The Tramways of Wolverhampton

The Tramways of Wolverhampton traces the history of the Wolverhampton tramway system from its earliest horse-drawn beginnings in 1878, through the subsequent electrification of the routes in the early 1900s, with the controversial decision to use a system that proved to be unique to the town (and indeed the world), resulting in the town having to endure route isolation from other tramway operators until the eventual, and somewhat inevitable, wholesale conversion to the more conventional form of overhead wire operation in 1921. The gradual contraction of the system and change to trolleybuses between 1923 and 1928 is also covered in detail. The continual political battle fought over the years with the British Electric Traction Company Limited tramway empire, whose various companies effectively surrounded Wolverhampton, has not been ignored, and there are fascinating insights into the daily life of the systems, in particular the Wolverhampton District Electric Tramways Company and Kinver Light Railway. See more