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the last tram
- Thread starter Astoness
- Start date
motorman-mike
Brum visitor who stayed.
Thank you for posting that one Astoness, the last tram certainly brought out the crowds.
Peter Walker
gone but not forgotten
Oh what memories! You had to be somebody to travel on the last No 2 tram. A neighbour of mine, Gerry Thompson, was a long-serving tram driver and he kindly tipped me off when he was driving the last Tyburn Road tram, knowing my interest.
I got to Steelhouse Lane in time for the last 79 car running through to Pype Hayes, and stood on the front platform next to Gerry on the journey out and back to Miller Street. He asked me to get off discreetly as we entered Miller Street, as there would obviously be a lot of publicity (and inspectors) around the depot. I walked up to near the depot, in time to see car 616, the last car come into the depot, full but without a fare-paying passenger.
I don't think I ever noticed the number of that last car I travelled on. Some cars left Miller Street that evening on their final trip to Kyotts Lake Road works, Camp Hill for dismantling. The rest were dealt with at Witton Depot.
Peter
I got to Steelhouse Lane in time for the last 79 car running through to Pype Hayes, and stood on the front platform next to Gerry on the journey out and back to Miller Street. He asked me to get off discreetly as we entered Miller Street, as there would obviously be a lot of publicity (and inspectors) around the depot. I walked up to near the depot, in time to see car 616, the last car come into the depot, full but without a fare-paying passenger.
I don't think I ever noticed the number of that last car I travelled on. Some cars left Miller Street that evening on their final trip to Kyotts Lake Road works, Camp Hill for dismantling. The rest were dealt with at Witton Depot.
Peter
jennyann
Gone but not forgotten. R.I.P.
Great memories indeed, Peter. How lucky you were. Thanks for posting those photos. I like the chap on the Gaumont canopy...brave soul. I imagine it was hard to believe this was "The End" for a lot of people. Did many of the tram drivers become bus drivers? The street scape as the tram starts off from Steelhouse Lane brings back many memories. I used to wait for the bus (later on) outside the Wesleyan & General and my best friend Margaret worked in the Actuarial Dept. in the late l950's.
Hi, I was just having a look at the photographs sent in by Astonite. I'm sure I remembered the trams as having wooden slatted seats, similar to a park bench, yet the picture above appears to show upholstered seats. Is my imagination running wild, or am I correct in my memory, bearing in mind I was fairly young when the trams were running. Mal.
motorman-mike
Brum visitor who stayed.
Would this be how you remember them Mallyb2? A programme of conversion to transverse seats in the lower saloon and upholstery on both decks started around 1938 with cars in the 400's upwards.
Hi Mike, yes that's more like I remember them. I don't think I can recall the longitudial seats, but I definately remember the wooden slatted transverse seats. But when were they converted to this form,it must have been fairly late,as I was pretty young when the last tram ran, but I remember it clearly,as I remember Miller Street depot plainly, there used to be a children's playground next to the depot where we used to play when we were younger, Mal.