Leith Corporation Tramways operated a passenger tramway service in
Leith
Leith (; gd, Lìte) is a port area in the north of the city of Edinburgh, Scotland, founded at the mouth of the Water of Leith. In 2021, it was ranked by ''Time Out'' as one of the top five neighbourhoods to live in the world.
The earliest ...
between 1904 and 1920.
History
On 23 October 1904, Leith Corporation Tramways took over operation of the
Edinburgh Street Tramways routes within the corporation district. The electrification and modernisation was undertaken immediately, and the first electric service ran on 18 August 1905.
The fleet livery was munich lake and ivory.
Passengers going from Leith to Edinburgh had to change trams (from electric to cable-drawn) at
Pilrig
Pilrig is an area of Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. The name probably derives from the long field (rig) on which a peel tower (pil/peel) stood. There is evidence of a peel tower situated on an area of higher ground above the Water of ...
on
Leith Walk
Leith Walk is one of the longest streets in Edinburgh, Scotland, and is the main road connecting the centre of the city to Leith. Forming most of the A900 road, it slopes downwards from Picardy Place at the south-western end of the street to th ...
at the boundary between Leith and Edinburgh.
[Gavin Booth, Edinburgh's Trams & Buses, 1988, page 64, ] This confused exchange of passengers was known locally as "the Pilrig muddle", and lasted until the electrification of the
Edinburgh Corporation Tramways system.
Takeover and closure
The services were taken over by
Edinburgh Corporation Tramways on 10 November 1920 and continued to operate until 1956.
References
External links
Leith Corporation Tramways at the British Tramway Company Badges and Buttons website'
{{Historic UK Trams
Tram transport in Scotland
Edinburgh Trams
Transport in Edinburgh
History of Leith
1904 establishments in Scotland
1920 disestablishments in Scotland