Bermondsey Trams & Buses

[fosney]

How many of you remember the Trams in Bermondsey? Route 68 Greenwich to Waterloo Station or perhaps Route 70 Greenwich to London Bridge / Tooley Street and before that the Horse tram that served Southwark Park Road and Galleywall Road but that is even before my time.

Today we look at the tram as part of our bygone history like the leather trade, but what of the relics of this bygone era? What is left for us to see and what can we still find? Alas the relics are few and far between but they are there, so do you know of any?

Trams were inroduced to the aea in about 1861 and were horse drawn and each vehicle was serviced by some 11 horses throughout the working day and together they covered some 60 miles a day. There was class distinction between the horse drawn bus and tram - the bus being for the middle class while the tram ( with cheaper fares ) was for the lower class.

With the formation of the London County Council in 1889 began the idea of electrification and the LCC began the process of taking control of the Horse Tramways in 1896 and by 1899 had taken over all the principal tramways in South London. So began the massive task of introducing the electric powered condiut lines.

The first began running on the 15 May 1903 and between 1903 and 1914 a large intergrated newtwork had been developed in London and the suburbs - a forerunner of today's bus network

[fosney]

Picture of inspection cover from days of the London County Council Tramways probably dates back to 1903 to 1914 period
Can be found at corner of Tooley Street and Fair Street. Part of Bermondsey Tramway History.

inspection cover

[fosney]

Last Horse Tram tram to run in South London believed to be taken in Old Kent Road 1913

Last Horse Tram tram to run in South London

[fosney]

68 Tram on route to Waterloo Station

Number 68 Tram on route to Waterloo Station in Tooley Street at corner with Fair Street near to site of inspection cover

[kiwi]

Re- picture above, as Rodgepodge below says Waterloo Road by Waterloo Station.

Tram, Tooley Street.

[RODGEPODGE]

I think the photo of the number 68 tram shows it at its terminus in Waterloo Road by Waterloo Station.

[kiwi]

Horse Tram,St James Road.

St James Road. The last horse tram route in London 1913. It travels between Raymouth Road in Rotherhithe and Canal Bridge.

[fosney]

Tram in Parkers Row on route to Greenwich

[kiwi]

I can remember the Trams Joe (Fosney). Walking into the road to get on & hoping you never got knock over by a push bike, the screeching of the wheels & they did sway a bit. Then the man with the long pole trying to put the arms back onto the live rail when they came off, especially on the bend by the Bricklayers Arms. Then when you were riding on your bike hoping your front wheel never got caught between the rail lines, which it did a couple of times.

Tram,Old Kent Road,Kentish Rovers Pub on Left,c. 1910.

[fosney]

70 Tram at Surrey Docks