Mechanics Working On Coach At Shrubhill Bus And Tram Depot c.1960 1960. The city used four-wheeled double-decked trams painted dark red (madder) and white – a livery still used by Lothian Buses and the post-2014 Edinburgh Trams. Lathallan House Video. That was a modern building built adjacent to Leith Walk where number 35 was housed. Shrubhill Depot near Pilrig. Shrubhill tram depot makes way £75m Engine Yard development , May 2018, News, Architecture and the built environment is an integral part of our society and we hope to provide a useful platform for debate, information and inspiration. The other building doesn’t seem to have a basement – there are holes in the floor but they are quite small and it looks solid underneath. Transcription. Learn how your comment data is processed. [1] The system remained under the overall control of R. S. Pilcher, who had joined the company in 1918 having previously run Aberdeen's tramways.[2]. Two cars were built at Shrubhill in 1932 and 1933 as a prelude to the development of a new generation of trams. I recall going to a ‘tram shed’ to watch (or rather take part in as the audience was involved) a four hour epic performance of the Greek Trilogy by the Romanian director Andre Seban in 1992. [6] Tram number 35 operated briefly at the Glasgow Garden Festival in 1988 and on the Blackpool tramway, before going into retirement at the National Tramway Museum in Derbyshire where it remains on display today.[7]. Melbourne Trams Route 64 - Hawthorn Road Part 1. Many of the major routes in the city centre and surroundings had a tram service. He subsequently became Chairman of the Traffic Commissioners in the West Midlands of England. Great Western Railway also stable some of their Diesel Multiple Units (DMU) at Worcester depot. An underground chamber at the main turn into the garages here was permanently manned during operating hours to try to reduce cable-snagging. [3], Edinburgh Corporation introduced its first motor bus in 1914. The last new trams built for Edinburgh Corporation were 84 cars built at Shrubhill between 1935 and 1950. New routes included Gorgie to Stenhouse (1930), Braids to Fairmilehead (1936) and North Gyle to Maybury (1937). Edinburgh Corporation Tramways formerly served the City of Edinburgh, Scotland. Friends of Hawthorn Tram Depot. Permission has still not yet been granted for a proposed housing development on the site of the old tram depot at Shrubhill. In 1928, given the increasing importance of buses, the Edinburgh Corporation Tramways Department was renamed the Edinburgh Corporation Transport Department. William Morrison Little thought that buses would serve the city better than trams. Required fields are marked *. Fascinating stuff! Collectors: Find art you love. On lamposts, this is probably a sole survivor of this type, although tram lamposts exists in different forms particularly the length of Melville Drive, four at the foot of the Mound, a few in St Andrew Square (one even opposite the new mega-tram post) – and “rosettes” exist in a few locations. He in turn was succeeded by William Morrison Little in 1949. Most of these early cars had originally been open top, but most were modernised with top covers and the later survivors also received vestibule screens and enclosed balconies. Passengers had to change to the cable-hauled Edinburgh trams at Joppa until 1923. The old Shrubhill tram depot. There was once a huge building here that housed the depot as well as the engine that hauled the tram cable before the system was electrified in the 1920s. Author: kim traynor CC BY-SA 2.0. The last of the electric trams arrived on its final journey on Friday the 16th of November 1956. In addition, the growing popularity of the motor car following Word War II added fuel to the fire, with motorists claiming the tramways obstructed traffic. In the street at the back of the depot are two of the original tram wire poles – one attached to the wall and this freestanding one – possibly the only ones remaining in Edinburgh. All these have roof-ridge ventilators. At the luncheon held on 15 January 1929 to mark his departure from Edinburgh and in response to Lord Provost Sir Alexander Stevenson's remarks, he said that "they deliberately planned the changeover so as not to affect public opinion. Down there, a network of brick lined tunnels extends for quite some distance. There are four tram rosettes owned by a lad in Corstorphine, who has one of them on the side of his house!! The museum eventually closed in the 1980s due to a leaking roof. The inaugural service (Haymarket to Bernard Street) ran on 6 November 1871. Edinburgh Corporation introduced its first motor bus in 1914. This article is about trams in Edinburgh from 1871–1956. The last open top car was scrapped in 1934 and the final ex-Leith cars were withdrawn in 1936, but some of the converted cable cars remained in service until 1947. After that the building was a bus depot for a while, and finally a museum housing one of the tram cars, until it was finally abandoned in the 1980s. The tram museum is owned by VicTrack, but the museum is staffed and run by the Friends of Hawthorn Tram Depot. Businesses: Feature original art in your space. As Leith was a seperate borough they had their own seperate tram system and Shrubhill was their major tram depot. They were nervous of the effect of the hoardings and a half-finished job."[10]. Part of the winding gear is preserved on the pavement to the east side of the office. 6. The Engine Yard is already under construction and occupies a B-listed factory complex bounded by Dryden Street and Spey Terrace, abandoned since the late 1990s, of which all that remains are two red brick sheds, boundary walls and a chimney stack. In 1894 the Edinburgh Street Tramway lines in Edinburgh (but not Leith or Portobello) were taken over by the Edinburgh and District Tramways Company. Leith Corporation took over the still horse-drawn Leith tramlines in 1904 and introduced electric traction in 1905 (the first electric system in Scotland). Abandoned Churches Abandoned Cities Wonderland Amusement Park Post Apocalyptic Movies Derelict Places Haunting Photos Urban Landscape Edinburgh Places To Visit. These were longer than the indigenous cars and were therefore confined to the relatively straight route from Waterloo Place to Levenhall. Most of the floor inside is strewn with thick broken glass that once formed the roof and windows, a lot of greenery has found its way in, and the rooms have mostly been gutted, though a few fixtures are still in place. Most of it has now been demolished and all that remains are two sections of the building at the back as well as the strikingly tall chimney, but you can still see the line of where the roof used to be on the walls at either side, showing how far the building originally extended. The main depot was moved to Shrubhill on Leith Walk. George Wimpey, developers, have already submitted plans three times and all have been rejected. Of these, car 35 (built in 1948) was selected by the City for preservation. The first Edinburgh Corporation Tram Manager was R Stuart Pilcher who was appointed at the early age of 24 in 1919 having previously worked in Aberdeen. Picture: Magnus Hagdorn/Wikimedia Commons The former Leith tram and bus depot opposite Stead's Place on Leith Walk is being demolished. Shrubhill Tramway Workshops and Power Station, Dryden Street, power station opened 1898. The site also housed the cable winch that drove the tram cables across the entire city. But what’s much less visible now is Edinburgh’s original tram system… there isn’t a lot left of it at all. Shrubhill Tram Depot, June 2013 Written by gcat on June 3, 2013 Anyone who’s been to Edinburgh in the last 5 years couldn’t have failed to notice the … There is on on the corner at Bruntsfield, one next to the Playhouse Cinema and no doubt a few others. See also NT27NE 247 (Dryden Street, general view).. For associated Shrubhill Tram Depot and Tramway Workshops, see NT27NE 849.. Tramway power standards on both sides of Dryden Street supplied a feeder route, leading from the rear entrance of Shrubhill Tram Depot and Tramway Workshops, NT27NE 849, to the junction of Pilrig Street. Shrubhill Proposals - 2004. Back. A new tram line from Edinburgh Airport to York Place (in the city centre) opened on Saturday 31 May 2014. (I put “system” in quotes because I’m not sure one single truncated line really counts as a system anymore). This had its depot and drive-mechanism on Henderson Row, a building partially preserved in the Royal London (formerly Scottish Life Assurance) offices there. Two lampless specimens remain, probably due to the efforts of a preservation-minded neighbour when I lived in the area, though until I mentioned them he wouldn't have known they were tram poles if he walked into one. This replaced an earlier horse-drawn coach system. Weir was garroted and burned at the Gallowlee (literally, "gallows field") on the road between Edinburgh and Leith (a site later occupied by the Shrubhill tram depot, then bus garage, near Pilrig on Leith Walk). A tall 8-bay, 1-storey and basement ashlar block, 3 wide single-storey bays, and a single-storey, 4-bay rubble block with round-headed windows and 8 circular windows. This new development looks to regenerate a former Shrubhill tram depot that once drove the public transport system in Edinburgh. The last cable tram operated in June 1923. That evening, a procession of tramcars made its way from the Braids terminus to Shrubhill depot, taking in much of the original 1871 route. The tracks were laid by Sir James Gowans with John Macrae as engineer. Although the bright afternoon sunshine coming through the gaps in the roof made for some interesting patterns of light, I suspect a dark stormy night would suit the place better. It's now set to be converted into flats. It developed structural faults and was demolished. On 1 July 1919 Edinburgh Corporation took over the operation of the city's tramways. Lothian Buses only started to serve the Pleasance in 2014 (route 60). Shrubhill Tram Depot After years as a gap site work is now finally underway to build housing on the former tram then bus depot on Leith Walk, The buildings in the foreground were at the back of the depot and are to be retained along with its chimney. [3] This confused exchange of passengers was known locally as "the Pilrig muddle", and lasted until the electrification of the Edinburgh system. Fascinating – especially the old cable access tunnels. The extent of the old network puts the new one to shame. The 2 hectare site has been empty since the 1980’s and offers up the perfect opportunity to grow fresh produce right in the heart of the city. To access? It is now at the National Tramway Museum in Crich, Derbyshire. It had numerous lines extending all the way to Corstorphine and Colinton in the west, and through Portobello to Musselburgh and Cockenzie in the east. Donor number: 0013-032. Photograph by Jas A Brydon, freelance photographer and photographer for the "Evening Dispatch". The cable was housed in a shallow trough between the tram rails; breakages could reduce the entire system to a standstill. The pair inside one of the derelict tram sheds. Great page – well done. After the trams, the works became a bus depot for the Corporation, and later with its successor, Lothian Region Transport. The building was not used as a museum though – almost correct! Your email address will not be published. Shrubhill is the site of Edinburgh’s historic tram depot, built in 1898, where there were workshops and the engine room that housed the winding gear for the City’s famous cable-hauled trams, the last of which ran in 1923. These lines complemented and partly replaced the pre-existing horse-drawn carriage from Edinburgh to Leith, the only essential difference being the addition of guide rails. [3] A short section of original tram rail and cable track can still be seen in Waterloo Place. The Leith system was electrified, whereas the Edinburgh system used cable haulage. Shrubhill Tramway Workshops and Power Station, Dryden Street, power station opened 1898. 260 and 265), resembling the Red Biddy but without the curved glazing, 9 cars from Metro-Cammell and Hurst Nelson in 1934, similar but with domed roofs (the first Edinburgh cars with this feature), 23 cars from English Electric, Metro-Cammell and Hurst Nelson in 1934-35, with raked-back "streamlined" ends and domed roofs, International Tramways and Light Railways Exhibition, This page was last edited on 6 January 2021, at 19:23. This took around three years to implement. [9], Pilcher managed the electrification of Edinburgh's trams in 1922/3. It was delivered in a special red and grey livery which earned it the nickname "Red Biddy". Added by. So while the rest of Edinburgh took advantage of the lovely weather on Sunday to head to the Meadows Festival or Portobello Beach, a few of us went for a nose around. Nevertheless, a programme of replacement of trams by buses was introduced in the early 1950s. Anyone who’s been to Edinburgh in the last 5 years couldn’t have failed to notice the mayhem caused by the new tram “system” being built. Bandeath Munitions Depot. The tram – shamefully – has been “gifted” to Crich. Is there a bit where it is easy Edinburgh's last tram operated on 16 November 1956, terminating at the Shrubhill Depot on Leith Walk (archive film footage exists of the event). Part of the old tram depot at Shrubhill by Leith Walk survives. The first trams in Edinburgh were horse-drawn and operated by the Edinburgh Street Tramways Company. [8] It was withdrawn in 1955, but car 180 survived until the final closure of the Edinburgh tram system on 16 November 1956. The increased popularity of the motor car in post-war Britain created an environment in which trams were seen generally as archaic and as an obstruction to other traffic. At times, parts of the network were run by different companies and using different technologies – for a while passengers travelling from Edinburgh to Leith had to change from the cable-hauled Edinburgh trams to the electric Leith trams at Pilrig. Car 261 was a less radical development, being essentially a Standard car with flat lower deck sides. All featured timber 4-bay bodies, initially with open balconies on the upper decks, but cars built from 1930 had enclosed balconies and these were subsequently added to the earlier Standard cars as well. About this memory. Passengers going from Edinburgh to Leith had to change trams (from cable-drawn to electric) at Pilrig on Leith Walk at the boundary between Leith and Edinburgh. One tramcar has been preserved – number 35, built in 1948 – which was put on display in a small museum at the Shrubhill Depot for a number of years. Shrubhill Tram Depot For decades now the only former tram poles with original arms have been in Dryden Street which had no tram service but provided access to the rear of Shrubhill depot. Fascinating, and sad. Changing political power played a major role in the demise of the city’s tram system. The body of car 226 (a former cable car dating from 1903 and withdrawn in 1938) was secured for preservation in 1987 after being used as a holiday chalet, and is undergoing restoration. Was it my imagination or has this place been used for staging Festival shows? Like all subsequent Edinburgh trams these were 4-wheelers. All were withdrawn in 1954. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. These were of five-bay composite construction, being a development of the Red Biddy but with flat corner glass, domed roofs and various other refinements. The old tram system ceased operation in 1956. The abandoned Shrubhill Tram Depot near Leith Walk was Edinburgh's main tram shed until 1956. In 1928, given the increasing importance of buses, the Edinburgh Corporation Tramways Department was renamed the Edinburgh Corporation Transport Department.[1]. [9] In 1921 he was responsible for establishing a trade organisation which eventually became part of the Scottish Council of the Confederation of Passenger Transport (CPT). Ewan McGregor and Ewen Bremner reach the old Shrubhill tram depot in Leith where a lengthy scene was filmed only for it to be deleted. The Musselburgh company's trams were not included in the acquisition of that system. When buses replaced trams they followed the same routes previously taken by the trams and used the same route numbers. Car 180 featured composite construction (steel frames but wood and aluminium panelling, unlike the predominantly timber Standard cars) and had a 5-bay body with flat sides and curved corner glazing which gave it a much more modern appearance than the Standard cars. He left his post in 1929 to become Tram Manager in Manchester, England. Artists: Show and sell your art locally. There were three broad types: Five of the 1934 Metro-Cammell batch were withdrawn relatively early in 1951-52, but all the others ran until 1955-56. It should have had pride of place along with the newly restored Edinburgh Horse tram number 23 and the former cable tram 226 which awaits restoration. Shrubhill Tram Depot - 27th April 2014. Further extensions were curtailed due to the outbreak of World War II. Edinburgh Corporation took over the Leith system in 1920 (see below). The Musselburgh system was subsequently incorporated into the Edinburgh system, with the tramway to Port Seton closing east of Levenhall in 1928. Edinburgh Corporation inherited 38 electric trams from the Leith system, and almost 200 Edinburgh cable car bodies were converted to electric propulsion in the period 1921-24. Near to the station is Worcester traincare depot which is currently operated by West Midlands Trains who also stable trains at various locations around Shrub Hill station. The strange feature of this particular tram depot was the underground chamber at the main turn into the garages which would have been permanently manned during operating hours to try to reduce … This group is a volunteer, non-profit group set up to preserve the history of Melbourne's trams. Musselburgh continued to be served by Edinburgh trams until 1954. 11 former Manchester Corporation cars were purchased in 1947–49. If you talk to the locals about it you’ve got a good chance of learning some new swear words. There was initially some experimentation with bogie trucks (including attempts to electrify the original cable car chassis) but it was quickly decided to standardise on new 4-wheel trucks.

Kayla From Are You The One, Adjusting Honeycomb Blinds, Hotels Near Prairies Edge Casino, Wolf Sanctuary Where You Can Pet Wolves Near Me, How To Install Shades For Skylights, Homes For Sale In Sun Ridge El Paso, Tx, Cumbria County Council News, Wanneer Heeft Een Foetus Bewustzijn, Terracotta Brick Tiles,