Telford steam tram
LocaleHorsehay, Shropshire, England
Commercial operations
Original gauge2 ft (610 mm)
Preserved operations
Operated byTelford Horsehay Steam Trust
Stations2
Preserved gauge2 ft (610 mm)
Commercial history
Opened9 April 1980
Closedmid-1980s (at Telford Town Park)
Mid-1980sTram steams for the 1st time in preservation

The Telford steam tram at the Telford Steam Railway of the Telford Horsehay Steam Trust, runs on a 2 ft (610 mm) narrow gauge track. This follows a short circular route, part of which runs near to the lake known as Horsehay Pool. Prior to the completion of the circle after arriving near the loco shed, it paused very briefly before returning, coach first, to the starting point near the entrance.

The tram and 16-seat coach were built by Alan Keef Ltd for the Telford Development Corporation, first running on Saturday 8 September 1979.[1] The tram and coach originally ran in Telford Town Park alongside Randlay Pool, on about 300 yd (270 m) of the trackbed of the former Coalport Branch Line,[1] on the Telford Town Tramway which was opened by the Reverend W. Awdry, who named the tram Thomas, on 9 April 1980[2][3] but did not last very long there. The tram moved to its present site in the mid-1980s.

Steam trams were at one time a fairly familiar sight, as in the last years of the 19th century and the early years of the 20th century, they were used in several towns and cities in the UK. Most were eventually replaced by electric trams. The steam tram at the Telford Steam Railway, is one of the very few working examples, and quite possibly the only narrow gauge one in the UK.[4] It is 4-wheeled and Pontie Steam Plant Ltd of Peterborough built its vertical boiler and 5+1⁄4 in (130 mm) x 10 in (250 mm) cylinder.[1]

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References

  1. 1 2 3 Slater, J.N., ed. (December 1979). "Telford Town Tram in operation". Railway Magazine. Vol. 125, no. 944. London: IPC Transport Press. p. 607.
  2. ↑ "Video on the opening of the tramway (starts at 13:30 in)". Vimeo. Retrieved 13 December 2015.
  3. ↑ "Video with the opening of Telford Town Tramway alone without the intertitle". Telford Our New Town. Retrieved 13 December 2015.
  4. ↑ L S Wilson (photographer) and P L Chadwick (contributor): Steam tram, Telford Steam Railway. Geograph SJ6707.

52°39′44″N 2°28′59″W / 52.662272°N 2.483051°W / 52.662272; -2.483051

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