Portsdown and Horndean Light Railway
Owner Hampshire Light Railways (Electric) Company Limited, a subsidiary of the Provincial Tramways Company Limited
Opened 2nd March 1903 (electric)
Operator Hampshire Light Railways (Electric) Company Limited
Closed 9th January 1935 (as part of its sale to Southdown MotorServices Ltd)
Length 5.98 miles
Gauge 4ft 7¾ins
Button description Pattern of button currently unknown
Comments Although numerous photographs show staff wearing uniforms (see link), marked buttons have yet to come to light. The most likely explanation for this is that the buttons were either unmarked (i.e. they were plain) or alternatively, that they are not easily identifiable as P&HLR (e.g. they bear script letters or a monogram of some description).
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; Gosport and Fareham Tramways; Gosport Street Tramways Company; Great Grimsby Street Tramways; Landport and Southsea Tramways Company; London Southern Tramways; Plymouth, Stonehouse and Devonport Tramways; and the Portsmouth (Borough), Kingston, Fratton and Southsea Tramways Company.
The unusual gauge was to allow for the running of railway wagons over the system.