Leamington and Warwick Tramways
History
Attempts to build a tramway between Leamington and Warwick initially ran into municipal opposition, mostly on the grounds that the tramway would not be in keeping with genteel Leamington Spa or historic Warwick. The promoters, however, persisted, and eventually reached agreement with the respective local boards (councils). Powers to construct 3.02 miles of tramway were obtained on the 11th August 1879 under the Leamington and Warwick Tramways Order, which was passed into law by the Tramways Orders Confirmation Act (1879).
On the 18th February 1880, the promoters registered a company — the Leamington and Warwick Tramways and Omnibus Company — to raise the necessary capital, and thereafter, to build and operate the tramway. Construction does not seem to have started until early summer 1881, the line opening opening for business on the 21st November 1881.
The horse-drawn, standard-gauge tramway was almost exactly 3.0 miles long, and ran eastwards from Leamington Spa Railway Station along Spencer Street, before turning northwards across the River Leam and along the Parade, then westwards along Warwick Street, under two railway bridges and over a canal and a river, before entering Warwick, where it terminated in the High Street.
Further powers were obtained on the 24th July 1882 under the Leamington and Warwick Tramways Order, which was passed into law by the Tramways Orders Confirmation (No.1) Act (1882). Although the Act formalised the transfer of the powers from the promoters to the company (the L&WT&OCo), it also completely substituted new plans (in total 3.04 miles) for those that were authorised in the 1879 Act, almost along the same route. It is unclear why this was done as the tramway was already constructed and in operation, though it may have been to formalise changes to the line that had already been made but not authorised.
The L&WT&OCo led a rather uneventful life, and appears to have been reasonably profitable. However, in 1897 the company's peaceful existence was disturbed by the British Electric Traction Company, which at this time was aggressively purchasing horse and steam-operated tramways across the British Isles, with the intention of converting them to electric traction. A draft agreement between the two companies was signed on the 4th February 1898, and five months later — on the 29th July 1898 — the tramway company became the property of the BETCo.
The BETCo usually preferred to operate its tramway interests — of which there were eventually around 50 across the British Isles — through subsidiary companies, so the L&WT&OCo continued to oversee operation of the tramway under its new owner.
Negotiations with the councils gave the anti-tramway factions another chance to air their grievances, and both councils used the opportunity to wring various concessions from the company. Whilst various extensions were discussed, objections to these meant that the new electric tramway would be destined to follow the line of the horse tramway.
Powers to operate the tramway within Warwick with mechanical traction, as well as to alter the gauge to 3ft 6ins, were granted to the L&WT&OCo on the 6th August 1900 under the Warwick Tramways Order, which was passed into law by the Tramways Orders Confirmation (No.2) Act (1900). The change in gauge was deemed necessary due to the narrowness of the streets. The section of the tramway in Leamington was, however, another matter entirely, agreement not being reached in time to include it in that year's legislation. Powers were, however, eventually obtained on the 9th August 1901 under the Leamington Tramways Order, which was passed into law by the Tramways Orders Confirmation (No.2) Act (1901).
Although the company now held powers to build the tramway, its troubles were far from over, and it was to be a long haul before it was finally able to get the councils' agreement to overhead electric traction, many influential people in Leamington (in particular) believing that the traction poles and wires would hideously disfigure their town. Construction finally started in early 1905, the last horse tram running on the 16th May 1905, with the new electric services commencing on the 15th July 1905.
Meanwhile (in 1902), the BETCo had reconstructed the L&WT&OCo, in the process remaining it the Leamington and Warwick Electrical Company, which better reflected the BETCo's intentions in respect of electricity generation.
The L&WECo branched out into motor omnibus operation as early as 1908, hiring buses from the Birmingham and Midland Motor Omnibus Company (also a subsidiary of the BETCo), and later purchasing them outright. These vehicles were used as feeder services for the trams.
The next event of note was the sale of the tramway to the Tramways Light and Power Company, a subsidiary of Balfour Beatty and Company, which took place on the 31st December 1912. Balfour Beatty and Co. had been actively promoting, purchasing, or acquiring interests in, several provincial tramways and electric supply undertakings across the country, a policy which would eventual see it control the following systems: 1909 (Dartford Council Light Railways; Dunfermline and District Tramways; Llandudno and Colwyn Bay Electric Railway; Llanelly Tramways; Luton Corporation Tramways); 1911 (City of Carlisle Electric Tramways); 1912 (Leamington and Warwick Electric Tramways; Mansfield and District Light Railway; Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Tramways); 1914 (Cheltenham and District Light Railway); 1920 (Falkirk and District Tramways); and lastly, in 1922 (Wemyss and District Tramways). It is currently unclear why the BETCo decided to sell the tramway, but having hived off the buses to another of its subsidiaries — the British Automobile Traction Company — on the 8th November the same year, it was probably seeking to divest itself of a system that was not paying its way.
Although financial details of the L&WECo are unclear, the system seems to have been run on a shoestring from this date onwards, with complaints about the state of the track and the condition of the tramcars frequently appearing in the local press and council chambers. The situation was undoubtedly made much worse by the rigours of the Great War (minimal maintenance and investment), so in all probability, the system emerged from the conflict in very run-down condition. It seems that little was done after the war, and with unregulated bus competition making itself felt, the tramway's parent company (BB&Co) began introducing bus services of its own into the area, operated by another of its subsidiaries, the Midland General Omnibus Company. Another change took place in November 1921, when the tramway's immediate parent company — the Tramways Light and Power Company — was renamed the Midland Counties Electric Supply Company, which reflected where its core interests now lay.
By the mid 1920s, the councils were highly dissatisfied with the state of the tramway and its services, and in October 1927, they granted licences to Stratford on Avon Motor Services to operate buses in direct competition with the tramway. The L&WECo responded by introducing its own bus services in early 1928, thus doubling the competition for the tramway, and effectively sounding its death knell.
At the end of 1928, the L&WECo sought powers to abandon the tramway and to introduce trolleybus services; the latter proposals, however, brought forth a storm of protest, which resulted in the them being dropped in favour of motor buses. The intense bus competition was brought to an end on the 15th March 1929, when the L&WECo bought the SoAMS, though it remained a separate operating entity.
Powers to abandon the tramway and to run omnibuses on various routes were granted on the 10th May 1929 under the Leamington and Warwick Traction Act (1929); the legislation allowed two years from its Royal Assent to complete the abandonment.
The tramway was closed on the 16th August 1930, and was little lamented — only three people riding on the last tramcar — which no doubt reflected the appalling state that the system had been allowed to fall into.
Uniforms
Although photographs of the early horse-tram era (1881 to 1890) appear not to have survived, those from later years (1898 to 1905) clearly show staff wearing informal attire: trousers, jackets, shirts and ties, along with the fashionable headgear of the day, either the bowler hat or the flat cap. No badges or licences were worn.
Following conversion to electric traction, photographs show Leamington and Warwick Electrical Tramways staff wearing the familiar and largely regulation BETCo uniform. Although jackets appeared to vary somewhat between BETCo systems, as well as across the decades, the cap badges, collar designations and buttons invariably followed a standard pattern.
For the inauguration of services, staff wore informal attire, possibly because the uniforms were late arriving; it is currently unclear when they were eventually issued, but it was probably not too long after services commenced. The uniforms comprised double-breasted, lancer-style tunics with five pairs of buttons (narrowing from top to bottom, and presumably of the standard BETCo pattern — see link) and stand-up collars; the latter bore an employee number on the bearer's left-hand side (in individual brass numerals) and system initials — 'L & W T' (in individual brass letters) — on the right-hand side. The tensioned-crown peaked caps bore the standard BETCo 'Magnet and Wheel' badge in brass, above an employee number (in individual brass numerals).
Close-up photographs of staff taken after the Balfour Beatty take-over of 1912 are sparse indeed. By the end of operation, conductors were being issued with single-breasted jackets with five buttons (very probably plain with a scalloped rim), two breast pockets (with button closures) stand-up collars and epaulettes (with button fastenings); neither the collars nor the epaulettes appear to have borne any insignia. Motormen on the other hand were issued with double-breasted jackets with three pairs of buttons and lapels; again, the latter bore no insignia. Given the paucity of photographic evidence, it is entirely possible that a different style of uniform was worn prior to the mid-1920s.
The tensioned-crown peaked caps bore script-lettering grade badges. Whilst 'Conductor' was used right through to the closure of the system in 1930, by the end of operations 'Driver' cap badges had superseded the earlier 'Motorman ' type. The badges and the buttons were in all likelihood brass, and the uniforms are believed to have been dark blue with red piping on the trouser legs.
Although photographs of inspectors taken in the BETCo-era have not survived, in all likelihood they wore the standard BETCo garb for this grade, namely: single-breasted jackets with hidden buttons (or more likely a hook and eye affair) and stand-up collars, the jacket and any pockets being edged in a finer material than the main body. The collars would probably have borne the grade — 'Inspector' — in embroidered script lettering. Caps were probably of the tensioned-crown type, and would also have borne an embroidered grade badge (on a hat band), along with the standard brass BETCo 'Magnet and Wheel' badge.
During the Balfour Beatty era, very similar uniforms were worn, but with four pockets (two breast and two waist level).
In common with the vast majority of UK tramway systems, women were employed as conductresses during the Great War to replace male staff lost to the armed services. These ladies were issued with tailored, single-breasted jackets with lapels, epaulettes, two breast and two hip pockets (with button closures), a waist belt and an ankle-length matching skirt; the jacket was completely devoid of insignia. Headgear took the form of a felt bonnet with a hat band, to which a standard, script-lettering grade badge was affixed.
Further reading
For a history of tramway, see: 'The Leamington & Warwick Tramway' by Allen Jennings and Peter Coulls; Sydni Books (2019).
Images
Horse tram drivers and conductors
Leamington and Warwick Horse Tram No 7, which appears to be a Falcon Engine and Car Works product (delivered in 1895), at the Leamington terminus — photo undated, but probably taken in the late 1890s. Photo courtesy of the Tramways and Light Railway Society, with thanks to David Voice.
An enlargement of the above photograph showing the conductor and the driver, both of whom are wearing informal attire. The driver is George Powell and the conductor is Tommy Mumford.
A rather battered looking Leamington and Warwick Horse Tram No 1 (certainly not the original car with that number) at the Avenue Road terminus in Leamington— photo undated, but probably taken in 1903. Photo courtesy of the Tramways and Light Railway Society, with thanks to David Voice.
An enlargement of the above photograph showing the crew, both of whom are wearing informal attire. The driver is James Claridge.
Motormen and conductors
A brand new Tramcar No 2 at the Warwick terminus, seemingly without company markings — taken in July 1905, possibly prior to opening given the lack of passengers. Photo courtesy of the Tramways and Light Railway Society, with thanks to David Voice.
A n enlargement of the above photograph showing the crew, both of whom are wearing informal attire.
A conductor and a motorman with Tramcar No 3 at Milverton Station in BETCo days, i.e., some time between 1905 and 1912. Author's Collection.
An enlargement of the above photograph showing the crew, both of whom are wearing standard BETCo insignia: 'Magnet & Wheel' cap badge above an employee number, with an employee number on the bearer's left-hand collar and 'L & W T' initials on the right-hand collar.
Standard British Electric Traction Company ‘Magnet & Wheel’ cap badge worn from 1905 to 1912 — brass. Author's Collection.
An array of staff and four trams — photo probably taken just after the Balfour Beatty take-over, as the first tram still bears the BETCo's 'Magnet & Wheel' device. One of the men is wearing a script-lettering grade badge, these presumably being introduced by Balfour Beatty.
General pattern script-lettering cap badges — 'Motorman' and 'Conductor' — of the type used by Leamington and Warwick Electrical Tramways from 1912 onwards.
Tramcar No 2 stands at the terminus in Warwick High Street. The very youthful-looking conductor suggests that the photograph may have been taken during or shortly after the Great War.
An enlargement of the above photograph showing the crew. The conductor is wearing a script-lettering 'Conductor' grade badge, his colleague a script-lettering 'Motorman' badge. Their greatcoats are completely devoid of insignia.
A photograph of what is probably the entire staff of the tramway at Emscote Depot — the photo is believed to have been taken on the last day of operation, Saturday the 16th August 1930. Photo from the Peter Coulls Collection, courtesy of Allan Jennings.
An enlargement of the above photograph showing some of the motormen and conductors; the former are wearing double-breasted jackets with lapels, whilst the latter are wearing single-breasted jackets with stand-up collars and epaulettes. The only badges are on the script-lettering grade badges on their caps, which are 'Driver' and 'Conductor', though one 'Motorman' badge is also in evidence. This may be because by this time, staff were used interchangeably on the buses, which had been introduced in 1928.
General pattern script-lettering cap badge — 'Driver' — of the type used by Leamington and Warwick Electrical Tramways motormen late in the system's life. Author's Collection.
Senior staff
An enlargement of the 'last day' depot photo above showing the inspector. He is wearing a fairly typical tramway inspector's uniform with embroidered insignia.
Female staff
Leamington and Warwick Electrical Tramways conductress Nel Hewitt — photo undated, but almost certainly taken during the Great War. Photo courtesy of the Allan Jennings Collection.
An enlargement of the above photograph showing details of the uniform and cap. The photo is sharp enough to discern the buttons, which were plain with a scalloped rim, a type known to have been used on several other Balfour Beatty systems (Dunfermline and District Tramways; Falkirk and District Tramways; Llandudno and Colwyn Bay Electric Railway; Wemyss and District Tramways).