Taunton Tramway
Encyclopedia
The Taunton Tramway was an electric street
tramway
in Taunton
, the county town
of Somerset
, England. It operated a fleet of six narrow gauge tramcar
s on a single route of 1.66 miles (2.7 km) between 1901 and 1921 when the tramway closed due to a dispute over the cost of electricity.
. Despite plans to build a network to neighbouring towns including Wiveliscombe
, Wellington
and North Petherton
it started small with a route from Taunton railway station
to the town centre. This route of about 1 miles (1.6 km) opened on 2 August 1901. It became apparent that the large network proposed would not be built and so the company changed its name to the Taunton Electric Traction Company in 1903.
In 1905, the whole line was closed for eight weeks to rebuild the track
which was subsiding. At the same time the entire fleet of double-deck trams were replaced by single-deck trams. On 13 August 1909, a short extension was opened, continuing under the low bridge beneath the railway station to Rowbarton. This took the line to 1.66 miles (2.7 km), its maximum extent.
The company was notified that the price of electricity would rise. The company refused to pay this so a court order was taken out against them to nullify the agreement to supply them with power. The company offered to sell the tramway to the town but this was refused. Instead the electricity was cut off on 28 May 1921. Later that year car number 1 was towed around the town by a steam locomotive while carrying a sign that read 'Yes! We have no tram cars' as part of the town's annual carnival.
When the line opened in 1901 it operated trams at least every eight minutes.
was laid to gauge. The tightest curve
was 35 feet (10.67 m) and steepest gradient 1 in 25 (4%
).
Electricity was supplied by Taunton Corporation from a generating station in St James Street. Ten of the cast iron standards that used to carry the overhead line have survived as lamp posts, although none of them are in their original locations. Nine can be found in Greenway Crescent, not far from the Kingston Road terminus, the tenth is in West Street, Bishops Lydeard
.
The open-top double-deck cars were built by Brush Electrical Engineering
and had seats for 22 people downstairs and 29 upstairs. In 1905 they were sold to the Leamington and Warwick Electrical Company. One was later sold on to the Llandudno and Colwyn Bay Electrical Railway where it was used as a works car until 1935.
The replacement single-deck cars were also built by Brush. In 1921 five were sold for further use: three went to the Torquay Tramways
and two were converted
to standard gauge for the Gravesend and Northfleet Electric Tramway. The sixth car became a shed on a local farm.
Street running
On-street running or street running is when a railroad track or tramway track runs directly along city streets, without any separation. The rails are embedded in the road....
tramway
Tram
A tram is a passenger rail vehicle which runs on tracks along public urban streets and also sometimes on separate rights of way. It may also run between cities and/or towns , and/or partially grade separated even in the cities...
in Taunton
Taunton
Taunton is the county town of Somerset, England. The town, including its suburbs, had an estimated population of 61,400 in 2001. It is the largest town in the shire county of Somerset....
, the county town
County town
A county town is a county's administrative centre in the United Kingdom or Ireland. County towns are usually the location of administrative or judicial functions, or established over time as the de facto main town of a county. The concept of a county town eventually became detached from its...
of Somerset
Somerset
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
, England. It operated a fleet of six narrow gauge tramcar
Tramcar
The Tramcar is a trackless train service running on the Boardwalk in the Cape May County, New Jersey communities of Wildwood and North Wildwood. The service, which began on June 11, 1949, takes passengers along the two-mile long Wildwood boardwalk...
s on a single route of 1.66 miles (2.7 km) between 1901 and 1921 when the tramway closed due to a dispute over the cost of electricity.
History
The Taunton and West Somerset Electric Railways and Tramways Company was incorporated in 1900 as a subsidiary of British Electric TractionBritish Electric Traction
British Electric Traction Company Limited, renamed BET plc in 1985, was a large British industrial conglomerate. It was once a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index but was acquired by Rentokil in 1996, and the merged company is now known as Rentokil Initial.- Early history :The company was founded as...
. Despite plans to build a network to neighbouring towns including Wiveliscombe
Wiveliscombe
Wiveliscombe is a town and civil parish in Somerset, England, situated west of Taunton in the Taunton Deane district. The town has a population of 2,670. The parish includes the nearby hamlet of Maundown.-History:...
, Wellington
Wellington, Somerset
Wellington is a small industrial town in rural Somerset, England, situated south west of Taunton in the Taunton Deane district, near the border with Devon, which runs along the Blackdown Hills to the south of the town...
and North Petherton
North Petherton
North Petherton is a small town and civil parish in Somerset, England, situated on the edge of the eastern foothills of the Quantocks, and close to the edge of the Somerset Levels.The town has a population of 5,189...
it started small with a route from Taunton railway station
Taunton railway station
Taunton railway station is a junction station on the route from London to Penzance, from London Paddington station. It is situated in Taunton, Somerset, England and is operated by First Great Western...
to the town centre. This route of about 1 miles (1.6 km) opened on 2 August 1901. It became apparent that the large network proposed would not be built and so the company changed its name to the Taunton Electric Traction Company in 1903.
In 1905, the whole line was closed for eight weeks to rebuild the track
Tramway track
Tramway track is used on tramways or light rail operations. Grooved rails are often used in order to make street running feasible...
which was subsiding. At the same time the entire fleet of double-deck trams were replaced by single-deck trams. On 13 August 1909, a short extension was opened, continuing under the low bridge beneath the railway station to Rowbarton. This took the line to 1.66 miles (2.7 km), its maximum extent.
The company was notified that the price of electricity would rise. The company refused to pay this so a court order was taken out against them to nullify the agreement to supply them with power. The company offered to sell the tramway to the town but this was refused. Instead the electricity was cut off on 28 May 1921. Later that year car number 1 was towed around the town by a steam locomotive while carrying a sign that read 'Yes! We have no tram cars' as part of the town's annual carnival.
Services
The route ran from the depot in East Reach westwards to East Street then northwards past the Market House into North Street. After passing over the Town Bridge the line continued along Bridge Street and Station Road to the original terminus outside the railway station. After 1909 it continued up Kingston Road to terminate by the end of Salisbury Street.When the line opened in 1901 it operated trams at least every eight minutes.
Engineering
The trackTramway track
Tramway track is used on tramways or light rail operations. Grooved rails are often used in order to make street running feasible...
was laid to gauge. The tightest curve
Minimum railway curve radius
The minimum railway curve radius, the shortest design radius, has an important bearing on constructions costs and operating costs and, in combination with superelevation in the case of train tracks, determines the maximum safe speed of a curve. Superelevation is not a factor on tramway tracks...
was 35 feet (10.67 m) and steepest gradient 1 in 25 (4%
Percent sign
The percent sign is the symbol used to indicate a percentage .Related signs include the permille sign ‰ and the permyriad sign , which indicate that a number is divided by one thousand or ten thousand respectively...
).
Electricity was supplied by Taunton Corporation from a generating station in St James Street. Ten of the cast iron standards that used to carry the overhead line have survived as lamp posts, although none of them are in their original locations. Nine can be found in Greenway Crescent, not far from the Kingston Road terminus, the tenth is in West Street, Bishops Lydeard
Bishops Lydeard
Bishops Lydeard is a village and civil parish located in Somerset, England, bypassed, since 1967, by the A358 road and West Somerset Railway north-west of Taunton in the district of Taunton Deane...
.
Tram cars
There were six tramcars in Taunton at any time, however a total of twelve different cars operated in the town as the entire fleet was changed from double-deck to single-deck cars in 1905. Livery was dark crimson lake with gold lining. Double-deck cars had green curtains.The open-top double-deck cars were built by Brush Electrical Engineering
Brush Traction
This article is about a British rail-locomotive maker. For the Detroit auto-maker, see Brush Motor Car CompanyBrush Traction is a manufacturer and maintainer of railway locomotives, part of the FKI group , based at Loughborough in Leicestershire, England situated alongside the Midland Main Line.-...
and had seats for 22 people downstairs and 29 upstairs. In 1905 they were sold to the Leamington and Warwick Electrical Company. One was later sold on to the Llandudno and Colwyn Bay Electrical Railway where it was used as a works car until 1935.
The replacement single-deck cars were also built by Brush. In 1921 five were sold for further use: three went to the Torquay Tramways
Torquay Tramways
Torquay Tramways operated electric street trams in Torquay, Devon, England, from 1907. They were initially powered by the unusual Dolter stud-contact electrification, but in 1911 was converted to more conventional overhead-line supply...
and two were converted
Gauge conversion
In rail transport, gauge conversion is the process of converting a railway from one rail gauge to another, through the alteration of the railway tracks...
to standard gauge for the Gravesend and Northfleet Electric Tramway. The sixth car became a shed on a local farm.
| Numbers | In service | Type | Seats | Truck | Later numbering |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1–6 | 1901–1905 | Double deck | 51 | Brush Brush Traction This article is about a British rail-locomotive maker. For the Detroit auto-maker, see Brush Motor Car CompanyBrush Traction is a manufacturer and maintainer of railway locomotives, part of the FKI group , based at Loughborough in Leicestershire, England situated alongside the Midland Main Line.-... A1 |
Leamington and Warwick 7–12 |
| 1–6 | 1905–1921 | Single deck | 24 | Brush A1 | Gravesend 7–8 Torquay 34–36 |