In November 2003 Nottingham gets a new tram
system. However, trams are not new to Nottingham. Have a look at the
last trams to travel the city's streets.
Bernard Beilby is a lifelong tram enthusiast. Here he tells us in words and pictures about the days trams ruled the roads.
The first tram routes opened in Nottingham on 17th
September 1878. The District Tramways Company Ltd were given permission
to run tramways running by animal power only.
Initially, there were two routes connecting the town centre with the
two main railway stations, the Midland Station in Station Street and
the Great Northern Station in London Road but numerous other routes
sprang up soon afterwards.
They tried to introduce steam trams in Nottingham on select routes
such as up Derby Road in the early 1880s but they were not a success
- they didn't ever exceed six miles an hour.
The first electric trams began running in Nottingham in 1901. By the
end of 1902 105 electric trams were in service...
Horse
drawn trams
Laying horse drawn tram lines
(Beast Market Hill c 1879)
Horse trams were pulled by two horses, except when going up
steep hills such as Derby Road, when a third horse, known as
a Cock Horse, was attached. You can just about see Market Street
at the end of this picture.
Cock horse stand, OMS
(Old Market Square c.1904)
Here you can see the pot market in the foreground of the picture,
the general market on the square and the old exchange in the
background. On the corner of the pot market was the cock horse
stand where the cock horse would wait to take the next tram
up Derby Road.
Horse drawn tram
(Station Street c.1928)
A horse tram. You can see the bridge leading from the Great
Central train station over the viaduct to Victoria Station.
Electric
trams
Open top tram (Forest Road c.1901) Here you can see the horse tram which ran along Forest
Road and the open top deck tram just after they had started
running. They had a steam tram on Forest Road but that only lasted a short time. On the edge of the picture you can see the north exit
of St. Andrew's Church.
Tram cornering
(Milton Street c.1902)
Tram turning from Milton Street into Parliament Street before
1912.
Decorated electric tram
(c. 1911)
This Nottingham tram is decorated to celebrate the coronation
of King George V in 1911.
Electric tram
(Lister Gate and the Walter Fountain before 1923)
Here we see a horse drawn tram in front of the Walter Fountain.
The fountain was erected in memory of a man of the same
name who was an MP in Nottingham for two years. The fountain
was knocked down in 1958. This picture also shows the entrance
to the Broad Marsh and beyond it Narrow Marsh - some of the
worst slum areas in England in the late 18th Century. The Broadmarsh
Centre did not appear here until the 1960s. To the left is the
bottom of Listergate and to the right would be Carrington Street.
Electric trams and buses
(Old Market Square c.1927)
In this picture you can see that they are building the dome
of the new council house. The picture shows both trams and buses
running around square. The market on the square was removed
a year after this picture was taken.
Two electric trams
(Globe Cinema, Trent Bridge c.1933)
The Globe cinema was demolished in 1969 to make way for gardens.
Trent Bridge is just behind where the photographer took this
picture.
Tram terminal
(Trent Bridge c.1934)
Trams used to run from Old Market Square. In the background
is Turney's skin factory. It used to smell very bad.
Tram no. 67
(Theatre Square c.1934)
In this picture you can see tram 67 is on it's way to Radford.
Tram depot
(Sherwood c.1901)
The Sherwood tram depot building is still there. After the trams
it was used as a bus depot.
Steam
trams
Steam
tram
(c.1882)
They tried to use steam trams up Derby Road but they weren't
powerful enough so they were relegated to running along Forest
Road. The speed never exceeded six miles an hour. They weren't
a success and weren't used for very long. Image not available
