Tramcars

Even as a boy growing up in the 1950s in Glasgow, I never understood the public’s fascination for the rickity old tramcars that used to trundle along our cobblestoned streets. I preferred the much more flexible diesel-powered buses that could go anywhere.

Tramcars - The Caurs

So in 1962, at ten years old, I was totally unaffected by my friends and family’s sadness to say goodbye to the tramcars in Glasgow (we called them caurs). Even at that young age I recognised that tramcars and trolleybuses were limited to following overhead power lines and for tramcars, also having to use rails.

All it takes is for a car to breakdown while sitting on a tram line, or for a selfish driver to leave their car parked too far away from the kerb while they go shopping. I often see TikTok videos of Edinburgh trams being forced to wait until obstructions were moved. The tramcar is unable to swerve around the obstruction.

Buses are more flexible and can make detours. I regularly travel from Greenock to Glasgow and there have been a few occasions when the M8 is congested for one reason or another. The bus drivers knows what detours to make and gets us to our destination with only a small delay.

Having said all that, there is no doubt that tramcars were extremely popular for their time and there are signs that the new Edinburgh Tramway is settling in and that passengers like the service.

So here is a selection of tramcars from around the UK.

Feltham Tram Number 331

London_Metropolitan_Tramways__Feltham__Tram_No.331,_National_Tramway_Museum,_CrichLondon Metropolitan Tramways Felham Tram No. 331: Nathan1472, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Currently preserved at the Crich Tramway Village, near Matlock in Derbyshire

  • Prototype build 1930: Metropolitan Electric Tramways (MET) No. 331 (“Cissie”) Centre‑entrance, air doors, 64 seats, 4 motors
  • London service 1930–1936: MET / LPTB No. 2168 Used peak‑hour; unsuitable for conduit lines
  • Sunderland service 1937–1951: Sunderland No. 100 Pantograph fitted; regular passenger operations
  • Preservation acquisition 1953: Light Rail Transport League (LRTL) Saved from scrapping
  • Museum debut 1961: Crich Tramway Village
  • Festival livery 1989–1990: MET‑style blue/ivory Gateshead Garden Festival appearance
  • Full restoration 1991 onward: MET No. 331 Operational museum tram at Crich

Sources


Balloon Tram No. 717 Walter Luff

Balloon_Tram__Walter_Luff__on_Blackpool_Promenade_-geograph.org.uk-_6920548Balloon Tram "Walter Luff" on Blackpool Promenade by David Dixon, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

  • Built: December 1934. Delivered in 1935 by English Electric, Preston, as one of 14 enclosed streamline “Balloon” double‑deck trams commissioned under Walter Luff’s 1930s modernisation plan.
  • Originally numbered: 254, later renumbered to 717 in the 1968 fleet-wide re‑numbering scheme.
  • Design & capacity: Central doors and stairs; seating for 84 to 94 passengers; half‑drop windows, Art Deco curved lights, sliding roof vents and thermostatically controlled radiators; powered by two EE 305 motors (57hp each).
  • Operational service: Served summer and winter routes along the Promenade and Lytham Road routes until 2012 modernization to Flexity 2 trams. Wikipedia+4Flickr+4Wikipedia+4
  • Restoration: In 2004, a bequest by Philip R. Thorpe funded restoration of one Balloon car; 717 was chosen. Rebuilt to its original 1934 condition and relaunched in 2008 as “Philip R. Thorpe”
  • Renaming: On 19 April 2014, officially renamed Walter Luff at a ceremony at Pleasure Beach, unveiled by Daphne Luff (his daughter) to honour the general manager who introduced the streamlined fleet.
  • Current status: Operates as part of the heritage fleet and is one of the few Balloon cars still running in original livery; in December 2024, all heritage tram operations, including Balloon trams, were temporarily suspended due to operational and safety concerns, but 717 remains part of the heritage collection.

Sources


Liverpool Tram 869

Liverpool_869_passing_through_the_Bowes_Lyon_bridge,1994(geograph_6541548)Alan Murray-Rust / Liverpool 869 passing through the Bowes Lyon bridge, 1994

  • Built: June 1936 at Liverpool Corporation’s Edge Lane Works as a streamlined double‑deck bogie tram (one of 163 similar vehicles).
  • Design: Fully enclosed, olive green and cream livery, seating for 78 (34 downstairs, 44 upstairs), equipped with G.E.C. motors and Metropolitan‑Vickers electro-pneumatic controls.
  • Liverpool Service: Operated on the extensive 1930s tram network until 1954; nicknamed the Green Goddess.
  • Glasgow Period: Sold along with 45 others to Glasgow Corporation in 1954, renumbered to 1055; struggled with the longer routes due to construction weaknesses; withdrawn in 1960.
  • Preservation Efforts: Acquired in 1960 by Liverpool University Public Transport Society (later MTPS) for £50; moved via Leeds and Liverpool, ultimately sent to Crich in 1961.
  • Restoration Timeline:
    • 1967–1979: Rebuilding at Liverpool’s Green Lane Depot
    • 1979–1990: Display at Crich Tramway Village
    • 1993: Returned to operational service after major restoration
  • Current Status: Fully restored and in regular operation at the National Tramway Museum at Crich, covering over 18,000 miles, most recently active in 2024 season.

Sources


Car 4

Car_4_of_the_Hill_of_Howth_Tramway_at_the_Ulster_Folk_and_Transport_Museum_-_August_2014Car 4 of the Hill of Howth Tramway at the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum: Reading Tom, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

  • Built: 1901 by Brush Electrical Engineering Company, Loughborough, England.
  • Design: Double-deck, open-top electric tramcar, featuring longitudinal bench seating on the upper deck. Constructed with a timber body on a Brush bogie (truck). 
  • Gauge & Power System:
    • Track gauge: 5ft 3in (1600 mm) the Irish broad gauge used on this line. 
    • Powered by 550 V DC overhead using trolley poles 
    • Equipped with two electric motors (circa 25 hp each) that propelled the tram up steep climbs around Howth Head 
  • Size & Capacity: Approximate length: 9.75 m (32 ft). Seating for 67 passengers: upper & lower decks combined (41 upstairs, 32 downstairs). 
  • Braking System: Likely used manual handbrakes and rheostatic braking, later augmented with air brakes (common upgrades of the era, as reflected in fleet refinements). 
  • Entered service: June 1901, running until the line’s closure on 31 May 1959, almost 58 years of service.  Roger Farnworth
  • Livery Evolution: Began in crimson lake with ivory trim, later varnished teak, then repainted in the blue & cream scheme standardized by CIÉ in the 1930s, reflected in the museum’s restoration.

Sources


Water Cleaner Tram

Liverpool_869_passing_through_the_Bowes_Lyon_bridge,1994(geograph_6541548)Cardiff Corporation 131 Water Cleaning Tramcar: THTRail2013, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Currently preserved at the Crich Tramway Village, near Matlock in Derbyshire

  • Built: 1902
  • Role: Water cleaner/rail grinder
  • Modifications: Enclosed (1913), brakes upgraded (1919–20), snow ploughs & new motors (1947)
  • Service Period: 1902–1950 in Cardiff
  • Preserved at Crich: Arrived 1959; restored 2007–09; operational from 2010
  • Use at Crich: Operational water car, track scrubbing, driver training
  • Mileage since restoration: 788 miles through 2024

Sources


Glasgow Corporation Coronation Tram

Glasgow Corporation Coronation tram at Riverside Museum.Glasgow Corporation Coronation Tram: Frank Harrigan

  • Class: Cunarder / Coronation Mk II
  • Fleet No.: 1392
  • Batch: 1293 – 1392 (100 trams total)
  • Built: Completed in 1952
  • Last Service Date: Circa 1962 (network closure)
  • Preservation: Riverside Museum, Glasgow

Sources


Glasgow Corporation Car 672

Glasgow Corporation tram 672 at Riverside Museum.Glasgow Corporation Tram 672 : Frank Harrigan

  • Built in October 1898 by Glasgow Corporation at Coplawhill Depot as one of the first purpose‑built electric single‑deck “Room & Kitchen” trams
  • Designed with two compartments resembling a “room and kitchen,” entered service on the experimental Springburn–city centre line in October 1898
  • One of a batch of approximately 20 trams; not commercially successful and withdrawn from passenger service by 1907
  • Converted into a mains‑testing vehicle (“Works Car 3”), fitted with four 30 hp Westinghouse motors—unusual for tramcars—to test heavy electrical load
  • Withdrawn permanently in 1953, recognised as the last surviving Room & Kitchen type
  • Restored to its original 1898 livery and configuration, including its original four‑motor setup

Sources


The Modern Edinburgh Tram System

Edinburgh Tramcar 276Edinburgh Tramcar 256: Alf van Beem, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

  • 1999–2001: Council-led proposals developed for a modern light-rail system, initially envisioning three lines across the city. In 2006, Scottish Parliament formally approved Lines 1 and 2, while Line 3 (south route) was dropped after a congestion-charge referendum failure.
  • 2007–2008: Contracts awarded in 2007 to CAF (vehicles) and a Siemens/Bilfinger Berger consortium (infrastructure). Construction officially began in June 2008.
  • 2008–2011: Project beset by delays, cost overruns, and cancelled route segments (synthetic segments like Phase 1b). Management transferred from TIE to Turner & Townsend in mid‑2011. Final plan scaled back to 18.5 km Phase 1a from airport to York Place.
  • 31 May 2014: Official opening of the first trams between Edinburgh Airport and York Place, with initial fares and services established. Fleet of 27 CAF Urbos 3 introduced.
  • December 2016: New Edinburgh Gateway stop opened, providing interchange with the national rail network (Fife Circle Line).
  • Public Inquiry (2014–2023): Commissioned shortly after opening, led by Lord Hardie. Inquiry found mismanagement by TIE and Edinburgh Council, with final estimated Phase 1a cost at around £835.7 million and 24 recommendations issued.
  • November 2019–June 2023: Construction of the Trams to Newhaven extension began in late 2019, paused for the COVID-19 pandemic, and opened for service on 7 June 2023, adding eight new stops and connecting Leith and Newhaven to the network.
  • May 2025: Launch of integrated Tap On, Tap Off (ToTo) contactless fare system with daily and weekly caps (£5/day or £24.50/week), fully integrated with Lothian Buses — aligning with major smart payment systems like London’s Oyster.

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Further Information