Preston Corporation Tramways



Owner Preston Corporation
Opened September 1882 (horse)
Operator (lessee) W Harding & Co Ltd
Took over 1st January 1887 (Preston Tramways Company)
Operator (lessee) W Harding & Co Ltd
Last horse service 31st December 1903 (at the end of Harding's lease)
First electric route 7th June 1904
Operator Preston Corporation
Name changed June 1931 - to Preston Corporation Transport
Closed 15th December 1935
Length 10.53 miles
Gauge 3ft 6ins (horse); 4ft 8½ins (electric)

Button description (1882-1903) Uniforms not worn

Button description (Pattern 1)
Title ('PRESTON CORPORATION TRAMWAYS') within a raised rim, surrounding the municipal arms (a shield bearing a holy lamb above the letters 'PP')
Materials known Brass; nickel, black horn
Button Line reference [114/56]

Button description (Pattern 2) Title ('PRESTON CORPORATION TRANSPORT') within a raised rim, surrounding the municipal arms (a shield bearing a holy lamb above the letters 'PP').
Materials known Brass; nickel; chrome; black horn
Button Line reference [None]

Comment
The holy lamb is a reference to the patron saint of Preston, St Wilfrid, as is 'PP' - 'Princeps Pacis', which means 'Prince of Peace'. Note that the operator of Preston Corporation's horse tramways (W Harding and Co Ltd) never issued uniforms (see link), so marked horse tramway buttons almost certainly never existed.

Given that the name of the undertaking was changed to 'Preston Corporation Transport' in 1931, it is highly likely that tramcar crews would have been issued with new uniforms bearing 'Preston Corporation Transport' buttons before the demise of the system.