North London Tramways
The North London Tramways Company operated horse-drawn trams and steam trams in north London . The company operated standard gauge lines with a total length of 19.6 kilometers from 1881 to 1891 . The routes were bought by the North Metropolitan Tramways in 1891 and later merged with the London tram network .
history
First, the North London Suburban Tramway Company Ltd. was founded in 1878 . founded. In 1879 she received the concession to build and operate a horse-drawn railway from Stamford Hill via Tottenham and Edmonton to Ponders End , which was opened in sections in 1881 and 1882. An extension to Cheshunt was also under discussion, but was not pursued further. In August 1881 the concessions were added for two new lines from Finsbury Park to Tottenham (Seven Sisters Corner) and from the intersection of Manor House to Wood Green , which opened in 1885 and 1887 respectively. These two lines were opened as steam trams, which the railway company had approved in 1883. On August 10, 1882, the company was reorganized into North London Tramways Company .
The existing line from Stamford Hill to Ponders End was switched to steam operation on April 1, 1885, with horse trams running to support until May 31, 1885. With the opening of the line to Finsbury Park, the section from Stamford Hill to Seven Sisters only ran irregularly, and at times operations were completely shut down. The main line now ran from Finsbury Park to Ponders End.
The following route sections were built by the railway company:
| date | route |
|---|---|
| April 10, 1881 | Tottenham / Edmonton border (south end of Fore Street) - Fore Street - Edmonton Green - Hertford Road - Edmonton, Tramway Avenue |
| May 16, 1881 | Tottenham, High Cross (corner of Monument Way) - High Road - Tottenham / Edmonton border |
| June 4, 1881 | Stamford Hill (Clapton Common) - Stamford Hill - High Road - Tottenham, High Cross |
| January 7, 1882 | Edmonton, Tramway Avenue - Hertford Road - Ponders End, Border (north end of Hertford Road) |
| October 24, 1885 | Manor House - Seven Sisters Road - Tottenham, Seven Sisters Corner (High Road / Seven Sisters Road) |
| December 12, 1885 | Finsbury Park Railway Station - Seven Sisters Road - Manor House |
| December 24, 1887 | Manor House - Green Lanes - High Road - Wood Green, Town Hall (corner of Truro Road) |
The condition of the track systems and the steam locomotives deteriorated, derailments of the steam locomotives, which were too heavy for the track superstructure, became more and more frequent and in 1891 the license for steam operation expired. The railway company also had financial problems and filed for voluntary bankruptcy on June 9, 1890. The train was up for sale and with effect from August 1, 1891, the North Metropolitan Tramways Company took over provisional operations. The steam service was stopped at the same time and the lines from Edmonton (Tramway Avenue) to Ponders End and from Wood Green, Watsons Road (north of today's Wood Green underground station) to Wood Green, City Hall were shut down. The remaining routes were now operated as horse-drawn trams. In 1902 they formed the basis of the network of the Metropolitan Electric Tramways , which were incorporated into the London tramway in 1933. The routes were finally shut down in 1938/39 and passenger transport was taken over by the London trolleybus .
stretch
Most of the routes were single-tracked with a turnout. Only the section from Seven Sisters Corner to approximately the Tottenham / Edmonton border with the exception of two short single-track sections at High Cross and Bruce Grove in Tottenham, as well as the section from Finsbury Park to just before the Manor House intersection were double-track.
Depots
The railway had two depots. In 1881 the first and largest depot was opened in Lower Edmonton. The access road to the depot was newly built and is still called Tramway Avenue today. The depot remained in place until the tram was shut down. In 1885, a small double-track depot was also built on Seven Sisters Road. It was located south of the Tottenham and Hampstead Junction Railway bridge near the junction with St. Ann's Road and west of Seven Sisters Road. The access was via a short service route through the now built Kingsford Terrace. The depot on Seven Sisters Road was abandoned in 1895 and replaced by a larger depot in Wood Green, which still exists today as a bus depot.
vehicles
For the opening of the railway, twelve single cars with 20 seats each were available. Eight more of these cars were procured by the end of 1881. After the horse-drawn tram had ceased in 1885, the wagons were sold. For steam operation, the company initially procured 14 steam locomotives from Merryweather and Sons (production numbers 142 to 155). In addition, 20 double- deck trailers were procured from the Falcon Engine and Car Works , which had an open upper deck. In 1885 another Merryweather steam locomotive was added (production number 164), which was a little more powerful. In 1886 and 1887, the railway company bought ten locomotives from Kerr and Company and seven additional trailers from Falcon. All of these vehicles were sold or scrapped with the abandonment of steam operations and takeover by the North Metropolitan Tramways.
literature
- CS Smeeton: The Metropolitan Electric Tramways. Vol. I - Origins to 1920. Light Rail Transit Association, Broxbourne 1984, ISBN 0-900433-94-9 (English).