Laying of tram lines, Leith Walk

Category

Library Item

Item no

38592

Title

Laying of tram lines, Leith Walk

Artist / maker

Unknown

Engraver

Unknown

Date

1904

Size

10.5 x 15.0 cm

Type

Postcard

Postcard which shows the laying of tram lines at the bottom of Leith Walk.

In 1920 Leith was (reluctantly) amalgamated with Edinburgh - ending 87 years of independent existence. The hugely unpopular merger between the two burghs formed the catalyst for the upgrade of the Edinburgh network to an electric system which happened in 1922.

In June 1922, the first electric trams came up from Leith, which had come within the Edinburgh boundary in 1920, and by 1924 routes extended to most of the city. From then on plans were made to extend the tramways and by February 1937, when the Corstorphine route reached Maybury Road, this proved unexpectedly to be the last extension opened, as the outbreak of World War II caused plans to be put aside.

There were 28 routes, all of which ran along or touched Princes Street, and 4 depots, and the system worked well until new housing areas appeared beyond the tram routes in 1950, when bus services began 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.

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