {,25,000 of ordinary,{,25,000 of preferenceand {'32,000 of debentureshares. Georgeand SamuelWhite, secretaryand assistantsecretary of the Bristol TramwaysCompany, were the backersand the Imperial Tram- ways Company- of which more anon- had a large holding. The other signatorieswere:

William Buder,J.P., Chairman of Bristol TramwaysCompany JosephKincaid, M.Inst.C.E., Chairman of City of York Tramways Company H. G. Gardner,Deputy Chairman of City of GloucesterTramways Company AldermanBardett, Chairman, Bardett & Son Ltd Hugh G. Doggett,solicitor, Bristol TramwaysCompany, and Coroner for Bristol JamesClifton Robinson,A.lnst.C.E., Managing Director, Imperial TramwaysCompany.

Within two yearsthe purchaserswould transformthe old West Met. into oneof the best-built,best-equipped and best-managed horse tramways in the kingdom, and pay an 8 per cent dividend into the bargain. They would amply justify the shrewdassessment of potentialitiesmade by Robinsonafter he had inspectedwhat other men might have dis- missedas a hopelesslyunprofitable field for speculation. Thenew proprietors soon showed their colours.They announced that they were ready to find all the money neededfor rejuvenation.They would scrap all cars beyondrepair and modernizethose in reasonable condition. New 46-seatercars designedby Robinsonwould be ordered from Milnes and a five-minute headwayservice would be provided on somesections. (The modernized stock included the Lineff trial car shorn of its gearand renovatedfor serviceon the Kew Roadroute.) The London United - the namesuggested ambitions beyond inner West London - gainedits first Act on July 6, 1895. It confirmed Pro- visional Ordersfor new lines, mosdy double track, in substitutionfor partsof existing lines in Hammersmith,a newline in theGrove, Hammer- smith, and an extension(3 furlongs 2.6 chains of single and 1 furlong 5.58 chainsof doubletrack) from the Acton terminusat Birkbeck Road to Acton Hill ('TheWhite Hart'), and a new depotat Acton Hill in the 27 Prologue angle of Uxbridge Road and GunnersburyLane to replace that at ShepherdsBush. No time was lost in gettingto work, The ShepherdsBush-Acton line was doubledthroughout. New trackswere laid with hardwoodbetween the metalsand granitepaving for 18 inchesoutside the outer rails. The West Metropolitan's 1887 Order as to motive power was repealedto allow carsto be movedby animal,electric or any mechanicalpower other than steam. Robinson,as Managing Director of the LUT, declared: 'Later on, when the questionof conversionto mechanicaltraction is takenup, as it mustbe, we shall requireto spendmore than the outlay at presentcon- templatedbut we shall beonly too pleasedto do soif the local authorities desire it.' He addedthat the signatoriesto the company'sarticles of associationreally werethe owners, all menwith long practicalexperience in tramway work. Drivers, conductorsand inspectorswere put into liveries of uniform type and more men were engaged.New horseswere brought and new cars,designed by Robinson,were ordered or built by theL UT at Chiswick, where the depotwas enlarged.

28 Chapter I

Enter Robinson

Two significantfacts aboutthe new-formedLondon United Tramways Companywere that it was Bristol-bornand that James Clifton Robinson begatit. The facts areinterwoven. To understandhow we mustconsider Robinson'salready remarkable career. By 1894 JamesClifton Robinson,at the age of forty-six, had estab- lisheda formidablereputation in thetramway world. He thoughtbig and by a combinationof charmand pertinacity,combined with a masterly graspof potentialities,he gainedvaluable backing. He was born on December31, 1848 -a future tramway Stephenson bornin theyear of GeorgeStephenson's death - sonof William Robinson 'of no profession',of Birkenhead.Even his birthplacewas auspicious.As we haveseen, it was in Birkenhead,on August 30, 1860,that Train laid down Britain's first streettramway. Robinson,a boy of twelve, was fascinatedby Train's tramcar.How much formal educationhe had receivedwe do not know. But he was a bright lad and it was the age of self-help. He did not rest until he had becomeTrain's office boy. In 1866 Robinsonwent with Train to the United States,where, in New York, he gained valuable experiencein building, operatingand managingstreet railways. He was backin Englandin 1871 as assistantto theAmerican firm of Fisher& Parrish,railway andtramway contractors, on the constructionof tramwaysin London, Liverpool and Dublin. Hewas appointed general manager and superintendent of works ofthe newly-built Cork tramwaysin 1873. The six double-deckcars bore his nameon the sidepanels. He was on theway up. Oneday, on the stepsof the Imperial Hotel, Cork, he was introducedto Mary Edith Martin, daughterof RichardMartin of Blackrock,Co. Cork. They weremarried in 1874. Robinson'swife was a beautiful blonde, who kept her looks almost until shedied. As her husbandwas a fine-looking man they must have 29 London United Tramways madea handsomepair. Shewas imperious,used to having her way, had excellenttaste and provedan admirablehostess. Robinson'sfirst English appointmentcame in 1875, as first general managerof the Bristol Tramways Company, another new company, formed by JosephKincaid. He madea greatsuccess of things in Bristol, where he first became associatedwith George(later Sir George)White, whose successstory almost matchedhis own. He and White madea greatteam. It was the triumph of the Bristol tramways,coupled with the financial acumenof GeorgeWhite andhis brotherSamuel, and their talentsand Robinson's, which would ensureremarkable expansion later on. The Robinson'sonly son, Clifton, was born in Bristol in 1880. In 1882 Robinson becamegeneral managerand secretaryof the Edinburgh StreetTramways Company. He reorganizedand extended the systemand introducedSir JamesGowans's continuous steel girder rail. He beganto ponderthe possibilitiesof mechanicaltraction on tramways.Possibly as a resultof seeing the inauguration of the Giant's Cause- way Portrush& BushValley line in 1883- heindicated the possibilities of electricity as a motive power for tramwaysin a paperon cable traction which he gave to the Royal ScottishSociety of Arts in that year. Robinson'spaper attracted such notice that he was called on to organizeand operatethe HighgateHill cableline, openedin May 1884 by the SteepGrade Tramway & Works Co. Ltd andthe first cabletram- way in Europe.Between 1884 and 1886 he managedthe parent concern, theHallidie PatentCable Tramways Corporation Ltd (A. S. Hallidie had introduced his cable system to San Franciscoin 1873. His associate E. S. Eppelsheimerbrought it to Europe). Possibly through Robinson connections,the Edinburgh Northern Tramways,a companyformed in 1884,built for cabletraction that year andin 1887two lines which the EdinburghStreet Tramways Company hadnot constructed.It madean agreement with theHallidie Corporation and openedthe first line in 1888. While managing the corporation Robinson appearedbefore the Parliamentarycommittees considering the City of London& Southwark SubwayBill, put forward in 1884. The HighgateHill line in its original form was no greatsuccess and the CQrporationwent into liquidationin 1888.But by thenRobinson had crossedthe Atlantic oncemore.

30 Enter Robinson He returnedto the Statesat the invitation of Los Angeles.On July 8, 1887,the Los AngelesCable Railway wasincorporated to build a system of 60 miles, servingall the populatedarea of that rapidly boomingcity andextending to Pasadenaand Santa Monica. Only lot miles werebuilt butthey served most of the city savethe south-east and a hilly areawhere two earlier cable lines operated. On October31,1888, the LACR promoterssold a majority interestto C. B. Holmesof the ChicagoCity Railway. Holmesorganized the Pacific Railway Company,which took over the undertakingon September9, 1889· The new systemwas broughtinto usebetween June 8 andDecember 7, 1889. As at Highgate,the Eppelsheimerbottom-grip method- still surviving in San Francisco- was adopted.The systemincluded three long viaductsto take the cable carsover steam railways. One,1,535 feet long over the SouthernPacific RR, carriedtwo trackson a viaduct supportedby single columns. Holmesput in Robinsonas generalmanager. In his Los AngelesRail- way InterurbansSpecial No. II, Ira L. Swettgives a colourful pictureof Robinsonat the time. 'If we are to place full credencein the reliable reportersof thatperiod" the authorwrites, 'hewas a flamboyantindivid- ual, givento eccentricand flashy maneuversto bring himselfto theatten- tion of his less-colorful brethren. His chief delight was to drive at breakneck pace in his handsomebuggy through downtown streets, cutting comersas closely as possible,all the while shoutinggreetings to businessacquaintances as they cranedtheir necks in a usually futile effort to piercethe cloud of dustthat marked his passing.'Robinson had certainly learnt the trick of self-advertisementfrom his old chief Train and addedsome touches all his own. As was the custom,Robinson received the honorarytitle of colonel. The 'colonel' and his lady must have presentedquite a spectacleto Angelinoswhen they weretaking the air. No doubtlittle of this was lost on young Clifton! A delugeon the night on December24, 1889, wiped out the Second Street Cable line. It also damagedthe Pacific system, though not irreparably. The slots were·filled with sandand debris and the power houseswere flooded. Robinsonwent here, there and everywhere,urging on the gangsto clearup themess. On Christmasmorning a businessacquaintance twitted him aboutthe absenceof cars.

31 London United Tramways Robinsonwas touchedon the raw. He bet a cigar the cars would be rnnning again by 1 p.m. When that time camehe orderedthe engines restarted,although hours of work werestill neededto restorethe lines to safeworking. He won his cigar, but the cost was heavy. The abrasivesand and dirt were groundinto cables,pulleys andmachinery. The large sumsneces- sary to repair the damagecaused by Robinson'sbravado hit the new concernhard. Robinsonwas askedto resign,if not fired. He had been accusedof diverting flood waterfrom themain powerhouse to the base- mentsof adjacentbuildings, but was cleared. Sucha setbackwould haveblasted the careers of many men. But not a Robinson.Northwards he went to SanFrancisco, where in 1890 he was practisingas an electric railways consultant.He had takenwith him to Los AngelesH. T. Jones,who had beenthe first gripmanat Highgate. Jones,who hadbeen appointed a division superintendentof the Pacific, went to SanFrancisco too andtook a job as a conductorwith the Market Street Cable Railway Company. By 1915 Joneshad risen to become generalsuperintendent of the United Railroadsof San Francisco.He gained praisefor his serviceduring and after the 1906 earthquakeand fire, and the strike that followed. In 1889 the American Street Railway Association had appointed Robinsonto report on mechanicaltraction. His investigationstook him to Texasand Mexico andto Canada.The outcomewas a notablepaper, presentedat Pittsburghin 1891,which musthave done much to wipe out any stainof the Los Angelesaffair. He was cautiousenough to conclude with the observationthat 'no systemof traction is capableof universal application'.All thesame his thoughtswere increasingly turned towards electric traction, in particular towardstramways operated on the over- head trolley systemsuccessfully inaugurated by Frank J. Spraguein Richmond,Virginia. Sprague'ssuccess began a boom in electric transit in the United States,though, as Robinson remarkedyears later, zeal often outranprudence. He returnedto Englandin 1891 to becomemanaging director of the Imperial TramwaysCo. Ltd. The companyhad beenincorporated in 1878 to acquireseveral tramways, which undercombined management might be made more efficient and profitable. They were a mixed bag, which includedthe Dublin SouthernDistrict, the Gloucester,Middles- brough and Readingtramways, and the Corris Railway. By the time Robinsonbecame associated, the Imperial hadalso acquiredthe Bristol

32 Top: Electricity triumphant. The official inauguration of London's first public electric tramwayon IO July 1901,with a caravanof new type X cars about to leave ShepherdsBush for Southall with guests of the LUT. (London Transport.) Centre: The inauguralcars arrive at Ealing Town Hall from Southallfor the official openingby Lord Rothschild.(Courtesy Baling Library.) Bottom: Chiswick car shed gay with flags and bunting for the inaugural banquet.Clifton Robinson(in frock coat) in centre front, with guestsand LUT officials. (London Transport) Top: No. 101, 'flagship' of type X. (CourtesyR. B. Parr.) Centre: Cushions, curtains and floormat originally graced the lower deck of the first LUT electric cars. (Courtesy Alan A. Jackson.)Bottom: Upper deck of the first LUT electric cars, showing throw-over type gardenseats and iron grille work. (CourtesyAlan A.Jackson) Type X No. 141 on the Hammersmithloop in BeadonRoad, outside the Met. & G.W. Hammersmithstation. Note bracket arm poles, rare on the LUT. (CourtesyHammersmith Library)

The conductoralters the destinationindicator of type X No. 133 in Glen- thorneRoad on the Hammersmithloop . (CourtesyHammersmith Library)

No. 126, type X, westboundin King Street, Hammersmith. Eastbound track turns left into StudlandStreet. (Courtesy HammersmithLibrary) Above: YOlll1g's Corner, Chiswick, with car from Shepherd'sBush (left) waiting to follow car from Hammersmithon right. (CourtesyG. L. Gundry.) Below: Cars passingoutside the LUT offices in Chiswick High Road. In foreground is type Z No. 6 on Kew Bridge-ShepherdsBush service. (CourtesyR. B. Parr)

Left: No. 6 of type Z stands outsidethe companyoffices at Chiswick on the depot approachtrack. Enter Robinson system, of which, of course, Robinson had intimate knowledge. One of Robinson'sfirst importantassignments was to report on the desirability of electrifying the Bristol tramways.The growing district of Kingswood,east of the city, hadlong wantedbetter communication but thehills wereconsidered to betoo steepfor horsetrams and the potential traffic too light to justify cabletraction. In 1891 the Bristol directorshad obtaineda ProvisionalOrder to useelectric traction on any extensionfrom St George'sto Kingswood. Whenthe Board of Tradedetermined regulations for electrictraction early in 1894the way to Kingswoodseemed clear. Robinson'sreport was encouragingand was fully endorsedby George White, as managing director. Bristol Corporation and the St George's and Kingswood authoritiesbeing co-operative, no time waslost in securingparliamentary powers. First, the Old Market Street - St George's line was relaid and extendedto Kingswoodto form a J-l-mile route.Joseph Kincaid designed new 67-pound rail, British Thomson-Houstoncontracted for the electrical equipment.Milnes of Birkenheadbuilt twelve 4-wheel tram- cars,prototypes of what were to be, in essence,the standardBristol car throughoutforty-five yearsof electricaloperation! By August 8,1895,work was advancedenough for a horsecar to be run to Kingswood to check the gauge. It carried Robinson, George White and C. Challenger,the traffic manager.Just twenty yearsbefore, the threehad beenassociated in openingthe city's first tramway. The electrified line was opened to the public on October 14, 1895· Although beatenby the Roundhayline at Leeds (1891), the South Staffordshireinstallation of 1893- notto mentionthe Guernseyof 1892- the successfulinauguration and operation, and early extensionof the Bristol system were important milestonesin British electric traction history. Meanwhilein Dublin Robinsonwas active in the electrificationof the Dublin Southern,which was to bethe first applicationin Britain of high- tensiona.c. transmissionto substatiOl'lS. When the Imperial Co. appointedRobinson to managethe .Dublin Southernthat systemwas still in two sections.One 5-foot 3-inch gauge line linked Blackrock with Haddington Road, DubUn, whence cars continuedover the Dublin United'smetals to Lower Abbey Street.The otherline, of 4-foot gauge,ran from Kingstownstation to Dalkey. Link- 33 London United Tramways ing the sectionswas the S-foot 3-inch gauge line of the Blackrock & Kingstown Tramway Co. Ltd. Robinsonreviewed the DSD. It was resolvedto buy the B & K and modernizethe enlarged system. An Act of 1893authorized conversion of theKingstown-Dalkey line to broadgauge and electrification throughout. Powersto electrify weregained only after a greatstruggle, which braced Robinsonfor othercontests ahead. At a dinner given to the staff in 1894 Robinsonsaid that the companyhad had practically to fight the whole battle of electric tractionfor the threekingdoms. Any driver, he added, could handlean electrictram after a day'straining. Whenthe service was fully operatingthey could run a faster s-minuteservice in place of a Is-minuteservice at 5 m.p.h. andemploy tentimes the numberof men. A successfultrial run was madeon November30, 1895, from Shel- bourneRoad depot,Dublin, to Kingstown and back, with Robinsonat the controls. As even with horse traction the revivified companywas carrying almost 2,000,000 passangersa year between Dublin and Dalkey, greatthings were expected.Again, Milnes suppliedthe cars. Robinsonwas one of the first tramwaymanagers to fit out his menin smartuniforms. Those on the modernized DS D weredark blue with white piping. A peakedpillbox cap was worn. Mr Alan T. Newman has recountedthe exciting inaugurationof electric services.Robinson was in London when at 4 p.m. on Friday May 15,1896,he receivedBoard of Tradecertificates permitting public opening. He wired the staff to be ready next morning and caughtthe night Irish Mail. On thesteamer he met the Rt Hon. RichardF .McCoy, the Lord Mayor of Dublin. Both men hurried from Kingstown to Dalkey, where the Lord Mayor performed the opening ceremony at 8 a.m.! Before the closeof the serviceat 11.30 p.m., 2S,000people had ridden the electric cars. Robinsonwas soonbent on extendingthe DSD in Dublin, ifnecessary in competitionwith the Dublin United, which was by this time considering electrification. The corporation was sympathetic but the oppositionof the DUT was enoughto throw aut the DSD Bill. The DUT thenmoved into the attackand successfully induced sufficient D SD share- holdersto sell their holdings and so give it control. Robinsonsoon had far too much else on hand to be dismayedby eventsin Ireland. And at least it was his drive and vision which had broughtto Dublin a systemof electric traction which was to befor many years a model. 34 References

Table of Contents

77. Type W No. 162

78. DittoDS terminus with T No. 312 lacing 129

~~: } Type T No. 213 in Kingston Road, New Malden

81. Type WNO.43 144

82. Type W (later U) No. 287

83. Type W (later U) No. 269

84. Type W No. 200 betflJeen 144-5

85. Type W (later U) ears Nos 272 and 274

86. Type W No. 156

87. Type W No. 260 144-5

88. Type W No. 180 on Summerstown service

89. Tooting-bound car at WandIe Bridge, Merton

90. Type W No. 263 with crew lacing 145

91. 'Electric ears stop here if required'

92. 'Electric ears stop here'

93. 'Cars stop here on Sundays during hours of divine service'

94. Parade ofears at Fulwell depot 160

95. Type U (ex-W) No. 296 and type W No. 168 with Lee cars at Tooting

96. Lee car at Wimbledon Hill terminus

97. LUT and Lee cars at Kew Bridge betroeen 16cr1

98. Contretemps in Kingston

99. Type U (ex-W) No. 300 100. Type W No. 240 16cr1

101. L UT conductress, Mrs E. Seal

102. Type Y (ex-Z) No. 48

103. Barber truck on No. 52

104. Cars Nos 141 and 142 converted to 'Hood ears' lacing 161

105. Special car for private hire

106. Pullman-type saloon of one of the private hire cars

107. Type S2 No. 342 176

108. No. 341, the first P A YB car

109. Moving route indicator inside P A YB car

110. Vestibule ofpAYB car No. 342

III. Type S2 No. 344 betfOeen 176-7

112. Type T No. 324

113. Top deck of reconditioned No. 307

114. The Hounslow Club and Institute (LUT) wives' and children's outing 176-7 115. 'PopPy'~O.350 II6. Type T ~o. 320 II 7. ~o. 261 at Shephe 'ds Bush in 1928 II8. Type T ~o. 335 facing 177 II9. ~o. 2II which bee une type WT in 1928 120. ~o. 396, last ofth. 'Felthams' 19 2 121. 'Feltham' type ~o 353 122. Saloon of a 'Feltham' car 123. 'Feltham' ~o. 356 at Uxbridge between 192-3 124. 4-wheel ticket van ~o. 4 (later 004) 125. Water car in original condition 126. Water car in final condition 127. Bogie stores van ~o. 005 128. Type W ~o. 254 and trolleybuses 129. Trolleybuses at Twickenham 130. Trolleybus ~o. 33 at Teddington facing 192 131. Modem view of the former Chiswick power station 132. Curved staircase and gallery in the former Chiswick power station 133. Wellington Road entrance to Fulwell Depot with trolleybuses 208 134. Trolleybus in Wimbledon Hill Road 135. Trolleybus ~o. 43 in original condition 136. 74-seater centre-entrance xperimental trolleybus 209 Top: West Metropolitan Tramways one-horse single-deck car on Shepherds Bush-Young's Corner Service. (O.J. Morris Collection). Centre: Reckenzaun's battery car tried out at Kew Bridge in 1883. (London Transport). Bottom: Acton High Street in LUT horse-car days. (Courtesy Acton Library)

Left: LUT pair-horse car on Hammersmith-Kew Bridge service. Note the

'Bristol' style of the number on the dash. Right: Bedecked for Queen

Victoria's Jubilee in 1897 is this LUT pair-horse car outside the new Acton depot.

The Kew Green terminus of the Kew-Richmond horse tramway. (Courtesy

Richmond Library)

Kew-Richmond horse car outside Richmond depot, possibly on its final run in 1912. Bibliography -"""':==:::KlOo<=

PERIODICALS Actonand Chiswick Gazette RailwayGazette Chiswick Times RailwayMagazine Daily Telegraph Railway World, later Tramway and Electrical Review RailwayWorld Electrical Times Richmondand TwickenhamTimes EveningNews SurreyComet Irish RailwayRecord Society Journal Tatler Light Railway and TramwayJournal, ThamesValley Times later Electric Railway,Bus and Tram The Times Journal TramwayReview MiddlesexCounty Times WestLondon Advertiser Modern Tramway WestLondon Observer Modern Transport WimbledonBoro' News OmnibusMagazine

OTHER PUBLICATIONS AND SOURCES A History of London Transport, Vol. I, T. C. Barker and Michael Robbins (Allen & Unwin) By Tube and Electric Car to HamptonCourt, W. T. Pike & Co. for LUT Electric Traction: London's Tubes, Trams and Trains, J. C. Robinson,Society of Arts Electric TramwaysforRichmond, W. T. Pike & Co. for LUT LondonGeneral: The Story of the LondonBus, LondonTransport London'sTrt;Jlleybuses: A Fleet History, Thepsv Circle andthe OmnibusSociety RoyalCommission on London Traffic, 1903-5 Souvenirof the Inauguration of the London United Electric Tramways,1901 The Felthams: The Story of the Union ConstructionCompany, Dryhurst Publica- tions The Golden Ageof Tramways,C. F. Klapper,Routledge & KeganPaul roo Yearsof the District, CharlesE. Lee, LondonTransport The London United Tramways: a Short History, B. Connelly, Tramway and Light Railway Society Tramway Memories (especially contribution Robinson's Empire by R. E. Tustin) ed. J .Joyce, Ian Allan Tramways of the World, addressby Sir J. C. Robinsonto the Tramwaysand Light Railways Association,1908 To Uxbridge from the City by Train, Tube and Car via Ealing or Harrow, W. T. Pike & Co. for LUT L UT Minutes and Reports

233