Wemyss and District Tramways Company
| Wemyss and District Tramways | |
|---|---|
 The "Car Shed" East Wemyss, a former tram stop. | |
| Operation | |
| Locale | Leven, Kirkcaldy |
| Open | 25 August 1906 |
| Close | 30 January 1932 |
| Status | Closed |
| Infrastructure | |
| Track gauge | 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) |
| Propulsion system(s) | Electric |
| Depot(s) | Aberhill, Methil, Fife |
| Statistics | |
| Route length | 7.45 miles (11.99 km) |
Wemyss and District Tramways operated a tramway service between Leven and Kirkcaldy between 1906 and 1932.[1]
History
[edit]The Wemyss Tramway Order of 1905 authorised the construction of this tramway. It was financed by the Wemyss Coal Company, owned by Randolph Wemyss.
On 8 August 1906 a tram made a trial run from the shed at Aberhill, Methil to the power station at Denbeath, which attracted a large crowd. The power station contained two engines of 250 h.p. each.[2] Services started on 25 August 1906, and it had running powers to the Kirkcaldy Corporation Tramways system.[3]
The tramway company were granted permission to operate a limited service on Sundays, but by 1907 it was reported that services started at 7.40am and ran continually through the day[4] and this was objected to by those in favour of the Sabbath Observance in relation to Sunday working by tramway employees and it was reported that drunkenness was a problem at the tramway termini[5]
The mainline of the tramway joined Leven, Methil, Buckhaven, East Wemyss, West Wemyss, Coaltown of Wemyss, Dysart and Kirkcaldy.[6]
The company was acquired by Balfour Beatty in 1922.
Fleet
[edit]- 1-13 Brush Electrical Engineering Company 1906
- 14-17 Milnes Voss 1907
- 18-19 Brush Electrical Engineering Company 1925
- 20-21 Brush Electrical Engineering Company 1928 (second hand from the Potteries Electric Traction Company)
- 22-29 ex Kirkcaldy Corporation Tramways
Closure
[edit]Services were closed on 30 January 1932.[7]
References
[edit]- ^ Klapper, C/ (1961) The Golden Age of Tramways. Published by Taylor and Francis.
- ^ "Wemyss Tramway". Dundee Evening Telegraph. Scotland. 9 August 1906. Retrieved 19 November 2022 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ The Golden Age of Buses, Charles, Klapper, 1984
- ^ "The Wemyss Cars and Sunday Hours". Fife Free Press, & Kirkaldy Guardian. Scotland. 4 April 1907. Retrieved 19 November 2022 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "Wemyss Tramway and Sabbath Observance". Dundee Courier. Scotland. 3 April 1907. Retrieved 19 November 2022 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ Fifeshire, Cambridge County Geographical
- ^ "Wemyss and District Trams No More". Dundee Courier. Scotland. 1 February 1932. Retrieved 19 November 2022 – via British Newspaper Archive.