Leeds Tramway

Infobox rail
railroad_name=Leeds Tramway
gauge=RailGauge|42
start_year=1880s
end_year=1959
length=
hq_city=Leeds
locale=England
successor=Abandoned

Leeds Corporation Tramways formerly served the City of Leeds, England. The original trams were horesedrawn, however by 1900 electrification had been complete.

There were several lines running from the city centre [http://www.leodis.net/display.aspx?resourceIdentifier=2004128_2546328] out towards Cross Gates, [http://www.leodis.net/display.aspx?resourceIdentifier=5826] Chapel Allerton, [http://www.leodis.net/display.aspx?resourceIdentifier=2002913_66646975] [http://www.leodis.net/display.aspx?resourceIdentifier=5126] Moortown, [http://www.leodis.net/display.aspx?resourceIdentifier=9135] Roundhay, [http://www.leodis.net/display.aspx?resourceIdentifier=2003103_65673465] Middleton, [http://www.leodis.net/display.aspx?resourceIdentifier=1897] Beeston, [http://www.leodis.net/display.aspx?resourceIdentifier=2002326_70179385] Armley, [http://www.leodis.net/display.aspx?resourceIdentifier=2002318_82024783] Hunslet [http://www.leodis.net/display.aspx?resourceIdentifier=2003528_31643313] and Kirkstall. [http://www.leodis.net/display.aspx?resourceIdentifier=200244_16592043] The network was far more extensive then that of the proposed Leeds Supertram, which has not been built after a funding shortfall from central government.

Even when other cities were abandoning their tramways in the 1940s, Leeds continued to modernise its system. Two prototype modern single-deck trams (somewhat similar to those used in continental European cities) were built in the early 1950s, but never put into full production.

In the early 1950s, Leeds purchased 90 "Feltham" trams secondhand from London Transport. By this period, Leeds tramcars were normally painted in red.

Trams

The earliest trams were single decker horsedrawn trams. The last of these ran n 1900. Throughout most of the twentieth century the tramway used a mixture of bus style and balloon trams, both in double decker formation. [http://johnlawontherails.fotopic.net/p24610499.html] The track gauge was actually British Standard Gauge which is 4'8.5"

Closure

After the closure of the Leeds system in 1959, Sheffield became the last city in England with trams (closing in 1960) and Glasgow the last in the UK (closing in 1962). The Blackpool tramway then became the UK's only commercial tramway until the opening of the Manchester Metrolink in 1992.

Several Leeds trams are now preserved at the National Tramway Museum at Crich. There are also original tram poles remaining in Roundhay and an old electricity sub station used for the tramway on Abbey Road in Hawksworth. [http://www.leodis.net/display.aspx?resourceIdentifier=200781_164363]

Queens Hall

Queens Hall was the central tram shed, situated of Swinegate. This was used as a concert hall from the trams closure until 1989, when it was demolished. Queens Hall became a renouned punk venue and hosted other artists such as Elton John, however the venues poor acousitics and high upkeep costs brought about its closure. The site is an unmade car park, the proposed Criterion Place development was to be built here.

References