Newcastle Tramways Company

From World of Tokens
Jump to navigation Jump to search

Newcastle Corporation obtained the powers to lay a tramway system under the Newcastle-upon-Tyne Tramways and Improvement Act 1877. By March 1878 the Corporation was placing contracts for the tramway system[1]. The Corporation was prohibited from running the tram system by the Tramways Act 1870, so put operation of the trams out to tender[2]. The offer accepted was by the Busby brothers of Liverpool and William Turton of Leeds. The lease was for 21 year. The leasees were to pay 7.25% per annum on the capital invested by the Corporation, £30,000, and to maintain the tramlines with associated paving. The first section of tramline was formally opened on 23rd December 1878. This was 4.5km in length, running from the western boundary at Scotswood Road to Jesmond Church. The operation was reported as the Newcastle Tramway Company from 1880, suggesting that the leasees were trading as a private company with this name by then.

In November 1879 the Board of Trade authorised a three month trial run of a steam traction unit in Newcastle[3]. The first day involved a steam traction unit pulling three tram cars. There were issues with the points and a coupling breaking, but the first day was considered a success. It was reported later that the trial had been a success but that the Board of Trade had refused further operation of steam traction units, with the issue being the design of the steam traction unit[4]

The Board of Trade refused the Corporation permission to extend the tramlines to Gosforth as this was out with the municipal boundary[5]. By April the company had obtained permission from the South Gosforth Local Board to extend the tram system to Gosforth[6]. The tramline to the outskirts of South Gosforth was opened in August[7]. By November 1881 the extension into Gosforth had been completed[8]. Further tramlines were laid by the Corporation in 1880, 1881 and 1883 - including the Gosforth line, the final extent of the system was 19.5km, with tramlines radiating out from the city centre.

In 1884 it was reported that the company had introduced fare boxes and was charging a flat rate for the use of the trams, the fare depending on the tram destination[9]. The use of various flat fares meant that the fare from Central Station to Monument could be 1d, 2d or 3d. In 1885 a passenger was taken to court for only paying 1d for a 2d fare.

In 1886 the Corporation agreed the company for the company to run omnibuses over the route of a proposed new tramline in April[10]. In November the company reported that the omnibuses had proved unprofitable, so the company would not agree to lease the proposed new tramline[11]

In January 1887 the company approached the Corporation to have their interest in the tramway transferred to a limited liability company[12]. Daniel Busby died on 3rd April 1887, leaving William Busby and William Turton as the remaining leasees. In August 1888 a proposal was accepted by the Corporation to transfer the interest in the tramway lease to a company called the Newcastle and Gosforth Tramway and Carriage Company, a company with a capital of £80,000 in £10 shares[13]. The new company traded as the Newcastle Tramway Company and at the first shareholder's meeting in April 1889 reported that all the shares had been allocated[14]. William Turton was the first chairman.

In October 1892 the Corporation was looking into extending the tramline network and different modes of propulsion[15]. The company declared that it preferred steam traction to cable traction. The Corporation was approached in October 1893 by a syndicate who proposed to operate cable driven trams[16]. The synidcate had agreement with the company to take over the lease. It proposed that the Corporation pay for extension of the tram system and installation of cable traction, which it estimated would cost £200,000. The syndicate offered to run on the basis of a 1d fare with workmen's trams based on a 1/2d fare. The fares were about 50% of what the company was charging but the syndicate considered that the revenue would be made up by it running three times more trams.

By October 1894 the Corporation had agreed to proceed with a cable system, but only for some of the tramlines[17]. However the syndicate insisted on 100% cable traction. In November 1885 it was reported that the Corporation had decided on the partial installation of cable traction with the current company operating the tramways[18]. The cost of the system, which included make several single lines into double lines was £127,000. The proposal included extending the lease for 21 years with the company paying 6.5% on the new tramways and 3% on the power station. It was noted that the proposed payments would pay the interest the Corporation had to pay and the capital. The Tramways Committee voted for this way forward and that for any tramlines that were not to have cable traction installed, the Corporation should obtain power to install electric traction. This was ratified by the full council. However in November 1896 the Corporation decided to reappoint the Tramways Committee to review the best way forward[19].

The new Tramways Committee decided that the Corporation should operate the tramway system itself[20]. This decision was ratified by the full council on 25th January 1898. The Corporation obtained the power to operate the system in 1899 and obtained agreement with the company for the company to operate the system until the Corporation was ready. The agreement was for the company to operate the system until the 1st December 1899, and thereafter, subject to three months' notice.[21].

The Corporation had decided on electric traction and work on the new system began in April 1900. The Corporation could not agree with the company terms for operating the system while conversion took place. Therefore in January 1901 the company was given notice that the lease was being terminated on the 13th April. All services were stopped on that day with omnibuses being used until the new system was completed in December 1901.

TOKENS

The operation quickly became known as the Newcastle Tramways Company and this appears to have been the name under which it operated as a private company. The lease was transferred to a new limited liability company, the Newcastle and Gosforth Tramway and Carriage Company, in 1887. Although Newcastle Tramways Company buttons have been found and it is known that uniforms were worn after 1887, no Newcastle and Gosforth Tramway and Carriage Company buttons have been found. There is no indication that the operating name was changed from the Newcastle Tramways Company.

It is possible that the tokens below were produced by the company in response to the approach by the syndicate to the Corporation, which included an offer to provide lower and discount fares. This would give a production date of about 1895.

Newcastle Tramways Company
File:NTC.001.jpg
Source (Smith)
Filename NTC.001
Value 0
Add Desc. This must be paid into the farebox
Size (mm) 26
Manufacture 0 Brass
Notes
File:NTC.S01.jpg
Source (Smith)
Filename NTC.S01
Value 0
Add Desc. School Childrens Token / This must be paid into the farebox
Size (mm) 26
Manufacture 0 Brass
Notes
  1. Railway News, 23 Mar 1878, page 10
  2. Newcastle Courant, 27 Dec 1878, page 3
  3. Newcastle Courant, Friday 28 Nov 1879, page 8
  4. Shields Daily News, 12 Jul 1884, page 4
  5. Shields Daily Gazette, 18 Feb 1879, page 3
  6. Newcastle Chronicle, 19 Apr 1879, page 8
  7. Shields Daily Gazette, 22 Aug 1879, page 2
  8. Newcastle Journal, 16 Nov 1881, page 4
  9. Newcastle Chronicle, 27 Dec 1884, page 4
  10. Newcastle Evening Chronicle, 28 Apr 1886, page 4
  11. Newcastle Evening Chronicle, 25 Nov 1886, page 3
  12. Newcastle Evening Chronicle, 05 Jan 1887, page 3
  13. Newcastle Chronicle, 04 Aug 1888, page 8
  14. Newcastle Journal, 19 Apr 1889, page 6
  15. Newcastle Daily Chronicle - Friday 14 October 1892, page 4
  16. Newcastle Chronicle, 09 Dec 1893, page 3
  17. Newcastle Daily Chronicle, 24 Oct 1894, page 4
  18. Newcastle Courant, 02 Nov 1895, page 8
  19. Shields Daily Gazette, 24 Oct 1896, page 3
  20. Newcastle Daily Chronicle, 29 Nov 1897, page 7
  21. The London Gazette, 17 Nov 1899, Issue 27136, Page 6960