Bradford City Tramways



Owner Bradford Corporation
Opened 2nd February 1882 (horse) - newly built Manningham Lane line
Operator (lessee) Bradford Tramways and Omnibus Company
Taken over (operation) 7th June 1882 to the 2nd March 1894 (BT&OCo [horse and steam]) - newly built lines and extensions, with the exception of that along Manchester Rd
Taken over (operation) 8th September 1884 to the 11th June 1886 (Bradford and Shelf Tramway Company [steam]) - newly built line along Manchester Rd to the boundary with North Bierley Local Board
First electric route 30th July 1898
Operator Bradford City Tramways
Took over (operation) 1st February 1902 (all lines previously leased to the BT&OCo and the B&STCo, including those leased from Shipley Urban District Council, and those formerly owned by North Bierley Local Board [absorbed by Bradford in 1899])
Last horse service 16th May 1902 (North Park Rd line)
Last steam service 1st April 1903
Took over (track) June 1903 (Shelf Tramways Company) - 1,286 yards in Shelf
Took over (assets) 30th April 1904 (Mid-Yorkshire Tramways Company)
Took over (operation) 30th April 1904 (Shipley UDC) - lines formerly leased to the MYTCo
Departmenal name changed 15th July 1935 - to Bradford Corporation Passeneger Transport
Closed 6th May 1950
Length 64.54 miles
Gauge 4ft 0ins

Button description (Pattern 1) A boar’s head on a torse, in front of a sprouting tree, all within a raised rim
Materials known Brass
Button Line reference [None]

Button description (Pattern 2) Title (‘BRADFORD CITY TRAMWAYS’) within a border, surrounding a boar's head on a torse, in front of a sprouting tree
Materials known Black horn
Button Line reference [114/82B]

Button description (Pattern 3) Municipal arms (a shield bearing a chevron and three hunting horns) with a boar’s head crest, and ram and goat supporters, all above the motto: ‘LABOR OMNIA VINCIT’, and within a raised rim
Materials known Nickel; chrome
Button Line reference [None]

Button description (Pattern 4) Title (‘BRADFORD CITY TRAMWAYS’) within a border, surrounding the municipal arms (a shield bearing a chevron and three hunting horns) with a boar’s head crest, and ram and goat supporters, all above the motto: ‘LABOR OMNIA VINCIT’
Materials known Black horn
Button Line reference [114/82A]

Comments The Pattern 1 & 2 buttons predate the granting of the ram and goat supporters to the City of Bradford on the 31st January 1908. After this date, a change was made to the new ‘coat of arms’ buttons (Patterns 3 & 4) and these buttons continued right through into the 'Bradford City Transport' era, the sole change being the substitution of the word ’Tramways’ for ’Transport’. The Pattern 2 and Pattern 4 buttons were presumably used on greatcoats and raincoats, though it remains something of a mystery as to why the corporation saw fit to state the full system name in this material but not on the standard issue jacket buttons (Patterns 1 and 3) - I know of no other tramway company/corporation which did this.

Bradford City Tramways staff would not have worn Bradford City Transport insignia, as the name of the department was only changed in 1952, two years after the demise of the tramway.