South Lancashire Tramways

Operation
Locale| St Helens, Swinton, Westhoughton and Hulton Lane
Open| 20 October 1902
Close| 16 December 1933
Status| Closed
Infrastructure
Track gauge| 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in)
Propulsion system(s)| Electric
Depot(s)| Howe Bridge
Statistics
Route length| 39.1 miles (62.9 km)

United Kingdom legislation

South Lancashire Tramways Act 1900

Act of Parliament

Parliament of the United Kingdom

Long title| An Act to incorporate the South Lancashire Tramways Company and to empower that Company to make tramways and street improvements and for other purposes.
Citation| 63 & 64 Vict. c. ccxliii
Dates
Royal assent| 6 August 1900
Other legislation
Repealed by| South Lancashire Transport Act 1958

Status: Repealed

United Kingdom legislation

South Lancashire Tramways Act 1901

Act of Parliament

Parliament of the United Kingdom

Long title| An Act to confer further powers upon the South Lancashire Tramways Company for the construction of tramways and street improvements and for other purposes.
Citation| 1 Edw. 7. c. cclvii
Dates
Royal assent| 17 August 1901
Other legislation
Repealed by| South Lancashire Transport Act 1958

Status: Repealed

Text of statute as originally enacted

United Kingdom legislation

South Lancashire Tramways Act 1903

Act of Parliament

Parliament of the United Kingdom

Long title| An Act to authorise the South Lancashire Tramways Company to construct additional tramways and other works and to extend the time for taking lands and for the construction and completion of certain authorised tramways and widenings and for other purposes.
Citation| 3 Edw. 7. c. clviii
Dates
Royal assent| 11 August 1903
Other legislation
Repealed by| South Lancashire Transport Act 1958

Status: Repealed

Text of statute as originally enacted

United Kingdom legislation

South Lancashire Tramways Act 1905

Act of Parliament

Parliament of the United Kingdom

Long title| An Act to extend the time for taking Lands for the construction of certain Tramways Widenings and Works authorised by the South Lancashire Tramways Acts 1900 and 1901 to abandon certain Tramways authorised by the Act of 1900 and for other purposes.
Citation| 5 Edw. 7. c. cxlviii
Dates
Royal assent| 4 August 1905
Other legislation
Repealed by| South Lancashire Transport Act 1958

Status: Repealed

Text of statute as originally enacted

United Kingdom legislation

South Lancashire Tramways Act 1906

Act of Parliament

Parliament of the United Kingdom

Long title| An Act to extend the time for purchasing lands and for the construction and completion of certain tramways street widenings and works authorised by the South Lancashire Tramways Acts 1900 1901 and 1903 and for other purposes.
Citation| 6 Edw. 7. c. xxxviii
Dates
Royal assent| 22 June 1906
Other legislation
Repealed by| South Lancashire Transport Act 1958

Status: Repealed

Text of statute as originally enacted

United Kingdom legislation

South Lancashire Tramways Act 1911

Act of Parliament

Parliament of the United Kingdom

Citation| 1 & 2 Geo. 5. c. lv
Dates
Royal assent| 18 August 1911
Other legislation
Repealed by| South Lancashire Transport Act 1958

Status: Repealed

Text of statute as originally enacted

South Lancashire Tramways was a system of electric tramways in south Lancashire authorised by the South Lancashire Tramways Act 1900 (63 & 64 Vict. c. ccxliii). The South Lancashire Tramways Company was authorised by the act to build over 62 miles (100 km) of track to serve the towns between St Helens (now in Merseyside), Swinton, Westhoughton and Hulton Lane where the Bolton Corporation system ended. The system was the largest standard-gauge electric tramway outside London.[1]

> At the peak of Britain's first-generation tramways, it was possible to travel by tram all the way from Pier Head at Liverpool to the Pennines in Rochdale by tram.[2]

The company had difficulty raising capital and at the end of November 1900 its shares were acquired by the South Lancashire Electric Traction and Power Company. It also acquired the shares of the Lancashire Light Railways Company and the South Lancashire Electric Supply Company. Construction began in late 1901 and in October 1902 the first section from Lowton through Leigh and Atherton to Four Lane Ends at Over Hulton opened.[3]

Atherton became the centre of the system and the tram sheds, power station and offices were built on the north side of Leigh Road at Howe Bridge (grid reference SD 6624 0203).[4]

Unrestored tram body, No 65 built by Brush Electrical Engineering Company in 1906, is in the collection of the Museum of Transport, Greater Manchester.[5]

## References

[edit]

Notes

1. ^ Stretch 2006, p. 10.
2. ^ Waller, Peter (7 November 2022). Lost Tramways of England: Bolton, SLT, Wigan & St Helens: 15. Graffeg Limited. ISBN 978-1-80258-225-3.
3. ^ Lancashire United Transport 1905 - 1981, Lancashire United Transport Society, retrieved 6 August 2011
4. ^ Stretch 2006, p. 19.
5. ^ South Lancashire Tramways Limited, Museum of Transport Greater Manchester, retrieved 6 August 2011

### Bibliography

[edit]

* Stretch, E.K. (2006), Gray, Ted (revised) (ed.), The Lancashire Tramways Company Ltd, Triangle Publishing, ISBN 978-0-9550030-2-8

## External links

[edit]

* Photograph of unrestored tram 65
* Old photographs

* 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

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