Gateshead and District Tramways Company
The Gateshead and District Tramways operated a tramway service in Gateshead between 1883 and 1951.[1]
| Gateshead and District Tramways | |
|---|---|
 Car 10 preserved at the Beamish Museum | |
| Operation | |
| Locale | Gateshead |
| Open | 22 October 1883 |
| Close | 4 August 1951 |
| Status | Closed |
| Infrastructure | |
| Track gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) |
| Propulsion system(s) | Steam then Electric |
| Statistics | |
| Route length | 12.47 miles (20.07 km) |
History
The Gateshead and District Tramways commenced services on 22 October 1883 with steam hauled tramcars operating on three routes centred on Gateshead High Street.
In 1897, British Electric Traction took ownership of the company[2] and the Gateshead and District Tramways Act of 1899 authorised the modernisation and electrification of the system.
Electric services started on 8 May 1901. On 12 January 1923, through running to the Newcastle Corporation Tramways was possible with the North Eastern Railways High Level Bridge over the Tyne.
Closure
The last tram operated on 4 August 1951. Several tramcars survived the closure. Nineteen cars were sold to the Grimsby & Immingham Electric Railway. Two of these survived into preservation. No 5 is at the National Tramway Museum and No 10 is at the Beamish Museum.[3]
References
- The Golden Age of Tramways. Published by Taylor and Francis.
- http://www.tyneandweararchives.org.uk/DServe2/dserve.exe?dsqIni=Dserve.ini&dsqApp=Archive&dsqDb=Catalog&dsqCmd=show.tcl&dsqSearch=(RefNo==%22DT.GDT%22)
- http://beamishtransportonline.co.uk/2011/05/new-archive-material-gateshead-trams/