Glasgow Corporation Tramways were formerly one of the largest urban tramway systems in Europe. Over 1000 municipally-owned trams served the city of

Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...

, with over 100 route miles (160 route kilometres) by 1922. The system closed in 1962 and was the last city tramway in Great Britain (prior to the construction of new systems in the 1990s).

Creation

The Glasgow Street Tramways Act was enacted by

Parliament In modern politics, and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...

in 1870. This legislation allowed

Glasgow Town Council Glasgow City Council is the Local government in Scotland, local government authority for the Glasgow, City of Glasgow, Scotland. It was created in 1996 under the Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994, largely with the boundaries of the post ...

to decide whether or not to have tramways within Glasgow. In 1872, the Town Council laid a route from St George's Cross to

Eglinton Toll St Andrew's Cross, also known as Eglinton Toll, is a road junction in the south side of the city of Glasgow, Scotland. Description The junction includes two roads running roughly north-south which meet, but do not intersect for vehicular traffi ...

(via New City Road, Cambridge Street, Sauchiehall Street, Renfield Street and the Jamaica Bridge).Glasgow Trams through the Years, Part 1
Glasgow History, 12 October 2019 The Tramways Act prohibited the Town Council from directly operating a tram service over the lines. The act further stipulated that a private company be given the operating lease of the tram-lines for a period of 22 years. The St George's Cross to Eglinton Toll tram line was opened on 19 August 1872 with a horse-drawn service by the Glasgow Tramway and Omnibus Company. The Glasgow Tramway and Omnibus Company operated the tram-line and subsequent extensions to the system until 30 June 1894. In declining to renew the Glasgow Tramway and Omnibus Company operating lease, Glasgow Town Council formed the Glasgow Corporation Tramways and commenced their own municipal tram service on 1 July 1894. Large crowds took to the streets to mark the service's golden jubilee in 1922.

Track gauge

Glasgow's tramlines had a highly unusual

track gauge In rail transport, track gauge (in American English, alternatively track gage) is the distance between the two rails of a railway track. All vehicles on a rail network must have wheelsets that are compatible with the track gauge. Since many d ...

of . This was to permit

standard gauge A standard-gauge railway is a railway with a track gauge of . The standard gauge is also called Stephenson gauge (after George Stephenson), International gauge, UIC gauge, uniform gauge, normal gauge and European gauge in Europe, and SGR in Ea ...

railway wagons to be operated over parts of the tram system (particularly in the

Govan Govan ( ; Cumbric?: ''Gwovan'?''; Scots: ''Gouan''; Scottish Gaelic: ''Baile a' Ghobhainn'') is a district, parish, and former burgh now part of south-west City of Glasgow, Scotland. It is situated west of Glasgow city centre, on the south ba ...

area) using their wheel flanges running in the slots of the tram tracks. This allowed the railway wagons to be drawn along tramway streets to access some shipyards. The shipyards provided their own small electric locomotives, running on the tramway power, to pull these wagons, principally loaded with steel for shipbuilding, from local railway freight yards.

Electrification

The electrification of the tram system was instigated by the Glasgow Tramways Committee, with the route between

Springburn Springburn ( gd, Allt an Fhuairainn) is an inner-city district in the north of the Scottish city of Glasgow, made up of generally working-class households. Springburn developed from a rural hamlet at the beginning of the 19th century. Its indu ...

and Mitchell Street chosen as an experiment. With a fleet of 21 newly built tramcars, the experimental electric route commenced on 13 October 1898 and was considered a success. The citywide horse-drawn tram service was withdrawn at the end of April 1902. An additional 400 new trams were built and fitted with electrical equipment, with the Glasgow Corporation Tramways workshops at Coplawhill (

Pollokshields Pollokshields ( gd, Buthan Phollaig, Scots: ''Powkshiels'') is an area in the Southside of Glasgow, Scotland. Its modern boundaries are largely man-made, being formed by the M77 motorway to the west and northwest with the open land of Pollok C ...

) heavily involved in the construction of the new trams. To provide the electrical supply, a generating station was built at

Port Dundas Port Dundas is an area of Glasgow, Scotland, located to the north of the city centre. It lies to the north of Cowcaddens, and to the west of Sighthill, with Hamiltonhill and Possilpark to the north-west. History The Port Dundas terminus was e ...

: the Pinkston Power Station opened in 1901. Pinkston and substations located at Coplawhill, Dalhousie, Kinning Park, Whitevale and

Partick Partick ( sco, Pairtick, Scottish Gaelic: ''Partaig'') is an area of Glasgow on the north bank of the River Clyde, just across from Govan. To the west lies Whiteinch, to the east Yorkhill and Kelvingrove Park (across the River Kelvin), and to t ...

also powered the

Glasgow Subway The Glasgow Subway is an underground light metro system in Glasgow, Scotland. Opened on 14 December 1896, it is the fourth-oldest underground rail transit system in Europe after the London Underground, Liverpool's Mersey Railway and the Budapes ...

. The power station operated for 57 years, until it was handed over to the

South of Scotland Electricity Board The South of Scotland Electricity Board (SSEB) generated, transmitted and distributed electricity throughout the south of Scotland, including the former regions of Strathclyde, Lothian, Fife, Central, Borders and Dumfries and Galloway and a few t ...

in 1958 and ceased operating in the early 1960s. The plant’s massive

cooling tower A cooling tower is a device that rejects waste heat to the atmosphere through the cooling of a coolant stream, usually a water stream to a lower temperature. Cooling towers may either use the evaporation of water to remove process heat and ...

, which dominated the skyline of the city, was demolished in 1977. The rest of the plant was removed the following year, and th
first chimney was demolished
on a Sunday in April 1978, followed by the second chimney on the following Sunday. Following electrification, Glasgow trams were initially fitted with

trolley pole A trolley pole is a tapered cylindrical pole of wood or metal, used to transfer electricity from a "live" (electrified) overhead wire to the control and the electric traction motors of a tram or trolley bus. It is a type of current collector. Th ...

s to take electricity from the overhead wires. The trolley poles were later replaced with bow collectors.

Closure

The tram system was gradually phased out between 1949 and 1962 (in favour of trolley and diesel-powered buses), with the final trams operating on 4 September 1962. By that time only one route remained in operation, the number 9 which ran from Auchenshuggle to Dalmuir.Trams at Auchenshuggle (Mitchell Library, Glasgow Collection, 1962)
The Glasgow Story On the final day of service there was a procession of 20 trams through the city between the depots at Dalmarnock and Coplawhill, an event attended by 250,000 people.Riverside and Summerlee museums mark Glasgow last tram anniversary
BBC News, 4 September 2012Fifty years since the Glasgow trams hit the buffers
The Herald, 27 August 2012The heartfelt farewell to Glasgow's last tram 55 years ago
The Scotsman, 31 August 2017 Apart from the Blackpool tramway, Glasgow became the last city or town in the UK to operate trams until the opening of the Manchester Metrolink in 1992. One effect of the closure of the system was the loss of a rare example (for that period) of gender equality in the workplace. During World War I, the Corporation had allowed women to become tram drivers. After that war, again a very rare decision, women were allowed to continue as tram drivers. This continued until the system closed. Women were not allowed to be bus drivers and so took a backward step in 1962. Partly this may be explained by the physical strength required to drive buses: prior to the 1970s most buses had no power steering and, especially when fully loaded, required significant physical strength to steer. By contrast the trams were guided by their tracks and did not require physical strength to operate. This was noted in the short film "No 9 to Dalmuir" directed by

Kevin Brownlow Kevin Brownlow (born Robert Kevin Brownlow; 2 June 1938) is a British film historian, television documentary-maker, filmmaker, author, and film editor. He is best known for his work documenting the history of the silent era, having become inter ...

in 1962. In 1949 two tram lines were converted to

trolleybus A trolleybus (also known as trolley bus, trolley coach, trackless trolley, trackless tramin the 1910s and 1920sJoyce, J.; King, J. S.; and Newman, A. G. (1986). ''British Trolleybus Systems'', pp. 9, 12. London: Ian Allan Publishing. .or troll ...

operation. Thereafter Glasgow developed several trolleybus routes, but these were all replaced by diesel buses by 1967.

Legacy

Following the closure of the tram system, the Glasgow Corporation Tramways workshops at Coplawhill (Pollokshields) were converted into the

Glasgow Museum of Transport The Riverside Museum (formerly known as the Glasgow Museum of Transport) is a museum in Glasgow, housed in a building at Pointhouse Quay in the Glasgow Harbour regeneration district of Glasgow, Scotland. The building opened in June 2011, winnin ...

in 1964. The Museum was relocated to the

Kelvin Hall The Kelvin Hall, located on Argyle Street in Glasgow, Scotland, is one of the largest exhibition centres in Britain and now a mixed-use arts and sports venue that opened as an exhibition venue in 1927. It has also been used as a concert hall, ...

in 1987, and the buildings were subsequently adapted to become the Tramway visual and performing arts venue. In 2007, plans began to relocate Scottish Ballet to its new location alongside Tramway; this entailed knocking down or renovating the five most eastern bays of the Tramway building, and it officially opened on 17 September 2009.

Routes

The Glasgow system's initial network of a few lines expanded greatly in the early years of the 20th century, extending to

burghs A burgh is an autonomous municipal corporation in Scotland and Northern England, usually a city, town, or toun in Scots. This type of administrative division existed from the 12th century, when King David I created the first royal burghs. Burg ...

and rural areas outside the city boundaries which were soon incorporated into it as well as outlying neighbouring townsCould trams return to the streets of Glasgow?
City Metric, 6 April 2020 The time of the 1938 Empire Exhibition held in the city's

Bellahouston Park Bellahouston Park (Scottish Gaelic: ''Pàirc Bhaile Ùisdean'') is a public park in the Bellahouston district on the South Side of Glasgow, Scotland, between the areas of Craigton, Dumbreck, Ibrox and Mosspark covering an area of . The main ...

is viewed by some as the apex of the system's timeline, with new cars recently put into service and special routes added for the exhibition, while the city was as yet undisturbed by World War II and subsequent redevelopments, with the trams winding through the dense network of tenements and factories which characterised industrial Glasgow in the first part of the 1900s, but also into some new 'garden suburb' developments with widened streets to accommodate the tracks. After the war the trams began to be phased out,Modern Times: 1950s to The Present Day , Everyday Life
The Glasgow Story although periodic reviews of routes were still conducted. Tellingly, the routes were not extended to any of the large 1950s peripheral housing schemes nor to the

new towns A planned community, planned city, planned town, or planned settlement is any community that was carefully planned from its inception and is typically constructed on previously undeveloped land. This contrasts with settlements that evolve ...

being developed outside the city.

1938 route list and map

''Routes listed from west to east, or from south to north''. *1:

Knightswood Knightswood is a suburban district in Glasgow, containing three areas: Knightswood North or High Knightswood, Knightswood South or Low Knightswood, and Knightswood Park. It has a golf course and park, and good transport links with the rest of th ...

Cross, Anniesland Cross, Great Western Road, St George's Cross), Cambridge Street, Sauchiehall Street, Hope Street, St Vincent Street,

George Square George Square ( gd, Ceàrnag Sheòrais) is the principal civic square in the city of Glasgow, Scotland. It is one of six squares in the city centre, the others being Cathedral Square, St Andrew's Square, St Enoch Square, Royal Exchange Sq ...

( Queen Street Station), George Street, Duke Street (

Dennistoun Dennistoun is a mostly residential district in Glasgow, Scotland, located north of the River Clyde and in the city's east end, about east of the city centre. Since 2017 it has formed the core of a Dennistoun ward under Glasgow City Council, ...

Shettleston Shettleston ( sco, Shuttlestoun, gd, Baile Nighean Sheadna) is a district in the east end of Glasgow in Scotland. Toponymy The origin of the name 'Shettleston' is not clear and, like many place-names of possibly medieval origin, has had a multi ...

Road,

Baillieston Baillieston ( sco, Bailiestoun) is a suburb of Glasgow, Scotland. It is about east of the city centre. It also gives its name to Ward 20 of Glasgow City Council and forms part of the Glasgow East constituency of the UK Parliament. Geograph ...

Main Street, Bargeddie, Coatbridge Main Street, Coatdyke, Airdrie (Clark Street). *1A: Dalmuir (Dumbarton Road),

Clydebank Clydebank ( gd, Bruach Chluaidh) is a town in West Dunbartonshire, Scotland. Situated on the north bank of the River Clyde, it borders the village of Old Kilpatrick (with Bowling, West Dunbartonshire, Bowling and Milton, West Dunbartonshire, Mil ...

, Yoker, Kingsway, Anniesland Road, ''then as 1'' between Anniesland Cross and Haghill, ''then'' Parkhead Cross, Springfield Road, Dalmarnock (Dalmarnock Road). *2: Polmadie (Aikenhead Road), Cathcart Road, Gorbals (Crown Street), Albert Bridge, Saltmarket / Glasgow Green, High Street, Townhead / Glasgow Royal Infirmary (Castle Street),

Garngad Royston/Roystonhill is a district in the Scottish city of Glasgow. It is situated north of the River Clyde. It was previously known as Garngad and is still known as such by residents with a familial link to the area. It is notable for its large ...

, Germiston,

Provanmill Provanmill is a district in the Scottish city of Glasgow. It lies to the north east of the city centre. In the mid-19th century it was a small hamlet with a grain mill, blacksmith's, cartwright's and hostelry. As Glasgow expanded, it became p ...

(Royston Road). *3:

Mosspark Mosspark ( gd, Pàirc na Mòna) is a district in the Scottish city of Glasgow. It is situated south of the River Clyde, in the southwest of the city. History Mosspark and the lands of East and Mid-Henderston were incorporated into Glasgow in 1 ...

, (Mosspark Boulevard /

Dumbreck Dumbreck ( gd, An Dùn Breac, lit, the Speckled Fort) is an area in the city of Glasgow, Scotland. It is situated south of the River Clyde. Dumbreck is a conservation area. The district is served by Dumbreck railway station. The only church i ...

(Nithsdale Road, Albert Drive, Maxwell Road), St Andrew's Cross, Eglinton Street, Laurieston (Bridge Street), Glasgow Bridge, Union Street, Renfield Street, Sauchiehall Street,

Charing Cross Charing Cross ( ) is a junction in Westminster, London, England, where six routes meet. Clockwise from north these are: the east side of Trafalgar Square leading to St Martin's Place and then Charing Cross Road; the Strand leading to the City; ...

Woodlands Woodlands may back refer to: * Woodland, a low-density forest Geography Australia * Woodlands, New South Wales * Woodlands, Ashgrove, Queensland, a heritage-listed house associated with John Henry Pepper * Woodlands, Marburg, Queensland, a her ...

Road, Gibson Street (

University of Glasgow , image = UofG Coat of Arms.png , image_size = 150px , caption = Coat of arms Flag , latin_name = Universitas Glasguensis , motto = la, Via, Veritas, Vita , ...

). *4:

Renfrew Renfrew (; sco, Renfrew; gd, Rinn Friù) is a town west of Glasgow in the west central Lowlands of Scotland. It is the historic county town of Renfrewshire. Called the "Cradle of the Royal Stewarts" for its early link with Scotland's former ...

(Paisley Road from Arkleston Road), High Street, Shieldhall (Renfrew Road), Govan Road (

Linthouse Linthouse is a neighbourhood in the city of Glasgow, Scotland. It is situated directly south of the River Clyde and lies immediately west of Govan, with other adjacent areas including Shieldhall and the Southern General Hospital to the west, a ...

Cross, Prince's Dock),

Paisley Road Toll Paisley may refer to: *Paisley (design), an ornamental Persian pattern or motif commonly identified with the town of Paisley, Renfrewshire, in west Scotland People *Paisley (name), including a list of people with the name *Lord Paisley, in the p ...

Kingston Kingston may refer to: Places * List of places called Kingston, including the five most populated: ** Kingston, Jamaica ** Kingston upon Hull, England ** City of Kingston, Victoria, Australia ** Kingston, Ontario, Canada ** Kingston upon Thames, ...

(Paisley Road), Tradeston (Commerce Street), George V Bridge, Hope Street, Cowcaddens Street, Garscube Road (

Woodside Woodside may refer to: Places and buildings Australia *Woodside, South Australia, a town *Woodside, Victoria, a town Canada *Woodside National Historic Site, the boyhood home of William Lyon Mackenzie King *Woodside, Nova Scotia, a neighborho ...

), Possil Cross, Keppochhill (Carlisle Street). *4A: Linthouse (Holmfauld Road), ''then as 4'' between Govan Road and Possil Cross, ''then''

Possilpark Possilpark is a district in the Scottish city of Glasgow, situated north of the River Clyde and centred around Saracen Street. The area developed around Saracen Foundry of Walter MacFarlane & Co., which was the main employer. In the wake of th ...

(Saracen Cross, Hawthorn Street),

(Springburn Road). *4B: ''As 4A'' to Saracen Cross, ''then'' Balmore Road, Parkhouse,

Lambhill Lambhill is an area in the city of Glasgow, Scotland. It is situated north of the River Clyde, approximately north of the city centre. Lambhill is a mainly residential area comprising both council and private housing. Residents are of a mixed ...

(Strachur Street). *5: Clarkston (Busby Road), Stamperland,

Netherlee Netherlee is a suburban residential area in East Renfrewshire, Scotland. It is situated on the west bank of the White Cart Water about 4 miles (6.5 km) south of Glasgow city centre. Part of the Greater Glasgow conurbation, it is mostly conti ...

Muirend Muirend is an area on the South side of the city of Glasgow, Scotland. It is situated about 4 miles (6.5 km) south of Glasgow city centre. Muirend became extensively urbanised in the 20th century, developing into a commuter suburb. In a 201 ...

, Cathcart (Clarkston Road), Holmlea Road, Battlefield,

Victoria Infirmary Victoria Infirmary is a small hospital located in the town of Northwich, Cheshire, England. It is managed by the Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. History The Infirmary originally opened in 1887 when a local MP, Robert Verdin, dona ...

Crosshill Cross Hill or Crosshill may refer to: Places * Cross Hill, Cornwall, England *Cross Hill, Derbyshire, England * Cross Hill, Gloucestershire, England * Cross Hill, South Carolina, USA * Crosshill, East Ayrshire, Scotland *Crosshill, Fife, Scotland * ...

(Victoria Road), St Andrew's Cross, Gorbals Street,

Victoria Bridge Victoria Bridge may be a reference to: Bridges ;Australia * Victoria Bridge, Brisbane, a road bridge across the Brisbane River in Brisbane * Victoria Bridge, Devonport a road ridge across the Mersey River in Devonport, Tasmania * Victoria Bridge, M ...

, Glassford Street, George Square, Renfield Street, Sauchiehall Street (Charing Cross, Sandyford), Yorkhill / Kelvingrove Park),

/ Western Infirmary (Church Street),

Dowanhill Dowanhill is an area in the West End of Glasgow, Scotland. An upper middle-class residential district, the area generally contains a mixture of terraced townhouses with private communal gardens, detached villas with private grounds and a number ...

(Highburgh Road), then a loop via

Hyndland Hyndland is a residential area in the West End of the city of Glasgow, Scotland. Description Bordering Broomhill, Dowanhill, Kelvinside and Partickhill, it is an upper-middle-class neighbourhood populated mainly by professionals (many emplo ...

, Botanic Gardens (Great Western Road), Hillhead (Byres Road). *5A: ''As 5'' from Victoria Infirmary to Highburgh Road, ''then'' Broomhill (Clarence Drive, Crow Road). *6: Dalmuir (Dumbarton Road), Clydebank,

Scotstoun Scotstoun ( gd, Baile an Sgotaich) is an area of Glasgow, Scotland, west of Glasgow City Centre. It is bounded by Garscadden and Yoker to the west, Victoria Park, Jordanhill and Whiteinch to the east, Jordanhill to the north and the River Clyde ...

, Whiteinch, Partick / Western Infirmary), Sauchiehall Street ( Kelvingrove, Charing Cross), Townhead (Parliamentary Road), Alexandra Parade,

Haghill Haghill is a residential neighbourhood in Glasgow, Scotland. It is situated in the east end of the city, north of the River Clyde. The housing includes tenements (from the 1900s and the 1930s), former council houses and several more recently con ...

(Cumbernauld Road), Riddrie (Smithycroft Road). *7: Craigton (Jura Street),

Drumoyne Drumoyne ( gd, Druim Uaine) is now a district in the Scottish city of Glasgow. It is situated south of the River Clyde and is part of the former Burgh of Govan. It is the birthplace of Sir Alex Ferguson, manager of Manchester United football ...

(Craigton Road), Govan Cross, Prince's Dock, Paisley Road Toll, Kingston, Tradeston, Laurieston (Norfolk Street), Hutchesontown (Ballater Street), King's Bridge, Glasgow Green,

Bridgeton Cross Bridgeton ( sco, Brigtoun, gd, Baile na Drochaid) is a district to the east of Glasgow city centre. Historically part of Lanarkshire, it is bounded by Glasgow Green to the west, Dalmarnock to the east and south, Calton to the north-west at Ab ...

, London Road, Calton (Abercromby Street), Dennistoun, Haghill, Riddrie, Smithycroft Road, ( Blackhill (Cumbernauld Road),

Hogganfield Hogganfield is a district in the Scottish city of Glasgow, located to the north east of the city centre. Hogganfield is surrounded by the Glasgow districts of Blackhill, Craigend, Millerston, Provanmill, Riddrie, Robroyston, Ruchazie and Ste ...

Millerston Millerston is a district partially in the Scottish city of Glasgow and partially in North Lanarkshire. It is situated north of the River Clyde, to the north of the city's Craigend, Garthamlock and Ruchazie neighbourhoods, but physically separa ...

(Station Road). *8:

Rouken Glen Park Rouken Glen Park is a public park in East Renfrewshire, to the south-west of Glasgow, Scotland. History The lands of Rouken Glen Park originally belonged to the Scottish Crown, and then to the Earl of Eglinton, presented to Hugh Montgomeri ...

(Rouken Glen Road), Eastwood Toll, Giffnock (Fenwick Road), Auldhouse (Kilmarnock Road), Shawlands Cross), Crossmyloof, Strathbungo, St Andrew's Cross, Laurieston, Glasgow Bridge, Union Street, Renfield Street, Sauchiehall Street, Parliamentary Road, St Rollox, Colston (Springburn Road),

Bishopbriggs Bishopbriggs ( sco, The Briggs; gd, Achadh an Easbaig) is a town in East Dunbartonshire, Scotland. It lies on the northern fringe of Greater Glasgow, approximately from the Glasgow city centre, city centre. Shires of Scotland, Historically in ...

(Kirkintilloch Road, Kenmure Avenue). *8A: Rouken Glen Park (Rouken Glen Road),

Thornliebank Thornliebank ( Scots: ''Thonliebank'', Scottish Gaelic: ''Bruach nan Dealgan'') is a suburban area in East Renfrewshire, in the west central Lowlands of Scotland. Part of the Greater Glasgow conurbation, it is located on the Auldhouse Burn about s ...

Main Street,

Mansewood Mansewood ( sco, Mansewid) is a residential district in the Scottish city of Glasgow. It is situated south of the River Clyde and is surrounded by the districts of Eastwood, Hillpark, Pollokshaws in Glasgow, and Thornliebank and Giffnock in Ea ...

, Pollokshaws Road, ''then as 8'' between Shawlands and Parliamentary Road, ''then'' Alexandra Parade, Haghill, Riddrie, Blackhill, Hogganfield, Millerston (Station Road). *9: Dalmuir (Dumbarton Road), Clydebank, Scotstoun, Whiteinch,

Partick Cross Partick Cross is a major road junction in Partick, in the west end of the city of Glasgow, Scotland. The junction is the meeting point of Dumbarton Road, Byres Road, Partick Bridge Street and Coopers Well Street. History Riots took place on th ...

, Yorkhill / Kelvingrove Park ( Argyle Street), Anderston, Central Station, St Enoch Station), Trongate, Glasgow Cross, Bridgeton (London Road), Celtic Park,

Auchenshuggle Auchenshuggle ( ; gd, Achadh an t-Seagail, lit=the rye field) is an area of the city of Glasgow in Scotland, to the south of Tollcross. It was the easternmost part of the Braidfauld (45th) Ward of the City of Glasgow, and has been in the larg ...

(Causeyside Street). *9A: ''As 9'' from Scotstoun to Bridgeton Cross, ''then'' Dalmarnock Bridge, Farme Cross, Farmeloan Road, Stonelaw Road, Burnside (Duke's Road). *9B: ''As 9A'' to Farmeloan Road, ''then'' Rutherglen (Main Street). *10:

Kelvinside Kelvinside is a district in the Scottish city of Glasgow. It is situated north of the River Clyde and is bounded by Broomhill, Dowanhill and Hyndland to the south with Kelvindale and the River Kelvin to the north. It is an affluent area of Gl ...

(Great Western Road), Hillhead, Kelvinbridge, Woodlands Road, Charing Cross, Sauchiehall Street, Hope Street, Argyle Street (Central Station, St Enoch Station), Trongate, Glasgow Cross, Saltmarket / Glasgow Green, Albert Bridge, Crown Street, Hutchesontown, Oatlands (Rutherglen Road),

Shawfield Stadium Shawfield Stadium is a closed greyhound racing, football and speedway venue in the Shawfield district of the town of Rutherglen, South Lanarkshire, Scotland, located close to the boundary with Glasgow. Originally a football ground, Shawfield w ...

), Rutherglen (Main Street). *11: Battlefield (Sinclair Drive), Victoria Road, St Andrew's Cross, Gorbals Street, Victoria Bridge, Glassford Street, George Square, West Nile Street, Cowcaddens Street,

(Garscube Road), Firhill Stadium /

Queen's Cross Queen's Cross is an area in the West End of Aberdeen, Scotland. It is located just west of the main thoroughfare of Union Street and about from the geographical town centre at Mercat Cross. Queen's Cross itself is the intersection of Fountai ...

, North Kelvinside (Maryhill Road), Maryhill (Gairbraid Avenue). *12:

Ibrox Park Ibrox Stadium is a football stadium on the south side of the River Clyde in the Ibrox area of Glasgow, Scotland. The home of Rangers Football Club, Ibrox is the third largest football stadium in Scotland, with an all-seated capacity of . O ...

(Broomloan Road), Cessnock,

Plantation A plantation is an agricultural estate, generally centered on a plantation house, meant for farming that specializes in cash crops, usually mainly planted with a single crop, with perhaps ancillary areas for vegetables for eating and so on. The ...

(Paisley Road West), Kinning Park (Admiral Street), Pollokshields (Shields Road, Nithsdale Road), Govanhill (Allison Street, Cathcart Road), Cathkin Park, Mount Florida (

Hampden Park Hampden Park (Scottish Gaelic: ''Pàirc Hampden''), often referred to as Hampden, is a football stadium in the Mount Florida area of Glasgow, Scotland. The -capacity venue serves as the national stadium of football in Scotland. It is the no ...

, Clincart Road). *13: Mount Florida (Clincart Road), Cathkin Park, Govanhill (Cathcart Road), Gorbals Cross, Victoria Bridge, Glassford Street, George Square, West Nile Street, Cowcaddens Street, Woodside (Garscube Road), Firhill Stadium / Queen's Cross, North Kelvinside, Wyndford, Maryhill (Maryhill Road),

Bearsden Bearsden () is a town in East Dunbartonshire, Scotland, on the northwestern fringe of Greater Glasgow. Approximately from Glasgow city centre, Glasgow City Centre, the town is effectively a suburb, and its housing development coincided with t ...

(Milngavie Road),

Milngavie Milngavie ( ; gd, Muileann-Ghaidh) is a town in East Dunbartonshire, Scotland and a suburb of Glasgow. It is on the Allander Water, at the northwestern edge of Greater Glasgow, and about from Glasgow city centre. It neighbours Bearsden. Milngav ...

(Main Street). *14: Renfrew (

Ferry Road Ferry Road is one of the major roads of Edinburgh, Scotland, deriving its name from being the road from Queensferry to Leith. It runs from the eastern end of Davidson's Mains village in the west, to Leith in the east, passing through Drylaw, ...

, High Street, Paisley Road), Paisley (Renfrew Road,

Gilmour Street Station Gilmour may refer to: *Gilmour (surname), people with the surname ''Gilmour'' *Gilmour Academy, a K-12 college preparatory school in Gates Mills, Ohio, USA *Gilmour, Indiana, a small town in the United States *Gilmour (brand) owned by Fiskars (wat ...

, Causeyside Street, Neilston Road),

Barrhead Barrhead ( sco, Baurheid, gd, Ceann a' Bharra) is a town in East Renfrewshire, Scotland, southwest of Glasgow city centre on the edge of the Gleniffer Braes. At the 2011 census its population was 17,268. History Barrhead was formed when ...

(Cross Arthurlie Street, Main Street, Darnley Road), Nitshill Road,

Jenny Lind Johanna Maria "Jenny" Lind (6 October 18202 November 1887) was a Swedish opera singer, often called the "Swedish Nightingale". One of the most highly regarded singers of the 19th century, she performed in soprano roles in opera in Sweden and a ...

, Thornliebank Main Street, Mansewood, Pollokshaws Road, Shawlands Cross, Strathbungo, St Andrew's Cross, Laurieston, Glasgow Bridge, Union Street, Renfield Street, Sauchiehall Street, Cambridge Street, Gartnethill, St George's Cross, Queen's Cross, Wyndford, Maryhill (Maryhill Road), Bearsden (Milngavie Road), Milngavie (Main Street). *15: Paisley ( Ferguslie Main Road, Broomlands Street, High Street, Gauze Street, Glasgow Road), Ralston, Crookston, Cardonald,

Halfway Halfway or Half Way may refer to: Places Canada *Halfway, New Brunswick, a community in Durham Parish * Halfway, Ontario, a community in Madawaska Valley Ireland *Halfway, County Cork, a village in the Republic of Ireland United Kingdom * Halfwa ...

, Ibrox, Cessnock, Kinning Park (Paisley Road West), Kingston, Tradeston, Glasgow Bridge, Argyle Street (Central Station, St Enoch Station), Trongate, Glasgow Cross, Calton, Camlachie (Gallowgate), Parkhead Cross, Westmuir Street, Shettleston, Baillieston Main Street, Bargeddie, Coatbridge Main Street, Coatdyke, Airdrie (Clark Street). *15A: ''As 15'' to Parkhead Cross, ''then'' Tollcross Road,

Foxley Foxley is a village and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. The village is about 15 miles (24 km) north-west of Norwich and 9 miles (14 km) south-east of Fakenham. It covers an area of and had a population of 279 in 113 ho ...

, Mount Vernon, Broomhouse (Hamilton Road),

Uddingston Uddingston ( sco, Uddinstoun, gd, Baile Udain) is a small town in South Lanarkshire, Scotland. It is on the north side of the River Clyde, south-east of Glasgow city centre, and acts as a dormitory suburb for the city. Geography and boundaries ...

(Glasgow Road, Main Street). *16: Whiteinch (Primrose Street), Partick, Yorkhill / Kelvingrove Park (Argyle Street),

Finnieston Finnieston is an area of Glasgow, Scotland, situated on the north bank of the River Clyde roughly between the city's Glasgow#West End, West End and the Glasgow#City centre, city centre. Finnieston is home to the Scottish Exhibition and Conferen ...

, St Vincent Street, North Street, Charing Cross, St George's Road, Garscube Cross, Possil Cross, Keppochhill,

Cowlairs Cowlairs is an area in the Scottish city of Glasgow, part of the wider Springburn district of the city. It is situated north of the River Clyde, between central Springburn to the east and Possilpark to the west. Administratively, in the 21st ce ...

(Springburn Road). *17: Anniesland (Crow Road),

Jordanhill Jordanhill ( sco, Jordanhull, gd, Cnoc Iòrdain)
is an ...

, Broomhill, Thornwood, Partick Cross, Yorkhill / Kelvingrove Park (Argyle Street), Finnieston, St Vincent Street, Bothwell Street, Hope Street, Central Station, St Enoch Station, Trongate, Glasgow Cross, Bridgeton Cross, Dalmarnock Bridge, Farme Cross, Eastfield, Silverbank,

Cambuslang Cambuslang ( sco, Cammuslang, from gd, Camas Lang) is a town on the south-eastern outskirts of Greater Glasgow, Scotland. With approximately 30,000 residents, it is the 27th largest town in Scotland by population, although, never having had a ...

(Main Street / Clydeford Road). *18: Burnside (Duke's Road), Rutherglen (Main Street),

Shawfield Shawfield is an industrial/commercial area of the Royal Burgh of Rutherglen in South Lanarkshire, Scotland, located to the north of the town centre. It is bordered to the east by the River Clyde, to the north by the Glasgow neighbourhood of Oatl ...

Rutherglen Bridge The Rutherglen Bridge or the Shawfield Bridge is a bridge which was built 1893–96, which crosses the River Clyde, in Scotland. It connects Shawfield, the most northerly district in the town of Rutherglen, and the south-side Glasgow district ...

, Bridgeton (Main Street, London Road), Glasgow Cross, Trongate, St Enoch Station, Central Station, Hope Street, Bothwell Street, Elmbank Street, Charing Cross, St George's Cross, North Woodside, Queen's Cross, North Kelvinside (Maryhill Road), Ruchill (Bilsland Drive), Possilpark (Hawthorn Street), Springburn (Springburn Road). *19: Netherlee (McLaren Place), Muirend, Cathcart (Clarkston Road), Holmlea Road, Mount Florida, Hampden Park, Cathkin Park, Govanhill (Cathcart Road), Gorbals (Crown Street), Albert Bridge, Saltmarket / Glasgow Green, High Street, Townhead / Glasgow Royal Infirmary (Castle Street), St Rollox (Springburn Road), Springburn (Elmvale Street). *20: Clydebank (Glasgow Road), Singer Works, Parkhall (Kilbowie Road), Hardgate (Glasgow Road),

Duntocher Duntocher (Scottish Gaelic: ''Dùn Tòchair'' or ''Druim Tòchair'') is a village in West Dunbartonshire, Scotland. It has an estimated population of 6,850. The etymology of the name of the village indicates that its name means "the fort on the c ...

(Dumbarton Road). *30: 1938 Empire Exhibition Special Route: Mosspark (Mosspark Boulevard / Bellahouston Park), Dumbreck, Pollokshields (Nithsdale Road, Albert Drive, Maxwell Road), St Andrew's Cross, Eglinton Street, Laurieston (Bridge Street), George V Bridge, Hope Street, St Vincent Place. *31: 1938 Empire Exhibition Special Route: Craigton (Jura Street / Bellahouston Park), Drumoyne (Craigton Road), Govan Cross, Elder Park, Linthouse (Holmfauld Road).

Rolling stock

"Room and Kitchen" cars

Glasgow's first purpose-built electric trams were 20 bogie single deck vehicles with a central entrance, entering service in 1898. They were not successful and lasted only 8 years in service, however one (car no. 672) was converted to a mains testing car and was subsequently restored to its original condition for preservation in Glasgow's Riverside Museum.

Former horse cars

The electrification of the Glasgow system was rapid and the city needed cars quickly to fill the demand. 120 of the best horse car bodies were placed on new 4-wheel underframes with the same trucks and electrical equipment as the standards. They lasted until around World War I, although one (car no. 92) survived until the 1930s, having been converted into a single-deck one-man-operated car for use on the Finnieston – Stobcross and then Paisley – Abbotsinch services.

Standard cars

These four-wheeled, double-deck tramcars were the mainstay of the Glasgow tram fleet from electrification until the late 1950s (only being withdrawn due to the imminent closure of the system). Over 1000 were built between 1898 and 1924. They were progressively modernised in four phases, although not all went through each phase. The first cars were open-top unvestibuled four-wheelers (phase one). They then received top covers with open balconies (phase two), platform vestibules and roll-top draught covers (phase three) and finally fully enclosed top covers (phase four). Electrical equipment and running gear was also upgraded at each modernisation phase. The earlier cars had rounded front dash panels, but later cars which were built with vestibule glazing from new had hexagonal profile dash panels. When early cars were upgraded to receive vestibule glazing they retained their round dash panels, and latterly the main visual difference within the fleet was between the "round dash" and "hex dash" variants. A few cars were also cut down to single deckers for use on the Clydebank - Duntocher route which passed under low railway bridges. Six examples of the Standard car are preserved: Nos. 779 and 1088 in Riverside Museum; nos.22 and 812 at the National Tramway Museum in Crich; no. 585 stored in the

Science Museum at Wroughton The National Collections Centre, near Swindon, England, is the collections management facility for the Science Museum Group and the Science Museum Library & Archives. Overview The Science Museum originally took ownership of the 545-acre former ...

; and no. 488 undergoing restoration for display at the East Anglia Transport Museum.

Former Airdrie & Coatbridge cars

Glasgow purchased Airdrie and Coatbridge Tramways at the end of 1921 and its 15 cars were taken into stock as nos. 1073 to 1087. These were double deck trams dating from 1904–05 and all were withdrawn by the end of 1934.

Former Paisley cars

Glasgow purchased the Paisley District Tramways Company in 1923 and inherited its fleet. They were numbered into the Glasgow system by adding 1000 to their Paisley number, becoming nos. 1001 to 1072. Most of the fleet were small open-top double-deckers. Some of them were cut down and used for the Duntocher route in Clydebank. The more modern cars were upgraded to a similar specification to the Glasgow Standard cars with fully enclosed roofs, and the last of these were withdrawn in 1953. Three former Paisley cars are preserved: No. 1068 at Crich; no. 1016 undergoing restoration at the Glasgow Bus Museum; and single-deck conversion no.1017 at Summerlee (Coatbridge).

"Bailie Burt's Car"

The one-off bogie single deck car (no. 1089) was built in 1926 for evaluation on longer distance interurban routes where traffic was being lost to privately operated motor buses. It was later used on the Duntocher service and for shipyard workers' extras. It is now preserved in the Riverside Museum.

"Kilmarnock Bogie" cars

After the Corporation constructed two prototypes (no.1090 built new and no. 142 rebuilt from a Standard car), an order for 50 new 'Maximum Traction' trams was placed in the mid-1920s (nos. 1091 to 1140). These were delivered in 1927-1929 and resembled an elongated version of the hex-dash Standard trams, but with eight wheels (two four-wheeled bogies) and four-bay saloons with larger windows. The production batch were constructed by four different manufacturers to a common design, but all used bogies ordered from the Kilmarnock Engineering Company (hence the nickname). These eight-wheeled trams were restricted to several comparatively straight routes to avoid the risk of derailing on tight curves. Car no. 1100 was rebuilt in 1941 with streamlined ends resembling the later Coronation class. Both no. 1100 and a more typical example of the type (car no. 1115) are now preserved at Crich.

"Coronation" cars

By the mid-1930s Glasgow Corporation had spent a substantial amount of money modernising its fleet of Standard cars, but even so the Glasgow tram fleet was becoming increasingly dated and unattractive. Other British cities had taken decisions to either abandon or modernise their tramway systems. The Empire Exhibition at

in 1938 would also require additional vehicles to transport the expected visitors. Glasgow Corporation therefore built two prototype streamlined bogies cars in 1936 and 1937. Car no. 1141 featured EMB bogies and a body with 5 window bays, whereas no. 1142 had Maley & Taunton bogies and a 4-bay body. Both had different interiors which were far more luxurious than any earlier Glasgow tramcars. Following evaluation of these prototypes 150 production cars (nos. 1143 to 1292) were built at Coplawhill between 1937 and 1941. These used the 4-bay body, but with EMB bogies and interiors based on that of car 1141, and became known as the Coronation class due to their appearance in the year of the

Coronation A coronation is the act of placement or bestowal of a coronation crown, crown upon a monarch's head. The term also generally refers not only to the physical crowning but to the whole ceremony wherein the act of crowning occurs, along with the ...

King George VI George VI (Albert Frederick Arthur George; 14 December 1895 – 6 February 1952) was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until his death in 1952. He was also the last Emperor of Ind ...

. They were built to a very high specification and were described as the finest short stage carriage vehicles in Europe. A further six cars were constructed in 1954 on secondhand bogies salvaged from a Liverpool depot fire (nos. 1393 to 1398). These featured slightly modified bodies and more austere interiors, as did several earlier Coronations which received replacement bodies as a result of accidents or war damage. Four Coronation cars are preserved: No. 1173 at Riverside Museum; no.1245 at Summerlee; no. 1274 at the Seashore Trolley Museum in Maine, USA; and no. 1282 at Crich. Glasgow Coronation tram

Lightweight 4-Wheel cars

Although the Coronations were very highly regarded, they were expensive to build and operate and were not suitable for routes with tight curves, so a cheaper alternative was considered. Four experimental 4-wheel cars were built in 1939-40 (nos. 1001 to 1004) and more would likely have followed had it not been for the Second World War, which prevented large scale fleet renewal. One additional lightweight car (no. 6) was built in 1943 as a replacement for a Standard car which had been destroyed in the Clydeside Blitz. They spent most of their lives working Paisley area local services, but after the closure of the Paisley routes in 1957 they were mainly used on Govan shipyard workers' extras. All five were scrapped in 1959.

Experimental One-Way car

The first new tram after the war was an oddball built in 1947 to test the practicality of trams with separate entrances and exits (as opposed to the norm of both boarding and alighting taking place at the rear platform, with the front offside platform not used). The resultant car (no. 1005) was a bogie double decker with a driving cab at one end only, and both doors on the nearside. The car was therefore confined to circular services where it did not need to reverse direction. Initially passengers were supposed to board at the front and alight at the rear, but as every other tram in the fleet was rear-entrance this was confusing to passengers and the entrance/exit doors were subsequently reversed, although some passengers still attempted to alight at the rear. Ultimately the experiment was not judged to be successful, but aside from its novel layout no. 1005 was also effectively a prototype for the subsequent Cunarder cars. In 1956 it was rebuilt as a conventional bi-directional car resembling a Cunarder, in which form it lasted until 1962.

"Cunarder" cars

One hundred Coronation mk.II or "Cunarder" bogie cars were built between 1948 and 1952 as nos. 1293 to 1392. The Cunarders were fairly similar in design to the Coronations, with notable differences being their slightly less angular bodywork and the provision of route number indicators above the side window of the cabs rather than on the front of the tram (which made them easier to read in a line of trams). Though comfortable, they were not regarded as being as quite as reliable or capable as the Coronation trams. Car no. 1297 is preserved at Crich, whilst no. 1392 (the very last all-new double deck car built in the UK) is preserved in Glasgow's Riverside Museum.

The ''Green Goddesses'': ex-Liverpool trams

In 1953 and 1954, with the impending closure of

Liverpool Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a popul ...

's tram system (in 1957), 46 of that city's relatively modern streamlined bogie trams were purchased by Glasgow Corporation to replace some of the ageing Standard cars. The acquired cars had been built in 1936-37 and were contemporaries of Glasgow's own Coronation trams, with which they were inevitably compared. At , they were longer than the Coronations; accordingly they were normally confined to only two routes (15 and 29) with relatively few sharp curves. They were not wholly successful in Glasgow as their original construction had not been as robust as that of the Coronations, and with the running down of the Liverpool system they had been allowed to deteriorate into a poor condition. They therefore gave only a few more years service in Glasgow and the last was withdrawn in July 1960, more than two years before the final closure of the tramway system. One Green Goddess (Liverpool no. 869 / Glasgow no. 1055) is preserved at Crich in Liverpool livery. Glasgow rejected an offer from Liverpool to purchase more Green Goddesses or the newer four-wheeled version, known as "Baby Grands". Glasgow had also rejected an earlier offer from London Transport for its surplus E3 type tramcars.

Preservation

Some of the rolling stock was preserved and the largest collection can now be found at Glasgow's Riverside Museum, including the only remaining horse-drawn tram. Seven Glasgow trams can also be seen at the National Tramway Museum in Crich. The

Summerlee, Museum of Scottish Industrial Life Summerlee Museum of Scottish Industrial Life is an industrial and social history museum in Coatbridge, North Lanarkshire, Scotland. It is situated on the site of the Victorian Summerlee Iron Works and the former Hydrocon Crane factory. The m ...

runs a former Glasgow Corporation tram on the only operational electric tramway in Scotland, excepting the recently constructed line in

Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...

Notes

External links

*
Glasgow Transport Memorabilia - A website displaying many different items from the Glasgow trams, buses and SubwayGlasgow Corporation Transport 1894 - 1973
{{Historic UK Trams Transport in Glasgow Tram transport in Scotland Defunct town tramway systems by city 4 ft 7¾ in gauge railways in Scotland Articles containing video clips 1894 establishments in Scotland 1962 disestablishments in Scotland Transport companies established in 1894 Transport companies disestablished in 1962