Last Day of the Horse-drawn Trams at Colinton Road 1907

Category

Library Item

Item no

29700

Title

Last day of the horse-drawn trams at Colinton Road 1907

Artist / maker

Unknown

Date

1907

Size

10.2 x 12.6 cm

Type

Photograph

Location

Edinburgh and Scottish Collection

The first horse drawn tramcars, operated by the Edinburgh Street Tramways Co. Ltd, appeared in the Royal Burgh of Edinburgh on 6th November 1871 and ran from Haymarket to Bernard Street in Leith, via Princes Street.

Routes were soon extended into other parts of Leith and Portobello, which were separate burghs at that time, and covered most of the city by 1882. The exception was the steeper areas from Stockbridge and Goldenacre which had proved difficult for horses. Alternatives were sought and by 1890 two cable routes had been opened for these areas, operated by The Edinburgh Northern Tramways Co. Ltd.

The city boundaries were extended to include Portobello in 1896 and work began to expand the cable system to cover all areas where the horse-drawn network had been operating. The last horse-drawn car ran on 24th August 1907. The system was now managed by the Edinburgh & District Tramways Co. Ltd, a subsidiary of Dick, Kerr & Co. Ltd.

Although other areas, including Leith, had electrified their systems from August 1905 onwards, it wasn't until the expiry of the lease of the tramways within Edinburgh in June 1919 that the Corporation decided to embrace electrification. Lack of both maintenance and engineering staff during World War I had led to a deterioration of the service.

By the 1950s, Edinburgh had 28 tram routes, all of which ran along or touched Princes Street, and 4 depots. The system worked well until 1950 when new housing areas appeared beyond the tram routes and so bus services were introduced for those areas. In the same year, it was proposed that 25% of the system be scrapped in favour of buses and there began a gradual withdrawal of routes.

The last of the city's previous electric trams ran on 16th November 1956, with a procession making the final journey south to the depot at Shrubhill. People lined the route to see the passing of the trams and as the final tramcar passed through, the gates were closed after them, ending the historic era of Edinburgh's trams.

Construction on Edinburgh's future tram system started in Spring 2008, while road works to divert utilities on tram routes began in 2007. The project had to deal with moving utilities and other services that had been introduced to the road and pavement surfaces since trams last ran in the city. It is on target to a revised budget and timescale, with passenger services due to begin in May 2014 under the auspices of Transport for Edinburgh, a new company set up in late 2013 to provide integrated transport for the capital.

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Animals > Mammals > Horses

People > Transportation > Tram drivers

Places > Scotland > Edinburgh

Transport > Land > Bicycles

Transport > Land > Horse-drawn trams

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