Walsall Corporation Tramways



Owner Walsall Corporation
Took over (ownership) 1st January 1901 (South Staffordshire Tramways Company [electric], a subsidiary of the British Electric Traction Company Limited) — 5.25 miles of track within the municipal boundary
Operator (lessee) South Staffordshire Tramways (Lessee) Company, a BETCo subsidiary
Took over (operation) 1st January 1904 - all corporation-owned track, with the exception of that between Pleck and the borough boundary on the Darlaston and Wednesbury lines, which continued to be operated by the SST(L)Co
Took over (operation) 1st October 1925 (Wolverhampton District Electric Tramways Limited, a BETCo subsidiary) - Willenhall Crescent Road services to Willenhall Market Place and Darlaston, under a three-year lease
Took over (ownership) circa June 1928 (WDETL) - Crescent Road to Willenhall Market Place line
Taken over (operation) 1st November 1928 (Dudley, Stourbridge and District Electric Traction Company, a BETCo subsidiary) - Willenhall Crescent Road to Darlaston services, following expiry of the corporation's lease
Took over (ownership) 1st October 1930 (SSTCo) - Darlaston and Wednesbury lines
Took over (operation) 1st October 1930 (SST[L]Co) - Darlaston and Wednesbury lines, the last BETCo-operated services in Birmingham and the Black Country
Closed 30th September 1933
Length 13.55 miles
Gauge 3ft 6ins

Button description (Pattern 1) Title (‘WALSALL CORPORATION TRAMWAYS’) within a raised rim, surrounding the municipal device (a quartered shield) with a chained-bear crest and lion supporters
Materials known Brass; nickel
Button Line reference [114/73]

Button description (Pattern 2) Title (‘WALSALL CORPORATION TRANSPORT’) within a raised rim, surrounding the municipal device (a quartered shield) with a chained-bear crest and lion supporters
Materials known Chrome
Button Line reference [None]

Comments Although Walsall trams and buses were certainly carrying the legend 'Walsall Corporation Tramways and Motors' by 1920/21, tramway staff continued to be issued with uniforms bearing 'Walsall Corporation Tramways' buttons (Pattern 1), their bus colleagues uniforms bearing 'Walsall Corporation Motors'. A new legend — 'Walsall Corporation Transport Department' — appeared on the first new trolleybuses in 1931, and afterwards on both the trams and buses. It therefore seems highly likely that tramway men would have worn uniforms bearing Pattern 2 buttons during the last few years of the system's life.