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R.o.B Tramways

Tramways of South Shields

By Mr John Grant and Nathan Darroch

South Shields tramway started like most other's as a horse-drawn tram service, the first recorded link was the route that linked Tyne Dock with the Pier Head on the seafront in 1883, the track was owned by the South Shields Corporation and leased out to the South Shields Tramways Co. which soon collapsed (its six trams were sold to the tramway in Douglas on the Isle of Man one car is today in the museum at Douglas. This car became Douglas Corporation horse-drawn tram No.14 and was built in 1883, by the Metropolitan Railway Carriage and Wagon Company of Birmingham, for the South Shields tramways. It was bought by Douglas Corporation in 1887 and was operated by them until 1939 when it was withdrawn from service. It is thought to be the oldest surviving double-decker horse tram).

After the collapse of the South Shields Tramway Co, South Shields was without trams for nearly 18 months then in 1887 the South Shields Tramways and Carriage Co Ltd was formed taking over with a 14 year lease on the existing track. This company was then taken over in 1899 by the British Electric Traction Company, which also owned the Jarrow & District Tramway Company in the neighbouring town.

In 1896 the Corporation received an act of Parliament (South Shields Corporation Act 1896. �An Act to empower the Corporation of the Borough of South Shields to apply for an increase of Aldermen and Councillors to construct Street Tramway Quay and other Works to make better provision for the health and good government of the Borough and for other purposes.� [2nd July 1896.]) which gave the Corporation authorisation to build &maintain four new tramways:

�Tramway No. 1.-A tramway 1 mile 4 furlongs and 5.60 chains in length commencing by a junction with the existing tramway at the junction of Fowler Street Mile End Road Ocean Road and King Street and proceeding along Fowler Street Westoe Lane Dean Lane and Laygate Lane and terminating by a junction with the existing tramway opposite the end of Frederick Street.

Tramway No. 1A.-A single line 0-90 chains in length commencing by a Junction with Tramway No. 1 in Fowler Street 0.55 chains south from the commencement of Tramway No. 1 and terminating by a junction with the existing tramway in King Street 0.S5 chains west of the junction of Tramway No. 1 with the existing tramway.

Tramway No. 1b - A single line 0.65 chains in length commencing by a junction with Tramway No. 1 in Laygate Lane 1.05 chains in a south-easterly direction from the termination of Tramway No. 1 and terminating in Green Street by a junction with the existing tramway 0.50 chains north of the centre of an imaginary line drawn across Green Street from the west corner of Green Street to the east corner of the same.

Tramway No. 2.-A tramway 3 furlongs 3.92 chains in length commencing by a junction with the existing tramway at the junction of Fowler Street Mile End Road Ocean Road and King Street and proceeding along Mile End Road and terminating at a point in that road opposite Green's Sailor Boys' Home 1.20 chains south of the junction of Mile End Road with Military Road: Provided that Tramway No. 2 shall be laid as a single line.

Tramway No. 2A.-A single line 0.80 chains in length commencing by a junction with Tramway No. 2 0.60 chains northward of the commencement of Tramway No. 2 and terminating by a junction with the existing tramway in King Street 0.45 chains west of the junction of the existing tramway with Tramway No. 2.

Tramway No. 3.-A tramway 1 mile 3 furlongs 0.18 chains length commencing by a junction with Tramway No. 1 Laygate Lane 1.20 chains north-west of the junction of Dean Lane Laygate Lane and Stanhope Road and proceeding across Dean Lane along Stanhope Road Boldon Lane Hudson Street and Slake Terrace and terminating by a junction with the existing tramway 1-05 chains north-east of the termination o the existing tramway : Provided that Tramway No. 3 shall be laid as a single line.

Tramway No. 4.-A tramway 6 furlongs 4.42 chains in length commencing in Laygate Lane by a junction with the existing tramway 0.45 chains in a north-easterly direction from the junction of Tramway No. 1 with the existing tramway and proceeding along Frederick Street Reed Street South Eldon Street St. Mary's Terrace Dean Lane South Shields Road and Slake Terrace and terminating by a junction with the existing tramway at a point 1-90 chains from the point where a line drawn along the south wall of the Tyne Dock Hotel and continued would intersect the existing tramway: Provided that Tramway No. 4 shall be laid as a single line.�

Though all of the extensions were to be single track there were allowances for passing loops in specified locations, the tramway to be laid �on a gauge of three feet six inches : Provided always that so much of section 34 of the Tramways Act 1870 as limits the extent of the carriage used on any tramway beyond the outer edge of the wheels of such carriage shall not apply to the carriages used on the tramways but no engine or carriage used on such tramways shall exceed six feet in width.�

Section 18 of the original act of 1881 for the construction of the towns tramways gave permission for the use animal steam or mechanical power to move the �Carriages� but the new act went one step further saying that electricity could be used as long as the provisions in section 26 of the act were followed.

The last horse-drawn tram operated in 1906 when the newly inaugurated electric system was opened by the South Shields Corporation Tramways, extensions to the system were introduced and the last extension opened in 1922. The South Shields Tramway grew over the years and as well as rebuilding its own fleet of trams it bought a dozen second-hand trams from Jarrow, Ayr and Wigan.

The short stretch of track along the Ocean Road was completely re-laid in 1935-1936, with a new 4 wheel streamlined tram, No 52, purchased from Brush traction. It was identical to the Sunderland streamlined stock and had the only air brakes of the SSCT tram fleet the bogie cars all used the foot ratchet hand brake they also had rheo-static brakes applied from below the power off position on the controller. The car ran on the Mile End road to Ridgeway services alongside the bogie cars. When the South Shields system closed Car 52 was sold to Sunderland Corporation Tramways where it was re-painted becoming Sunderland No.48.

At the same time work started on erecting trolleybus overhead wires and the trams were slowly replaced by the trolleybuses on some routes. During the war the trams ran alongside the trolley buses using the positive wire of the trolley bus wires which were nearest the centre of the road with the return current passing through the rails. It seems that most of the Corporation system was of single track with passing loops. At �Pier Head� the crew would change ends changing the direction of the seats as well. At Junctions up to the end of tramway operation and part of the time of trolleybus operation the corporation employed �points boys� who set the points for the route of the tram as well as haul on the switcher control for the overhead wire. This meant that trams did not have to stop in the middle of the road while the conductor changed the points and wire frog.

During the war the trolleybuses did not run to the pier head over the winter, this duty was carried out by Tram No.16 which was the only remaining 4-wheeler car from the original electric car stock. By the war years a triangular formation on the overhead wire allowed a reversing tram to turn its trolley pole automatically. The other tram routes held on over the War years but eventually the South Shields Trams were taken over by the Trolleybuses with the final closure of the tramway on 31st March 1946.