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Nechells Tram

  • Thread starter Thread starter O.C.
  • Start date Start date
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O.C.

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A photo thats been seen many time's of a Horse Drawn Tram in Nechells, here is the postcard
 
I've never noticed it before, but behind the horses' heads you can see one of the overhead poles for the electric trams, so perhaps this picture was taken on or around the last day of horse operation, 30 September 1906.
Peter
 
It was taken on the last run by horse, if you look closely, you can see the black ribbons on the whip.
 
On the left hand corner of the photo it states "the last horse drawn tram - Nechells.

Does anyone know what the large building is in the photo?
 
Looking at the shadows cast bgy the horses in the picture, I rather think the photo was taken against the sun (not that it was a sunny day), so that the tram would have been going north along Nechells Park Road. The houses in the right background have shallow front gardens, and afdter looking at the Alan Godfrey's copies of the 1904 OS map, I think it was at the terminus of the horse line, where Needham Street branches to the left (off the picture). It took 3 whole months to rebuild the tracks, which was necessary for electric cars, and they were extended to form a loop, which left Nechells Green by Long Acre, then turned right into Cuckoo Road and returned via Nechells Park Road. The electric cars first ran on 01.01.1907.
Peter
 
Sylvia I smiled when you said Does anyone know who's house is in the background,I thought No chance but I can tell you today it is the house of Dr Cooper as the pic which is not as good as mine is in Maria Twist's Book Saltley Duddeston and Nechells with this info but not the name of the Street
 
Thanks for the information Cromwell, we now know it is Dr.Cooper's house and the year 1906, perhaps John H can look in his directories and complete the answer.
 
I have not been able to pinpoint the road and the only Coopers I could find were as follows
 
Well as our Carl aint a GP perhaps it means something else, good try John
 
Just been looking at the 1908 Kellys. As I understand it, the doctor's house we are talking about is on the west side of Nechells Park Road, about a third of the way from Chattaway Road to Holborn Hill. The directory gives a Dr Peter Campbell, MB, CM, surgeon at No. 278. As John says, the only Dr Coopers were both at 245 High Street, Erdington - probably father and son.
Peter
 
Just looked a bit further: the 1913 directory gives a Dr John Sangster at No 278, while the 1933 dictionary gives a Dr George Richard Harold Cooper practising under the name of Sangster Gibson and Cooper at 285 Nechells Park Road, so either the numbers were shifted (unlikely in the 2oth century, or the practice moved to nearby premises for some reason - size perhaps.
Peter
 
The tram postcard pictured above is on sale on e-bay,current price £12.75,too much for me

Colin
 
An astounding photo of a horse tram on the move, with people on the upper deck. First I have seen in motion.
 
doctor cooper

doctor cooper lived on nechells park road at the top of needham st.his surgery was in the back in the old stables .i was told by my granmother who was born in holborn hill in 1887 and then married and lived till her death in 1965 in malvern hill road ,that was where the tram turned round. at the top of needham st there was a metal hitching pole to tie up the horses i dont know if it is still there.doctor lawerence took over from dr cooper and moved the surgery into the main part of the house.dr cooper was my doctor when i was a small child and was treating me for a bad cough which turned out to be tb so i spent the next 9 months in the childrens hospital and then at a hospital in the malvern hills
 
They are still about in different parts of the world

[ame="https://es.youtube.com/watch?v=2Wt7UPwA-2Y"]YouTube - Horse-drawn Vehicles and Trams in Melbourne[/ame]
 
Horse trams still run at Douglas, Isle of Man, too.
[ame="https://es.youtube.com/watch?v=Wq-uX1dIC2U"]YouTube - horse tram[/ame]
 
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