Skip to content
Home
Favourites
0
Advanced search
Shopping cart
0
Register
Log in
Images of Edinburgh
Browse map
Area A - Z
Browse by date
Exhibitions
Current exhibition
All exhibitions
Collections
About the collections
Browse by theme
Subject A - Z
The image library for the collections of Edinburgh Libraries and Museums and Galleries
Images of Edinburgh
Browse map
Area A - Z
Browse by date
Exhibitions
Current exhibition
All exhibitions
Collections
About the collections
Browse by theme
Subject A - Z
Subject matches "Horse-drawn trams" or its children
Back to search results
Sacred to the memory of the Leith Horse Car
Unknown, 1905, Photograph
Item
of 29
Sacred to the memory of the Leith Horse Car
Sacred to the memory of the Leith Horse Car
Add to favourites
Share
Item record
About this image
Related
Location
Category
Library Item
Item no
29714
Title
Sacred to the memory of the Leith Horse Car which has succumbed to Electric Traction
Description
A photograph of a horse-drawn tram is placed on top of an illustration of a coffin on this card commemorating the end of Leith's horse-drawn trams.
Artist / maker
Unknown
Date
1905
Size
9.0 x 13.8 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.
Discover the history of Edinburgh's trams in
Our Town Stories
.
Exhibitions with this item
Other views of this item
Related images
Related subjects
Places
>
Edinburgh areas
>
Leith
Places
>
Scotland
>
Edinburgh
Transport
>
Land
>
Horse-drawn trams
More like this