The tram depot in Midland Road, Swadlincote, with trams (left to right) nos. 18, 5, 14, 9 and 10. On the left of the depot is the horse-drawn trolley tower.
The tram depot in Midland Road, Swadlincote, with trams (left to right) nos. 18, 5, 14, 9 and 10. On the left of the depot is the horse-drawn trolley tower.
The LMS took over two tramway systems with a total of 25 tramcars, to become the only railway operators of tramways of the big four companies.
The Wolverton to Stony Stratford Tramway with 5 cars ceased operations in 1926, whilst the other and larger company, The Burton and Ashby Light Railway Company had a fleet of 20 tramcars and these operated until early in 1927.
The Wolverton system Was Steam-operated, whereas the Burton-Ashby line was electric traction, with power from the Company's own generators.
The Wolverton line finally closed in May 1926 as a result of industrial action. The railway men supported the striking miners and with a shortage of coal and no Operators, the end of the strike came on 14th May, but there was no immediate reinstatement of staff or return to full operations. The steam tramway was a casualty and it never again commenced operations.
However, the Burton and Ashby Light Railway was fortunately electrically powered by diesel generators and so was not affected by the shortage of coal in 1926. With the increasing use of the motor bus, competition for passengers was intense and the tramway services were reduced to rush hours only. With costly maintenance required on the now 20 year-old trackwork, the tramways were beset with problems and finally the doors were closed on 19th February, 1927.
The Tramway resulted from a series of Parliamentary Orders around the turn of the century and the Midland Railway lent its forces to try to have the line authorised by Parliament.
The desirability of running into Burton Station was obvious and the Burton Corporation Tramways were already operating in the town, but on an unusual track gauge of 3'6", and so this was the determining factor for the gauge of the new line to Ashby.
Work commenced in early 1905 and Burton Corporation extended their track almost a mile through Winshill to the Boundary at Moatbank close to Bretby, and it was from this point the Ashby line commenced. Running powers over the Corporation line were granted. From the Boundary point the new track served the villages at Stanhope Bretby, crossed on reserved track over several fields to reach Sunnyside Newhall, a further short stretch of reserved trackwork to rejoin the roadway still in Newhall and thence onto onto Swadlincote, past the depot built on made-up land adjacent to the Goods Yard and Passenger Station.
The original authorisation was for a line to Ashby Station and from Swadlincote. Just out of the town centre here the line ascended a steep climb, known locally as 'Big 'ill' and on through Woodhouse, Woodville, Boundary, Answell and into Ashby to reach the station, a fine stone building just by a very imposing 'Royal Hotel'.
Further stretches of line were built between Swadlincote and Castle Gresley Station and a short link from Woodhouse to Church Gresley, thus joining the Ashby line to Castle Gresley. The Woodhouse connection became known as Woodhouse Junction and this name lives on to this day.
Although coal was the major local industry diesel generators were installed and there were several determining factors, not least the ease of starting a diesel engine and the continuous running capability without close supervision.
The Generating Station was at Swadlincote adjacent to the depot, with two 3 cyl. engines from the Diesel Engine Co. One engine was sufficient for normal tramway requirements with the other on standby. In 1923 the Swadlincote Power Station generated 457,767 units of electricity for the tramway and in 1925 this rose to 521,818 units.
The track was single with passing loops. The line therefore complemented the passenger train services and linked several of the South Derbyshire villages with the railway. In addition to the principal station termini at Ashby and Castle Gresley (on the BurtonLeicester line) and the important one at Burton, the tramway also passed by the Swadlincote and Woodville Stations on the loop line from the Burton-Leicester line. At Swadlincote a large bridge in engineers blue bricks was constructed to take the trams over the railway line, and the tram depot had direct access onto this bridge.
There were several steep climbs for the trams to negotiate in addition to 'Big 'ill'.
Bearwood Hill on the Burton system, Moatbgnk, Ingles Hill near Ashby, Burton Road, Ashby, Alexandra Road, Swadlincote and Cappy Hill, Gresley, were formidable climbs and the safety record was marred by only one serious accident. No. 19 ran away and overturned at the foot of Bearwood Hill in 1915 but there were few injuries.
By LMS days it was much as before. After a series of losses in the last years of the war economies were made and profitability was restored. However, the development of motor buses was forging ahead and the railway companies were investing large sums in this form of tramsport, to safeguard their interest. The last services ran on 19th February, 1927.
The Depot at Swadlincote had been built with accommodation for 24 trams, 8 tracks x 3 deep but only 20 trams were owned.
The tramcars were built by Brush Electric Co. ,Ltd. of Loughborough, open topped, open driving ends on a four wheel truck. Westinghouse equipment with two 25 h.p. Westinghouse No. 80 motors were standard, and four braking systems on each car. BTH Controllers with magnetic track brakes and run back brakes, plus hand wheel and hand track brakes.
The cars had a capacity for 51 passengers, 31 on the all-weather toast rack/freezer, and apart from a livery change no other modifications were carried out.
The cars were in Crimson Lake and a white livery with ornate gold panelled lining and Midland crest. It was in this condition that the cars came into LMS ownership but all the cars were repainted in a simpler livery at Derby Works. The original white had weathered to a light cream and the later cream mellowed in a short life to a yellow. Although the method of tramsport to Derby Works is not certain the LMS owned bogie tramcar wagons and with an open top tramcar the bodies would almost certainly come within the loading gauge. The trolley pole, seats and wire screens were easily removed and so it is more than likely visits to works were by rail journey.
After the closure, 10 bodies were sold to the Tynemouth and District Electric Traction Co. and the remaining 10 sold locally for further service to chickens and the like.
It is worth recording here that a Gresley businessman, Simon Whittaker, purchased several bodies and it was from this land that No. 14 and various parts of others, were rescued in 1970 by the Gresley Model Railway Society. Restoration is now well under way under the guidance and often singular efforts of Peter White a local historian. One Rawlinson tower maintenance wagon was also owned, believed pulled by a horse.
Services were half-hourly with a 10 minute interval at peak periods, and this called for 17 trams in operation at these times. Gresley trams made a connection at Swadlincote with the Burton and Ashby service.
Special services were often run, Sunday School Outings and other Club Outings, and even a Railway Club on 8th July, 1909 hired three trams for a return trip from Burton to Ashby. Special services to feed passengers to excursions from Burton Station before normal services, and upon their return after the last train, were another feature.
Three Aspect Colour light signalling was installed on the reserved country stretch between Stanhope Bretby and Sunnyside, Newhall where the line traversed the brow of a hill and the west passing loop was out-of-sight from both sides. The lights were operated by a trolley wheel contact on a solenoid, a system devised and installed by a firm, Bracknell, Munro and Rogers.
With the closure of services on 19th February, 1927 the last railway owned and operated tramway in Great Britain passed into history.
Rail passenger services were still running through Castle Gresley, Swadlincote, Woodville and Ashby and motor buses took over the tram services.
The major undertaking 'Midland Red' or the Birmingham and Midland Motor Omnibus Co. Ltd., to quote its full title, in which the LMS had a controlling interest, took over the main services. Other local operators, Victoria Motorways, Regent buses, Brooks Blue buses ran alongside the trams for a period.
H.N. Twells, LMS Miscellany. OPC 1982 ISBN 0 860931 72 2