Heywood Corporation Tramways
Owner Heywood Corporation
Took over 24th February 1904 (ownership of tracks of the Bury, Rochdale and Oldham Steam Tramways Company Ltd within the municipal boundary)
Operator BR&OSTCo (pending conversion to electric traction)
Services withdrawn 10th June 1904 (due to conversion of RCT-owned steam lines lines to electric traction)
Service restarted 20th December 1904 (steam)
Operator Heywood Corporation
Last day of steam services 20th September 1905
Purchased 13th October 1904 (assets of the BR&OSTCo, allocated to Heywood)
First electric service 17th November 1905 - Heap Bridge to Heywood Market Place and Hopwood (the latter from 1st March 1906)
Operator Bury Corporation Tramways
Taken over 20th December 1905 - newly electrified route from the Rochdale boundary to Heywood Town Centre
Operator Rochdale Corporation Tramways
Taken over (operation) 1st March 1906 (Bury Corporation - newly converted branch from Heywood Market Place to Hopwood)
Taken over (operation) 19th May 1928 (services from Heywood to High St, Manchester, along Manchester Corporation's newly built line from Hopwood to Middleton - worked jointly by Manchester Corporation Tramways and Bury Corporation Tramways)
Taken over (operation) 20th February 1933 (Manchester Corporation Tramways - Heywood to High St, Manchester services following Bury Corporation Tramways withdrawal)
Closed 1st May 1934
Length 4.33 miles (steam era) + 0.85 miles (electric)
Gauge 3ft 6ins (steam); 4ft 8½ins (electric)
Button description Uniforms not worn
Comment Photographs indicate that Heywood Corporation continued the policy of its immediate predecessor (the 'BR&OSTCoLtd') and that no uniforms were issued to staff operating the steam tramway service (see link). It is therefore highly unlikely that marked uniform buttons ever existed. Following cessation of steam services, Heywood's lines were subsequently electrified and were worked by Bury and Rochdale Corporations, though Heywood did pay for; there is however some suggestion that Heywood actually paid for trams that were liveried and operated by Bury and Rochdale, which if true, means that Heywood effectively remained a tramway operator beyond 1905.
Records show that Heywood Corporation employed the services of a Tramway and Traffic Inspector from November 1908, though it is currently unclear what uniform was worn.
The Hopwood branch was leased to Manchester Corporation after the latter had built a new line from Middleton to Hopwood following its 1925 take-over of Middleton Electric Tramways.