Rails in the Road

A History of Tramways in Britain and Ireland

Nonfiction, Reference & Language, Transportation, Railroads, History, Ireland, British
Cover of the book Rails in the Road by Oliver Green, Pen and Sword
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Oliver Green ISBN: 9781473869400
Publisher: Pen and Sword Publication: October 31, 2016
Imprint: Pen and Sword Transport Language: English
Author: Oliver Green
ISBN: 9781473869400
Publisher: Pen and Sword
Publication: October 31, 2016
Imprint: Pen and Sword Transport
Language: English

There have been passenger tramways in Britain for 150 years, but it is a rollercoaster story of rise, decline and a steady return. Trams have come and gone, been loved and hated, popular and derided, considered both wildly futuristic and hopelessly outdated by politicians, planners and the public alike. Horse trams, introduced from the USA in the 1860s, were the first cheap form of public transport on city streets. Electric systems were developed in nearly every urban area from the 1890s and revolutionised town travel in the Edwardian era.
 
A century ago, trams were at their peak, used by everyone all over the country and a mark of civic pride in towns and cities from Dover to Dublin. But by the 1930s they were in decline and giving way to cheaper and more flexible buses and trolleybuses. By the 1950s all the major systems were being replaced. London’s last tram ran in 1952 and ten years later Glasgow, the city most firmly linked with trams, closed its network down. Only Blackpool, famous for its decorated cars, kept a public service running and trams seemed destined only for scrapyards and museums.
 
A gradual renaissance took place from the 1980s, with growing interest in what are now described as light rail systems in Europe and North America. In the UK and Ireland modern trams were on the streets of Manchester from 1992, followed successively by Sheffield, Croydon, the West Midlands, Nottingham, Dublin and Edinburgh (2014). Trams are now set to be a familiar and significant feature of twenty-first century urban life, with more development on the way.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

There have been passenger tramways in Britain for 150 years, but it is a rollercoaster story of rise, decline and a steady return. Trams have come and gone, been loved and hated, popular and derided, considered both wildly futuristic and hopelessly outdated by politicians, planners and the public alike. Horse trams, introduced from the USA in the 1860s, were the first cheap form of public transport on city streets. Electric systems were developed in nearly every urban area from the 1890s and revolutionised town travel in the Edwardian era.
 
A century ago, trams were at their peak, used by everyone all over the country and a mark of civic pride in towns and cities from Dover to Dublin. But by the 1930s they were in decline and giving way to cheaper and more flexible buses and trolleybuses. By the 1950s all the major systems were being replaced. London’s last tram ran in 1952 and ten years later Glasgow, the city most firmly linked with trams, closed its network down. Only Blackpool, famous for its decorated cars, kept a public service running and trams seemed destined only for scrapyards and museums.
 
A gradual renaissance took place from the 1980s, with growing interest in what are now described as light rail systems in Europe and North America. In the UK and Ireland modern trams were on the streets of Manchester from 1992, followed successively by Sheffield, Croydon, the West Midlands, Nottingham, Dublin and Edinburgh (2014). Trams are now set to be a familiar and significant feature of twenty-first century urban life, with more development on the way.

More books from Pen and Sword

Cover of the book Craftsmen Of The Army by Oliver Green
Cover of the book Murderous Tommies by Oliver Green
Cover of the book Mosquito Missions by Oliver Green
Cover of the book River Ouse Bargeman by Oliver Green
Cover of the book Major & Mrs Holt’s Battlefield Guide to Ypres Salient and Passchendaele, Eighth, Expanded, 100th Anniversary Edition by Oliver Green
Cover of the book Anzac - The Landing by Oliver Green
Cover of the book Stirlings in Action With the Airborne Forces by Oliver Green
Cover of the book Sailing into the Past by Oliver Green
Cover of the book Remembering the High Street by Oliver Green
Cover of the book Tracing Your Ancestors Using the Census by Oliver Green
Cover of the book The Few: Preparation for the Battle of Britain by Oliver Green
Cover of the book Will We See Tomorrow? by Oliver Green
Cover of the book Railway Renaissance by Oliver Green
Cover of the book Battle Lines: Ypres by Oliver Green
Cover of the book Discovering Classical Music: Beethoven by Oliver Green
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy