Bradford City Transport -The Trams 1898-1950
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Bradford City Transport - The Trams 1898-1950 Contents Bradford Tramways & Omnibus Co Ltd - Fleet History 1882-1902 Page 3 Bradford Tramways & Omnibus Co Ltd - Tram Fleet List 1882-1902 Page 6 Bradford & Shelf Tramways Co Ltd - Fleet History 1884-1902 Page 16 Bradford & Shelf Tramways Co Ltd - Tram Fleet List 1884-1902 Page 19 Bradford Corporation Tramways - Fleet History 1898-1950 Page 24 Bradford Corporation Tramways - Tram Fleet List 1898-1950 Page 35 Cover Illustration: Car No. 104 built in 1925 was rescued for preservation and now resides in the Bradford Industrial Museum. (John Pitts). © The Local Transport History Library 2020. (www.lthlibrary.org.uk) For personal use only. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, transmitted or distributed in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical or otherwise without the express written permission of the publisher. In all cases this notice must remain intact. All rights reserved. First Published 2020. PDF-186-1 Page 2 Bradford City Transport - The Trams 1898-1950 Bradford Tramways Company Ltd Bradford Tramways & Omnibus Company Ltd 1882-1902 Although the construction of tramways within the city of Bradford (Bradford did not become a city until 9 June 1897 but for convenience is always referred to as such here) had been proposed on a number of occasions (notably by the Bradford District Tramways Company and the Bradford Tramways Company), the Corporation's insistence on financial guarantees to be paid before they would allow work to proceed did not find favour with the private companies and the projects were abandoned. By 1880, however, the Corporation had gained Parliamentary approval under the Bradford Corporation Tramways Order to construct its own tramway system within the city. In September 1881, construction of the first section of single-line track on Manningham Lane began. When finished, the line ran from Rawson Square in the city centre, along North Parade, Manningham Lane, Oak Lane (where the Company had their depot), St. Mary's Road and North Park Road to Lister Park Gates. At the time, local councils were not allowed to operate their own tramway system and so the line was leased to the Bradford Tramways Company (later the Bradford Tramways and Omnibus Company Limited). Page 3 Bradford City Transport - The Trams 1898-1950 Following a Board of Trade inspection, which took place on the 31 January 1882, the line was opened to the public. The company commenced the first service at 8am on the 2 February 1882, using a fleet of six horse-drawn open-top 38-seat double-deck tramcars (nos. 1-6), built by Ashbury of Manchester to Eades' reversible patent and liveried in nut brown and yellow. On the 8 August 1882 the first additional line was opened. This time steam traction was used because of the gradients involved. It ran along Leeds Road to Stanningley and was followed soon afterwards by other radial lines to Tong Cemetery, Allerton via Four Lane Ends and an extension of the horse line from Manningham to Undercliffe. The steam engines were built by Kitson of Leeds and were liveried in maroon and cream and housed in a new depot at Lee Row. An extension to the city's boundaries later in 1882, which included the districts of Heaton and Allerton and the smaller hamlets of Thornbury and Tyersal saw more routes opened and additional engines and trailers were required. The depot at Lee Row proved too small and so additional accomodation was sought. A new depot at Thornbury terminus was opened in 1887 and the Lee Row depot sold. In 1884 the Bradford Tramways & Omnibus Company was offered first refusal on new tramways to be constructed in Bolton Road and Manchester Road, but surprisingly failed to show sufficient interest. The routes were put out Page 4 Bradford City Transport - The Trams 1898-1950 to tender and won by the Bradford and Shelf Tramway Company, who were granted a lease that expired on the 31 January 1903, the same day as those of the Bradford Tramways & Omnibus Company. In 1896 an Act of Parliament removed the prohibition on local authorities operating their own tramways and Bradford Council decided to construct and operate its own electric tramway. On the 30 July 1898 an electrified line was opened to Bolton Junction, and, on 27 August 1898 a further line to Great Horton came into service. Further tracks were laid in preparation for the large-scale expansion of the tramway, although a comprehensive system could not be developed until the expiry of the Bradford Tramways and Omnibus Company's leases in 1903. However, such was the Corporation's determination to improve the system, statutory powers were obtained to terminate the leases before their expiry date, and, on 1 February 1902 they were purchased outright, the Bradford Tramway & Omnibus Company subsequently going into liquidation Page 5 Bradford City Transport - The Trams 1898-1950 Tram Fleet List 1882-1902 Horse Cars This listing is in the format - Year into stock; Fleet No; Type; Body; Seating. 1882 1-6 Double-deck open-top 4-wheel Ashbury Carriage & Wagon Co 20/18 Nos. 1-6 were of the Eades reversible design. Withdrawn by 1902 (1-6). Page 6 Bradford City Transport - The Trams 1898-1950 Horse car No. 4 at Lister Park Gates terminus in 1885. It was built by the Ashbury Carriage and Wagon Company in 1882 to the Eades reversible design. (LTHL collection). Bradford City Transport - The Trams 1898-1950 1885 16-17 Double-deck open-top 4-wheel Ashbury Carriage & Wagon Co 18/16 18-19 Double-deck open-top 4-wheel Ashbury Carriage & Wagon Co 18/16 Nos. 16-19 were of the Eades reversible design and had vestibuled top deck at the leading end. Withdrawn c. 1890 (16-19). 1890 36-37 Single-deck saloon 4-wheel ? 16 Withdrawn by 1902 (36-37). 1892 39-40 Single-deck saloon 4-wheel ? 18 Nos. 39-40 ex-Bradford & District Tramways Company (Shipley tramways). Withdrawn by 1902 (39-40). 1893 46-47 Single-deck open toastrack 4-wheel ? 24 Nos. 46-47 later fitted with canopy covers. Withdrawn by 1902 (46-47). Page 8 Bradford City Transport - The Trams 1898-1950 Locomotives This listing is in the format - Year into stock; Fleet No; Builder. 1882 1-6 Kitson 1883 7 Green 1884 8 Kitson 1885 7 Green 1885 9-11 Green 1887 12 Green 1888 13-22 Green 1889 23-24 Green 1890 25-26 Green 1891 27 Green 1893 28-34 Green 1894 35 Green 1896 36 Bradford Tramways & Omnibus Co 1900 37-40 ? No. 7 (of 1883) was of the Wilkinson patent design and was on loan from Thomas Green during the year. Nos. 37-40 acquired second-hand possibly from the North Staffordshire Tramways Company. Withdrawn 1883 (7), by 1902 (1-40). Page 9 Bradford City Transport - The Trams 1898-1950 Trailer Cars This listing is in the format - Year into stock; Fleet No; Type; Body; Seating. 1882 7-10 Double-deck open-top 4-wheel Ashbury Carriage & Wagon Co 20/18 11-13 Double-deck open-top 4-wheel ? 20/18 Nos. 7-10 were of the Eades reversible design; Nos. 7-13 had glazed canopy at the leading end to protect passengers from emissions; the top-deck seating was knifeboard until 1887 when they were re-seated with garden seats. Withdrawn by 1902 (7-13). 1884 14-15 Double-deck open-top 4-wheel ? 24/22 Nos. 14-15 had glazed end vestibules with connecting roof and open sides; rebuilt c. 1888 as 6-wheel trailers with a single bogie at one end. Withdrawn by 1902 (14-15). Page 10 Bradford City Transport - The Trams 1898-1950 An unidentified Kitson locomotive hauling Ashbury trailer car No. 7, showing the glazed end vestibule. (LTHL collection). Bradford City Transport - The Trams 1898-1950 1885 20-23 Double-deck fully-enclosed bogie ? 28/26 Withdrawn by 1902 (20-23). 1887 24-25 Double-deck fully-enclosed bogie George Milnes & Co 30/26 Withdrawn by 1902 (24-25). 1888 26-33 Double-deck fully-enclosed bogie George Milnes & Co 30/26 Withdrawn by 1902 (26-33). 1889 34-35 Double-deck fully-enclosed bogie George Milnes & Co 30/28 Withdrawn by 1902 (34-35). Page 12 Bradford City Transport - The Trams 1898-1950 Thomas Green locomotive No. 21 and Milnes fully-enclosed trailer car 27, both dating from 1888 at an unidentified location. (LTHL collection). Bradford City Transport - The Trams 1898-1950 1890 38 Double-deck fully-enclosed bogie Ashbury Carriage & Wagon Co 34/33 41 Double-deck fully-enclosed bogie Ashbury Carriage & Wagon Co 34/33 No. 38 was rebuilt from Ashbury horse cars Nos. 16 and 17 spliced together. No. 41 was rebuilt from Ashbury horse cars Nos. 18 and 19 spliced together. Withdrawn by 1902 (38, 41). 1893 42-45 Double-deck fully-enclosed bogie George Milnes & Co 30/28 Withdrawn by 1902 (42-45). 1895 18-19 Double-deck fully-enclosed bogie George Milnes & Co? 28/31 Withdrawn by 1902 (18-19). 1900 49-50 Double-deck fully-enclosed bogie ? 38/28 Nos. 49-50 acquired second-hand possibly from the North Staffordshire Tramways Company. Withdrawn by 1902 (49-50). Page 14 Bradford City Transport - The Trams 1898-1950 1901 48 Double-deck fully-enclosed bogie George Milnes & Co? 28/31 51-52 Double-deck fully-enclosed bogie ? 31/28 Nos. 51-52 acquired second-hand possibly from the North Staffordshire Tramways Company. Withdrawn by 1902 (48, 51-52). Page 15 Bradford City Transport - The Trams 1898-1950 Bradford & Shelf Tramways Company 1884-1902 In 1884 Bradford offered the Bradford Tramways & Omnibus Company 'first refusal' on new lines to be constructed along Bolton Road and Manchester Road, but they failed to show sufficient interest, so the routes were put out to tender.