Darlington Street Railroad Company

English former railway company

Darlington Street Railroad

Operation
Locale| Darlington
Open| 1 January 1862
Close| 1 January 1865
Status| Closed
Infrastructure
Track gauge| 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in)
Propulsion system(s)| Horse
Statistics
Route length| 1 mile (1.6 km)

Darlington Street Railroad  operated a tramway service in Darlington, England, between 1862 and 1865.[1]

## History

[edit]

It was the brainchild of George Francis Train, who had previously attempted to introduce horse tramway services in Birkenhead and London. The company was authorised to raise capital of up to £4,000 and they appointed a contractor for the line, Mr. Hathaway and the rails were manufactured by Barningham of the Albert Hill iron works.[2] The line was laid between the market place and the Stockton and Darlington Railway station and the Workman’s Institute on the Durham Road.[3] Trial tips were operated by the company on Thursday 26 December 1861[4] and it started public operation on 1 January 1862.[5] There were two tram cars, the Nelson and the Wellington. The fare was 2d.

In November 1862 a load of coals was emptied onto the rails outside the Three Tuns and blocked the line for over four hours. One of the tramcar drivers drove through the coals but this derailed the tramcar. The landlord and his men shovelled the coals back onto the line again.[6] It encountered a number of other major issues including forgery of the tokens needed to use the trams; cows and farmers obstructing the line, and a case which reached Durham Summer Assizes in July 1864 where Charles Miller claimed £50 compensation for the loss of his greyhound.

There was a dispute with the County Surveyor over the raised rails on Northgate Bridge, which prevented proper drainage of rainwater.[7] The company agreed in July 1862 to raise the level of the roadway of the bridge to the level of the rail.[8]

At the annual meeting in February 1864 it was reported that the company had made a loss of £110, as against a loss of £77 the previous year. The company had spent £3,704 out of the original capital, but was not proving commercially viable.[9]

## Closure

[edit]

The last day of operation was 1 January 1865. At the annual meeting of shareholders on 28 January 1865 it was revealed that the accounts showed a loss of £250 10s 10d to 31 December 1864 and the directors were authorised to take up the rails and timber and realise the value of the properties of the company.[10] The rails were removed in February, the company was officially declared bankrupt in November, and wound up in December.[11]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ The Golden Age of Tramways. Published by Taylor and Francis.
2. ^ "Darlington Street Railway Company". Durham Chronicle. England. 29 November 1861. Retrieved 23 December 2022 - via British Newspaper Archive.
3. ^ "Darlington Street Railroad". Herapath’s Railway Journal. England. 11 January 1862. Retrieved 23 December 2022 - via British Newspaper Archive.
4. ^ "The cars were put upon the tram-way…". Newcastle Journal. England. 30 December 1861. Retrieved 23 December 2022 - via British Newspaper Archive.
5. ^ Darlington & Stockton Times, 4 January 1862
6. ^ "Darlington Street Railroad". Richmond & Ripon Chronicle. England. 8 December 1862. Retrieved 23 December 2022 - via British Newspaper Archive.
7. ^ "Northgate Bridge". Durham Chronicle. England. 11 April 1862. Retrieved 23 December 2022 - via British Newspaper Archive.
8. ^ "Northgate Bridge , Darlington". Durham Chronicle. England. 4 July 1862. Retrieved 23 December 2022 - via British Newspaper Archive.
9. ^ "Darlington Street Railway". Newcastle Journal. England. 18 February 1864. Retrieved 23 December 2022 - via British Newspaper Archive.
10. ^ "Darlington Street Railroad". Newcastle Daily Chronicle. England. 30 January 1865. Retrieved 23 December 2022 - via British Newspaper Archive.
11. ^ The London Gazette, 26 December 1865

* v
* t
* e

Historic tramways in the United Kingdom and the Isle of Man

England|

| East|

* Cambridge
* Colchester
* Great Yarmouth
* Ipswich Corporation
* Ipswich
* Lowestoft
* Luton
* Norwich
* Peterborough
* Southend
* Wisbech & Upwell

|

East Midlands|

* Alford & Sutton
* Chesterfield
* Derby Corporation
* Derby Company
* Glossop
* Ilkeston
* Lincoln Company
* Lincoln Corporation
* Leicester Tramways
* Leicester Corporation
* Mansfield & District
* Matlock
* Northampton Corporation
* Northampton Street
* Nottingham Corporation
* Nottingham & District
* Nottinghamshire & Derbyshire

London|

* Barking
* Croydon
* Kingsway
* London
* East Ham
* Erith
* Ilford
* Leyton
* London County Council
* London United
* Walthamstow
* West Ham

North East|

* Darlington Corporation
* Darlington Street
* Gateshead
* Hartlepool Electric
* Hartlepools Steam
* Jarrow
* Middlesbrough & Stockton
* Middlesbrough Corporation
* Middlesbrough, Stockton & Thornaby
* Newcastle
* South Shields Corporation
* South Shields
* Stockton & Darlington Steam
* Stockton & District
* Sunderland Company
* Sunderland Corporation
* Sunderland District Electric
* Tynemouth & District
* Tynemouth & District Electric
* Tyneside

North West|

* Accrington
* Accrington Steam
* Barrow-in-Furness
* Birkenhead
* Blackburn & Over Darwen
* Blackburn Corporation
* Blackpool & Fleetwood
* Blackpool Electric
* Blackpool Corporation
* Bolton
* Burnley
* Bury
* Carlisle
* Chester Corporation
* Chester Company
* Colne & Trawden
* Darwen
* Heaton Park
* Lancaster
* Liverpool Corporation
* Liverpool Company
* Lytham St Annes
* Manchester
* Morecambe
* Nelson
* Old Swan
* Preston
* Rawtenstall
* Rochdale
* South Lancashire
* Southport
* St Helens
* Stockport
* Stalybridge, Hyde, Mossley & Dukinfield
* Wallasey
* Warrington
* Wigan

South East|

* Brighton
* Brighton & Shoreham
* Brill
* Chatham & District
* Dover
* Folkestone, Hythe & Sandgate
* Gravesend & Northfleet
* Gravesend, Rosherville & Northfleet
* Hastings
* Isle of Thanet
* Maidstone
* Oxford
* Portsdown & Horndean
* Portsmouth
* Reading Corporation
* Reading Company
* Ryde Pier Tramway
* Sheerness
* Southampton Corporation
* Southampton Company
* Wantage
* Wolverton & Stony Stratford

South West|

* Bath Tramways
* Bournemouth
* Bristol
* Camborne & Redruth
* Cheltenham
* Devonport
* Exeter Corporation
* Exeter Company
* Gloucester Corporation
* Gloucester Company
* Plymouth Corporation
* Plymouth, Devonport & District
* Plymouth, Stonehouse & Devonport
* Poole
* Seaton
* Swindon
* Taunton
* Torquay
* Weston-super-Mare

West Midlands|

* Birmingham City
* Birmingham & Aston
* Birmingham Corporation
* Burton-upon-Trent
* Burton & Ashby
* Coventry
* Dudley & Stourbridge Steam
* Dudley, Stourbridge & District Electric
* Dudley, Sedgley and Wolverhampton
* Kidderminster & Stourport
* Kinver
* Leamington & Warwick
* North Staffordshire
* Potteries
* South Staffordshire & Birmingham District Steam
* South Staffordshire Company
* Staffordshire Potteries Street Railway
* Walsall
* Wolverhampton District Electric
* Wolverhampton Corporation
* Wolverhampton Company
* Worcester Electric
* Worcester

Yorkshire and
the Humber|

* Barnsley & District
* Bradford
* Dearne District
* Doncaster
* Grimsby & Immingham
* Grimsby
* Halifax
* Huddersfield
* Hull
* Keighley
* Leeds Company
* Leeds Corporation
* Mexborough & Swinton
* Rotherham
* Scarborough funiculars
* Scarborough
* Sheffield
* Wakefield
* York Corporation
* York Company
* Yorkshire (Woollen District)
* Yorkshire (West Riding)

Wales|

* Aberdare
* Barmouth Junction & Arthog
* Cardiff Corporation
* Cardiff Company
* Cardiff District and Penarth Harbour
* Fairbourne
* Glyn Valley
* Great Orme
* Harlech
* Llandudno & Colwyn Bay
* Llanelly
* Llanelly and District Electric
* Merthyr Tydfil
* Neath & District
* Neath Corporation
* Newport Company
* Newport Corporation
* Oystermouth
* Pontypridd and Rhondda Valley
* Pontypridd Urban District
* Pwllheli & Llanbedrog
* Pwllheli Corporation
* Rhondda
* Swansea & Mumbles
* Swansea Improvements
* Swansea Constitution Hill Incline
* Wrexham District
* Wrexham & District Electric

Scotland|

* Aberdeen District
* Aberdeen Corporation
* Aberdeen Suburban
* Airdrie & Coatbridge
* Ayr
* Carstairs House
* Cruden Bay Hotel
* Dumbarton
* Dundee & District
* Dundee Corporation
* Dundee, Broughty Ferry & District
* Dunfermline
* Edinburgh Street
* Edinburgh & District
* Edinburgh Northern
* Edinburgh Corporation
* Falkirk
* Glasgow Company
* Glasgow Corporation
* Glasgow & Ibrox
* Greenock & Port Glasgow
* Inchture
* Kilmarnock
* Kirkcaldy
* Lanarkshire
* Leith
* Musselburgh
* Paisley
* Paisley District
* Perth & District
* Perth Corporation
* Rothesay & Ettrick Bay
* Stirling & Bridge of Allan
* Vale of Clyde
* Wemyss
* Scottish Tramway and Transport Society

Northern Ireland|

* Belfast Corporation
* Belfast Street
* Bessbrook & Newry
* Cavehill & Whitewell
* City of Derry
* Castlederg & Victoria Bridge
* Clogher Valley
* Giant's Causeway, Portrush & Bush Valley
* Glenanne & Loughgilly
* Portstewart
* Warrenpoint & Rostrevor

Isle of Man|

* Douglas Bay Horse
* Douglas Southern Electric
* Manx Electric
* Snaefell Mountain
* Upper Douglas Cable

Manufacturers
and suppliers|

* British Thompson-Houston
* Brush Electrical Engineering Company
* Dick, Kerr & Co.
* Electric Railway and Tramway Carriage Works
* English Electric
* Thomas Green & Son
* Hurst Nelson
* Kitson and Company
* Lancaster Carriage and Wagon Works
* Maley & Taunton
* Manlove, Alliott & Co. Ltd.
* Merryweather & Sons
* Midland Railway Carriage and Wagon Company
* G.F. Milnes & Co.
* Milnes Voss
* Starbuck Car and Wagon Company
* United Electric Car Company
* William Wilkinson

Group holding
companies|

* Balfour Beatty
* Birmingham and Midland Tramways Joint Committee
* British Electric Traction
* British Thomson-Houston
* National Electric Construction Company
* New General Traction Company
* Imperial Tramways Company
* Patent Cable Tramways Corporation
* Provincial Tramways Company

Trade fairs|

* International Tramways and Light Railways Exhibition
* First
* Second
* Third

This UK Tram-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

|

* v
* t
* e

*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template