Gosport Street Tramways / Gosport and Fareham Tramways
Owner Gosport Street Tramways Company (a subsidiary of the Provincial Tramways Company Limited)
Opened 17th July 1882 (horse)
Operator Gosport Street Tramways Company
Amalgamated August 1883 (with the General Tramways Company of Portsmouth, the Landport and Southsea Tramways Company, and the Portsmouth Street Tramways Company - all subsidiaries of the Provincial Tramways Company Limited); thereafter operated as part of the Portsmouth Street Tramways Company
First electric route 20th December 1905 (worked as the Gosport and Fareham Tramways)
Last horse tram 1905/6?
Closed 31st December 1929
Length 2.75 miles (horse?); 7.75 miles (electric)
Gauge 3ft 0ins (horse); 4ft 7¾ins (electric)
Button description Pattern of button currently unknown
Comments Photographs of the Gosport Street Tramways are relatively rare, however, those that have survived (see link) strongly suggest that staff wore informal attire and that marked uniform buttons probably never existed. Although uniforms were certainly worn during the electric era (see link), marked buttons have yet come to light, suggesting that the buttons were either unmarked (i.e. they were plain) or alternatively, that they are not easily identifiable as G&FT (e.g. they bear script letters or a monogram of some description).
Following the acquisition of the majority of the Portsmouth Street Tramways Company's assets by Portsmouth Corportion on 1st January 1901, the company continued to work Gosport Street Tramways, subsequently electrifying and extending the system under the title of 'Gosport and Fareham Tramways' even though a company of that name never existed.
The Provincial Group (Provincial Tramways Company Limited) was established in 1872 in London and at various times, also owned and/or operated the following systems/companies: Cardiff Tramways Company Limited; Cardiff District and Penarth Harbour Tramways Company; General Tramways Company of Portsmouth; Great Grimsby Street Tramways; Landport and Southsea Tramways Company; London Southern Tramways; Plymouth, Stonehouse and Devonport Tramways; Portsdown and Horndean Light Railway; Portsmouth [Borough], Kingston, Fratton and Southsea Tramways Company; and the Portsmouth Street Tramways Company.