For
the first quarter of the twentieth century, trams constituted the main
workhorses of the public road transport system before Birmingham
Corporation buses eventually replaced them completely. 1868
brought the formation of the General Omnibus Co. which ran a fleet of
horse buses from High Street to various suburbs. The remaining years of
that century are marked by an intricate mesh of private companies and
the Corporation owning, leasing and managing transport systems. The
first horse tram in the city plodded into service in 1872, operating
between Hockley Brook and Dudley Port.
In 1882
mechanical power, in the form of the steam tram, pioneered a course
between the Old Square in the town centre, and Aston, and quite some
time elapsed before the steam tram faced competition from the cable car.
By 1904 the Corporation decided to take matters into its own hands and
operate its own trams and buses. Overhead electric wiring appeared along
steam tram routes and 1907 brought the demise of the beasts, replaced
by nearly 200 trams.
Following closely the 1937
routes depicted in Volume I and including the fares structure, as well
as the social and sporting activities of tramways personnel, this book
is illustrated with a wealth of fascinating archive postcards and
ephemera depicting tramways operation of the era and placing an emphasis
on the tram in its social and historical context. A must for all
Birmingham transport and local historians!
