Nottingham Corporation Tramways - 1902 - New Services To Lenton, St Ann's and Mapperley

New Services To Lenton, St Ann's and Mapperley

Various suggestions were again put forward as to the layout in the Market Place, all being greatly objected to by the stallholders. One was for a line in front of the Exchange and along South Parade; another was for two large turning circles similar to those that had just been constructed at the Pier Head in Liverpool. Although both these projects had a lot of support, they were abandoned.

The Westinghouse bogie cars, nos. 68 to 77, were good riders but extremely slow, so in January number 77 was sent away and retrucked with Brill 27G trucks, receiving 4x30 h.p. Westinghouse motors at the same time, thus doubling its motive power. As a result of the improvement created, the whole class was treated similarly during the next two months.

On 12 February a trial run was made along the St Ann’s Well Road section; it was inspected on 20 February and the next day public service commenced with a five-minute service to and from the Market Place. In consequence, Bamford’s horsebus service was withdrawn, but after negotiations he agreed to take over the Carlton Road and the Sneinton services, together with four buses and twelve horses, but this number was later halved, only Carlton Road being involved. The horse-drawn services at that time were suffering increasing losses and it was decided to cease their operation.

The Forest Road horse tram service was discontinued on 30 April and not replaced. Cars numbered 33 and 34, which were the two surviving ones on this service, were sold to Leicester Corporation, who operated them for a further two years. Mann was approached to see if he would take over the Basford and Old Lenton services, but he was apparently not interested; the remainder of the horses and vehicles, comprising 11 buses, one old brake, one old trap, one old dray, one old cart and 60 horses, were sold for £1,335 to John Commons, who agreed to operate the Sneinton, Old Radford and Old Lenton horse bus services at existing times and fares. He further contracted for one year, commencing on 1 May, for the use of the Muskham Street stables and depot.

For the year ending 31 March, the first full year of electric car operation, a profit of £19,029 was made, of which £12,000 was contributed to the relief of the rates. Sixteen new cars were ordered from Dick, Kerr.

A trial trip to Mapperley was made on 1 May on car 57. Apparently it was a very hot day and the driver of the car said that much sand was needed to overcome the stickiness of the tar, which had melted and overflowed on to the rails from between the setts. The steepest gradient of the section was 1 in 11. Major Pringle, the Board of Trade inspector, duly inspected the approved route on 6 May and public service commenced a week later, on 13 May. This service operated via the Market Place to Trent Bridge every 12 minutes, alternating with a short working between Alexandra Park and Trent Bridge every 12 minutes. The fare between the Market Place and Mapperley was 2d., with intermediate 1d. stages. At first there was a stop on the outward journey at Cranmer Street, but this was discontinued early in 1903 because of the difficulty of restarting the cars, the hill being at its steepest at this point.

The next section of electric tramway to be completed was the Nottingham Road route, and a trial run over this section was made in car 61 on 17 June. Major Pringle was again the inspector, on 2 July, and public service commenced on 7 July, a through service being provided via the Market Place to Station Street; the fare from the Market Place was 2d., with 1d. intermediate stages.

Three further lots of cars were obtained, all being open-topped vehicles with reversed stairs. The first batch was numbered 78 to 83, built by G. F. Milnes, mounted on 21E trucks, with B.T.H. equipment and 2x30 h.p. B.T.H. motors. The second batch was also built by Milnes, but these were bogie cars mounted on 22E maximum-traction trucks, also with B.T.H. equipment and 2x30 h.p. motors; they were numbered 84 to 89 and were known as the “pony wheel bogies”. The third batch was really part of the same order as cars numbered 26 to 57, being similar in every respect. At the same time two works cars were obtained; they were no. 1, a water sprinkler and line clearer, and no. 2, a snowplough. Both of these had 21E trucks and 2x35 h.p. Dick, Kerr motors.

In the meanwhile, work was in progress on the Lenton route, and a junction was put in at Derby Road for a proposed route to Beeston, via Derby Road and Adams Hill. Later, on 1 September, work started on the Wilford Road route.

Following a trial run over the Lenton route on 11 September, Major Pringle made an inspection on behalf of the Board of Trade on 26 September and public service commenced on 30 September. The service between Nottingham Road and Station Street was withdrawn and the cars ran from Nottingham Road, through the Market Place, and along the new section via Castle Boulevard, Lenton Boulevard and Radford Boulevard to the junction with Hartley Road. As both Greyfriar Gate and Canal Street were single line, the outward route to Lenton was via Greyfriar Gate and the inward route via Canal Street and Carrington Street.

There was a good deal of complaint at the time about the use of centre traction poles in the middle of the road, as they were alleged to be the cause of most of the traffic congestion.

Further routes were proposed at the September council meeting, including Bath Street, Carlton Road, Manvers Street, Colwick Road and Sneinton Boulevard, but only four routes, London Road, Hartley Road, Market Street and Forest Road, were applied for. In anticipation of these proposals being carried out, double junctions were laid at each end of Forest Road.

The trial run along Wilford Road took place on 31 October. The line was inspected by Major Pringle on 7 November, public service commencing the next day. Through working was inaugurated to St Ann's Well Road, but on 10 December this practice ceased, both services terminating in the Market Place.

Parliamentary sanction was obtained for the four short routes applied for, and an immediate start was made on the Market Street and Hartley Road sections. The construction of a line on Market Street was intended to remove congestion on Chapel Bar by making it a oneway working, and that on Hartley Road to link up Lenton Boulevard with Alfreton Road. The cost of laying the track on Market Street, including the complicated layout at the junction with Long Row, was £6,575, while Hartley Road cost £7,600.

On 17 November, the Bulwell and Trent Bridge services were joined, short working being introduced between the Market Place and Church Street, Basford, and between the Market Place and Hyson Green. It was decided to fit all cars with Tideswell life guards as a result of the success of those fitted earlier in the year.

The end of the year saw the withdrawal of free passes for members of all the councils committees.