History
Construction began in 1809, and the official opening took place on 4th June 1811. A series of experiments were undertaken with using steam power on the line, though these are believed to be abortive, with no full journeys completed. The majority of the line was closed in 1861, however the link to Leckhampton's quarries and its system of inclined planes (the steepest of which rose 210 feet at an average gradient of 1 in 2.1) continued to operate until 1922. The quarry continued until an accident involving a Fiat lorry prompted its closure in 1927 for safety reasons.
Like many other primitive tram roads – or plateways as they are sometimes called – the Gloucester and Cheltenham Tramroad offered a smoother alternative to contemporary highways for horse-drawn waggons. It also guided plain wheeled carts by means of upright flanges on the inside edges of its metal running plates, which themselves rested on stone blocks. In the case of the Gloucester and Cheltenham Tramroad, these flanges were to be set 3’ 6" apart.
Read more about this topic: Gloucester And Cheltenham Tramroad
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