Edinburgh Trams

Leith Tramways ii

 

 

Part 2 - Leith Corporation Electric Tramways

The  Leith  Corporation  Tramways  Confirmation   Act   was   passed   on   July 22nd 1904, and gave the corporation powers to  buy  up  the  whole  of  the Edinburgh Street Tramways    Company's    lines   within   their   area    (about  five route miles) and to reconstruct them for mechanical power, subject to the approval of the Board of Trade. Extensions  totalling  about  1½  miles were authorised,  and  five  years  were  allowed  for  the  completion  of  the  work.

 

Twenty-one  separate  "tramways"  were  named  in  the  Act,   most of which were portions of  the  existing  horse  tramway  system  on  which  it  was  proposed to  lay  a  double  instead   of   a   single  line.   Four concerned the connections to be put in at the Foot of Leith Walk, and the others provided for three new sections of line, each of which deserves a paragraph in explanation.

Tramways 5 and   6 authorised a new double-track route from Pilrig along Pilrig   Street   and   Newhaven Road to a junction with Ferry Road. The boundary between Edinburgh and Leith  ran  down  the  centre  of Pilrig Street and Newhaven Road; with the result that one track would be in the city  and  one  in  the  burgh. Edinburgh’s consent was required (and obtained), but both tracks were owned by Leith. Boundary markers were in use at that time, cast iron plates 8 inches square with the letters E/L or L/E  in white on a  light blue background, separated by a vertical line; they were affixed to walls or buildings along the line of the Edinburgh-Leith boundary and a few are  still in existence.

Tramways 7 and 8, which were never constructed, were to commence at Pilrig, run eastwards along Iona Street  and  then north along Easter Road to join the Seafield route at the corner of Duke Street and   Hermitage Place.  The plan was revived in 1911, again without result.

Tramway 12 was for a double line in a proposed new street in Newhaven, from St. Andrew Square to Annfield. The intention was to build this by-pass road for  the  tramways  so that  the narrow eastern  part  of  Main Street could be avoided, and a certain amount of infilling of the  beach  area  had  been carried out and left to consolidate. The road was  not  built  during  the  existence of the Leith Corporation Tramways, and after the amalgamation of 1920 local councillors urged Edinburgh to proceed with the work, but  with­  out result. The road (now named Lindsay Road) was eventually built in 1972-73, nearly 70 years after it was authorised.

A sub committee was formed early in August by the Town Council to consider the type of power to be used. This involved committee members making visits to other local authorities to see various tramways in operation and the, overhead electric system was decided upon. Power would be supplied from the burgh’s electricity  station at  Junction  Place,  the  new  boilers engines and switchgear  together  with  the  overhead being  the  responsibility of Mr. A Peden Rutherford, A.M.I.E.E., the Burgh Electrical Engineer. On February 1st, 1905 Mr. Relph was appointed construction superintendent for the overhead equipment.

 

Mr. James More, M.Inst.C.E., of Edinburgh was appointed Consulting Engineer  for the  tramway  scheme, and  no time  was  lost  in  getting  it underway. Direct labour was to be used, the construction of the permanent way being supervised by the Burgh Surveyor, Mr.  R  Findlay. The tramway depot was to be at Morton Place as for   the horse - trams, and its construction was the responsibility of the Burgh Architect, Mr. George Simpson. The burgh's officials and the tramways   committee were soon   dealing with estimates and tenders for the necessary equipment and rolling stock, and a timetable for the trams were drawn up.   It was decided to order 36 trams.

Track laying  started  on  February  6th,  1905,  in  Pilrig  Street  (which  did  not have  a horse  tramway) and proceeded towards Bonnington Toll. Another squad  of   workmen  started  at  Stanley  Road  relaying  the  line  via  Newhaven Road  towards  Ferry  Road.

 

At Bonnington Toll work was held up for some time while the roadway under the Caledonian Railway's girder bridge (dismantled and removed in 1967) was lowered to give the necessary headroom. Discussion arose concerning the quality of the labour which had been engaged for the work, some  members  of the Council  contending  that many of the men had  never  handled  a pick and shovel before,  but  nevertheless  rail laying  proceeded steadily.

The Council had  arranged  that  where  and  when  necessary,  the  home  car services  would  be  withdrawn  to  allow  work   to   proceed  rather   than   laying down  temporary  lines  for   the   horse   trams.   Temporary   ramped   crossovers were used to maintain services on the double track sections.  Between  Ferry Road and Stanley  Road  the  horse  cars  were  withdrawn  for about  five  weeks, the road being widened concurrently with track laying.  By the end of May the line between Pilrig and Stanley Road had been completed.   It  was double line ,except  at  the  junction  across  Ferry  Road  and  the  turn  from Newhaven Road  into  Stanley  Road,  at  which  point the  track  was  single.  The   overhead wiring had   not   yet been completed, but arrangements   were made with the Board of Trade to inspect the line. 

 

Their  inspector,  Colonel  Von  Donop, arrived  on  June  7th  and  agreed   that   it  could  be used by horse trams pending  completion of the overhead work, when a further  inspection would  be required.

The track of  standard  4 feet  8½ inches  gauge  was  laid  with  45 feet rails  supplied by the North Eastern Steel Company of Middlesbrough and weighing 106.7 lb./yard,  with  flat  tie-bars  at  6 feet  intervals. It was laid  on  a  6 inch  concrete base, and paved with  granite  or  whinstone  setts  grouted  with  pitch. Points and crossings were by Hadfield’s of Sheffield, and included the large junction at the Foot of Leith Walk, with twelve sets of points branching out to the three   main   thoroughfares,   Great   Junction, Street,   Constitution   Street   and Duke Street.   It   took   twelve days to install, but   fitted perfectly to within one inch. On this job Sunday working had been necessary, and had been specially approved by the Town Council.   It was completed by July 7th.

It had been the Town Council's intention to have the electric tramways in  operation  by  mid-July,  but  due  to  delays  in  delivery  (mainly  of  equipment for the overhead system) more time  was  required.

 

The junction at Junction Bridge was completed by June 30th, all traffic having been diverted for a few days to allow its completion. The work of setting up the poles and overhead equipment had   been   done   at   the   same time,  together with the insertion of the centre poles in the roadway in Great   Junction   Street. 

 

Track laying and rail bonding in Leith Walk was complete by June 27th, and the triangle junction at the depot entrance was being laid down, but only 15 of   the centre poles in Leith Walk had been inserted.

 

Mannesmann steel poles were used, supplied by M.  P.  Galloway Ltd.  of Leith.  The   poles were of   the   seamless   stepped type 31 feet in length, with a height when placed of 25 feet from ground level.  Three different sizes were used, with lower step  diameters  of 7½ inches, 8½ inches  and  9½  inches  respectively;  in  each  size  the  diameter  was  reduced  by one inch 11 feet from ground level and a further  inch at 18 feet. Flexible bowstring suspension   was   used   throughout,   with   mechanical   ears   and   grooved  were newly introduced by British Insulated and Helsby Cables Ltd.  Wrought iron scrollwork was fitted, and the pole bases bore the burgh coat of arms.

 

Centre poles were  used  in  Leith  Walk,  Commercial  Street,  Bernard  Street, Great  Junction  Street  and  Craighall  Road, with span wires or side bracket arms elsewhere.

Delivery of the first tramcars could have  been  made  in June, but the Council asked the manufacturers to defer delivery for a few weeks to avoid  any  damage , to  the  new  cars  from the building operations  which  were still going on  at  the  depot. About  twelve  cars  had arrived  towards the end of July, and Mr. Rutherford, the electrical engineer, was anxious to verify that  all  was  well  with  the  overhead  equipment on  the  Pilrig Street to Stanley Road  route, so an unofficial trial run was arranged for Friday, July 28th.

A  small  group assembled at the depot in Leith Walk at 2.30a.m. to see the start. Shortly before 3 a.m., tram No. 3 was drawn by five horses up Leith Walk to Pilrig, as the overhead wires were not yet ready in Leith Walk.   On   arrival  at   Pilrig Street  the trolley was  placed  on  the  wire  and the  car   suddenly   blazed  into  light,  to  gasps   of  approval from the trace boys in charge of the horses.

 

Mr. Sullivan, the BTH  representative, drove the tram without a hitch to Stanley Road terminus, and a two-way trip was then made with Baillie McCreadie   driving.   Councillor  Lindsay   next   drove it to Pilrig, where the wheel bearings were tested and found to be cool.  Mr. Rutherford    then    took  the  tram  to Stanley Road and Mr. Wilson, the manager, drove it back to Pilrig, each single  journey taking six minutes. Mr. James More pronounced everything satisfactory and the tram was then hauled back to the depot.

A   single-deck   Instruction   Car    for    the    training    of   drivers    had   arrived from  British  Thomson  Houston  on  June  19th,  and  was  already  in  use  within the  depot.

 

A day or so  after the July 28th  trial  run  the  instruction   car  was out  on  the  Pilrig  to  Stanley  Road  section,  followed  by  some  of  the   new passenger trams including No. 3 and No. 21, to give the  men practice in driving  them  on  the  streets.   A great effort was being made to complete the work in Leith Walk, and public interest was considerable, with groups of sightseers watching what was going on.

The  depot was still not completed, and it was not possible  to accommodate  all  the  new trams,  so a few had to stand out on the street overnight, and some of the assembly  work  was completed on the street. The north bound line from the depot to the railway  over bridge was used for this, as this did not interfere with the movement of  those  cars going up to Pilrig  on instruction  runs.  It was also necessary to maintain access to the depot for the horse trams.

On  August 12th 1905, the Board of Trade inspector, Col.Von Donop, carried out a trial run over the completed route from the depot via  Leith Walk,  Pilrig  Street, and  Newhaven  Road  to  Stanley  Road  and  back. Everything was found satisfactory, and the line was  passed for use by electric trams. The service could start  as soon as the Permit  had been received; it arrived on Thursday, August 17th and arrangements were made to start running the trams on  the following day. The 22nd Annual Leith Flower Show was to be  held on August 18th and 19th in the Victoria Park, Newhaven Road,  and  the  coincidence  of  both  events  was  likely   to   ensure   the success  of  both,  as  indeed it did.

Eight cars, Nos. 1-4, 16, 17, 20  and  21 were in use on the first day, Friday, August 18th, 1905. The first car left the depot at 7.20 a.m. and  run  to Pilrig then back to the Foot  of  Leith  Walk to form the first departure for Stanley Road at 7.35. Seven other cars followed at four minute intervals, and this service was maintained throughout the day, with a single journey time of 15 minutes. There was no official ceremony on this occasion, but the  tramways were well  patronised by the public, and were an  instant  success.   

 

Fares from the Foot of Leith Walk were ½d. to Pilrig, l d. to Bonnington Terrace and I½d. to Stanley Road. Sunday service was provided  from the start, having been approved by  a two-to-one majority at a ratepayers meeting in April.

By mid September work was complete in Great Junction Street, Ferry Road, Craighall Road, Pier Place Newhaven, Annfield, Lindsay Road and North Junction Street. These lines were inspected on behalf of the Board of Trade on September 14th and found satisfactory.

Service started on. Saturday, September 16th, ten additional cars being sent out, making a total of 18 cars in operation. A six-minute circular service was operated from Pilrig via Stanley Road, Newhaven, Lindsay Road, North Junction   Street and   Leith   Walk with   additional cars every six minutes from Pilrig to Stanley Road via Leith Walk, Great Junction Street, Ferry Road and Newhaven Road. This gave a three-minute service in Leith Walk and Great Junction Street.   The 18 cars on the Saturday earned  on  average £6 each, and the 15 cars out on  Sunday  earned  much the  same; Monday brought the Review of  the  Scottish  Volunteers  in  Holyrood  Park,  Edinburgh, and 20  trams were in service, earning about £9 each and bringing the takings to £375 for the three days.

The overhead squads next turned their  attention  to  Commercial  Street  and Bernard  Street,  with  centre  poles,  and  to   the   Seafield   line,  where   the   poles were placed at the pavement edge with  span  wires  or  long  bracket  arms;  the longest being 18 feet. Commercial Street  and  Bernard  Street  were  ready  by mid-October,  but  the  overhead  on   the   Swing  Bridge  over   the  Water  of   Leith was  not  yet  finished.   This work   was carried out   by   S. Dixon and Son Ltd of Leeds. Three arched lattice spans of triangular section were mounted on the footpaths on either side of   the bridge, and to these wires were suitably attached above the double tramway track. On the roadway at either end of the bridge   tramway   poles   were   placed   closely adjacent   to   the   end   lattice spans;   a   tubular   beam formed a solid span between the two poles and carried connectors which could make or break electrical contact with the overhead line when the bridge had to be swung clear for the passage of ships.

The swing bridge, whose construction in 1897-8 was mentioned in our part i section on the horse tramways, swung round 90 degrees in a clockwise direction to open. The short length of overhead wires thus moved round with the bridge the current being automatically cut off in the operation. In operation the bridge was tilted some nine to twelve inches by means of a hydraulic ram near the Bernard Street end, the nearer end being moved slightly upward and the opposite end downward to disengage the locking device before being swung. Timber decking was fitted to the footpaths and roadway, with  raised wood slats between the tram rails for the benefit of horses to avoid slipping. The track  beyond each  end  of the  bridge  had catch points,  which  operated   when  the  bridge  opened;  a   semaphore  signal on a pole at each  approach warned  tram drivers  when  the  bridge  was  open. Had any incident occurred  in  fog  or  emergency,  which  fortunately  it  never did, the catch point ensured that the  tram would have  careered into  the approach parapet on the Commercial Street side  or  into a building on  the Bernard  Street side rather than falling into the murky waters below.

On  October  19th  the  Board of Trade inspector passed the sections on either side of  the  bridge, and trams operated a service from the following day, turning back on the  crossovers at Custom House and at Bernard Street as the bridge was still not ready. It was inspected and brought into use on November 21st.

An Official Opening of Leith Corporation Tramways was held on Friday, November 3rd 1905, the last horse car having probably  run  on the  Seafield route on the previous day, The ceremony was attended by Provost  Mackie, Baillie’s and  Councillors  of Leith  and  Edinburgh,  together  with  representatives of various  public  bodies and  the  firms supplying the tramway   equipment. The party assembled at the depot at 4.15 p.m., and photographs were taken with open-top tram No. 6 which had been gaily decorated with chrysanthemums, palms and evergreens. Painted shields on each end read ‘‘Success To The Tramways".

The Council members boarded the decorated car, and   the remainder   of the 150 strong party boarded three covered-top cars. On leaving  the  depot they  were  loudly  cheered  by  a  large  crowd,  and  proceeded  via  Leith Walk to  Pilrig,  then  to  Stanley  Road,  returning  through Newhaven and along North  Junction  Street  to   the  Foot  of  Leith   Walk,   turning   down   Constitution Street  to  Bernard  Street  and  from  there  to  the  Foot  of   Leith   Walk; where Provost Mackie addressed  the  crowd  from  the  upper  deck of the  decorated tram,   declaring   the  tramway   system   open. 

 

In his open air speech, the Provost said that the Corporation had done their best to make  the tramway  system  a  good  one,  and  if  everyone  gave  it all the encouragement they could,  it  was  bound  to  be  a  success. The six miles   of   the  system had   taken  nine  months to construct and the amount paid in wages amounted to £22,000; the largest  number of men employed at any one time had been 600.  Halfpenny stages would be introduced from Monday. The council had hoped to continue the Newhaven line to Granton and  from, Granton to Goldenacre and thence to Bonnington  Terrace, but as these streets were partly in Leith and partly in Edinburgh this could  not be done without  the consent of the Edinburgh Corporation. He hoped that the day was not far distant  when they would meet to discuss this.

The party then alighted from the tram and walked along Duke Street to Smith's Rooms, where a celebration dinner had been arranged. The employees finished work early that day, at 10.30 p.m., and were entertained to supper in Smith's Rooms. The new halfpenny stages were introduced throughout the system on November 6th, the distance allowed  varying from 572 to 908 yards.

It had been hoped to open the Seafield line by the end of October, but when a trial run was carried out it was discovered that there was insufficient headroom for covered-top trams under the railway bridge at Seafield Place terminus.  Work had to be started  immediately to lower the roadway and track, but since arrangements had already been made to  sell  off  the  horse trams on November 3rd, there was now no service at all from the Foot of Leith  Walk  to  Seafield.   Residents  in  the  Lochend  Road  and  Restlarig Road areas  were  furious,  but had  to  wait  until  November   21st,  when  the   Board of Trade inspector visited the Seafield line and Bernard  Street  bridge  and passed  these  lines. Tram services were started immediately.

 

With  the completion  of  the Seafield  line,  the  Leith  Corporation  Tramways were  in  full operation, using 26 trams to cover the services on all routes. The outer circle was altered to run via Bernard Street instead of North Junction Street, and three other services were operated  from  Pilrig  to  the Caledonian  Station via North Junction Street, from  Seafield to Stanley Road via Leith Walk and Pilrig Street, from Pilrig to Bonnington  Terrace via Ferry  Road, and extra cars from Pilrig to Bernard Street. The 21 compulsory  stops  and  21  request stops were marked with white plates bearing the words " All  Cars  Stop"  (in   red)  or  "Cars  Stop  by  Request"  (in blue).

With the sale of the  horse  trams  and  the  transfer  of  the  remaining  horses, the stables could now be cleared away and work on the new depot completed. The main  depot shed consisted of eight lines and was designed to hold fifty trams. Two further  tracks to the right of the main building led into the workshops.

 

On all ten tracks pits were provided for ease of working and rails were laid in the bottom  of these pits on which small bogies could be run to move heavy equipment.  At  the  rear  end of the depot was a traverser by means of which tramcar trucks could be moved  directly to the workshop. The rear part of the workshop was sectioned off as a paint  shop, the engineering department used the remainder, and at the front part of the building were the offices. 
 
In May, 1906 the engineer Mr.  Relph resigned and was succeeded by Mr. F. A. Fitzpayne, previously engineer to Great Yarmouth Corporation Tramways.  Mr. Fitzpayne's new title was Engineering Superintendent.

The tramway system was now operating very satisfactorily. A slight change was made in the services during 1906; the regular services were unaltered, but the extra cars ran part-day from Pilrig to Newhaven (Pier Place) via Bernard Street, diverted via North Junction Street on Saturday afternoons. Penny transfer fares and halfpenny workmen's fares were  introduced, but  the  normal  halfpenny  fares  were  withdrawn,  except  Foot  of Leith Walk to Pilrig or Junction Bridge. In compensation most 1½d.  fares were reduced to one penny and the 2d.  Seafield-Stanley Road fare reduced to l½d. Parcels service was introduced in June, 1907, and the last halfpenny ordinary fares were withdrawn in August.
On  Saturday,   October  12th  1907,  the  tramway   system   was  brought   to a temporary halt when a crowd of  20,000  assembled  at  the  Foot  of  Leith Walk for the unveiling of the statue of Queen Victoria by Lord Roseberry. Temporary stands had been erected in the roadway at either side of the statue.

Early  in  1909  a  new  crossover  was  laid  in  Commercial  Street   near   the North  British   Railway's  North  Leith  Citadel  station,  terminus, of  the line from  Waverley  Station  via  Abbeyhill,  Easter  Road,  Powderhall  and  Bonnington  which  was  much  used  by  dockers  and  shipyard  workers.  A second crossover was put in   at the Custom House.   In   later   years  cars  turning   at the  Citadel   showed   the   destination   "Dock   Gates"  whereas   special  cars   for the  Docks  had  previously   been   run   to  the  loop   track   at   Bernard Street.

In 1908 application was made to Parliament for powers to extend the tramways   from  Newhaven   to   Granton   and   from Bonnington Terrace   to Goldenacre and Granton, these being granted in the Leith Burgh Act of July 1908. As in the original case, some parts would be just  within  the Edinburgh boundary, which ran along  the  centre  of  the  roadway  in  Ferry  Road from Bonnington Terrace (Newhaven  Road)  to  a  point  beyond  the  junction with Granton Road. From this point the  line  would  be  in  Leith  to  a  point 244 feet west  of  Boswell Road  where it  crossed  into Edinburgh  to  reach  Granton Square,  as did the Lower  Granton  Road  near  Wardie  Square. Because  of the  boundary, the  two  tracks  in  Ferry  Road were  numbered separately   in the  Act   although   forming  a double line.  The   line   returned along  Lower Granton Road, Trinity Crescent and Starbank  Road  to  meet  the  existing system at Pier Place, Newhaven, where  a  curve  southwards  into  Craighall Road  forming  a  triangular   junction was  authorised  but  not constructed.

Construction work started at Pier Place in mid-December 1908, and proceeded westward  along Starbank Road. Early in February 1909, the corporation horse bus which ran from Pier Place to Granton was re-routed via East Trinity Road in order that track work could  proceed at the narrow section from Starbank  Park to York  Road. Some widening of the  roadway was  necessary  at  Chain  Pier  Road and Trinity Road to allow a suitable curve to be  laid under Trinity  Bridge, and by early April one track to Granton Square had been completed.

 

A trial run was made with the committee aboard on the evening on April 12th, and on Tuesday, May 11th, Colonel  Von  Donop  inspected  the  line  for  the  Board  of  Trade  and  declared it  satisfactory. Service commenced on the same day, with cars from  Pilrig to Granton  via  Bernard  Street  (via  North  Junction  Street  evenings  and Saturday  afternoons) at a through fare of 2½d. Extra cars ran to Granton from Bernard Street or Pier Place. 

The track construction squads were now engaged on the 1 mile 172 yards section from Granton Square to Goldenacre and the 1,405 yards section from Bonnington Terrace to Goldenacre via Ferry Road. By the end of June the first mentioned line had been completed and on Friday July 2nd, Colonel Von Donop was met at the North British Hotel in Edinburgh by Provost Smith and Baillie Hall and preceded to Goldenacre where the other tramway officials were waiting. All boarded the special tram which proceeded along the new line and back via Newhaven. Col. Von Donop gave approval for the line to be used and the Granton cars were extended to Goldenacre on the same day.

At Goldenacre the electric cars met the cable cars from Hanover Street, though as at Pilrig the tracks were not connected. The new extension proved exceedingly popular, since  Edinburgh folk  could come to Goldenacre by cable  tram,  then  board   an  electric  tram  proceeding  by  Granton  Road  with  a fine panoramic view over  the  Firth of  Forth to  the  coast of  Fife  and beyond before reaching Granton Square. After passing   under the   Trinity  Bridge, with views over the Forth to the north and east, they reached Newhaven with its harbour, fishing boats and fishermen's houses with quaint outside stairs. Annfield and Anchorfield gave a view towards Leith Pier and the shipbuilding yards, and they returned through Leith to Pilrig where they changed back to a cable car for Edinburgh.

Leith Town  Council   had   hoped   to   open   the   rest   of  the  Granton  Circle on  July  22nd,  but   the  line  was  barely  ready and the Board of Trade could not arrange  an  inspection on that day. On Tuesday, August 3rd  1909, Col. Von  Donop  returned  and  was  conveyed  by  special  tram  from  Bonnington Terrace via Goldenacre, Granton,  Newhaven  and  Commercial  Street  to Charlotte  Street,  where  the  party  proceeded  to   the  Leith   Council   Chambers.

 

Col. Von Donop passed the new route as satisfactory, and the event was then celebrated by toasts and   speeches. Parts of the Granton Circle were approved for 15 miles per hour  running,  1½ times the speed of the cable trams. Motor buses and heavy motor  lorries  were  at  that  time  limited  to  12  miles per hour,  and the  speed  of  the  horse  cars  had  been  from  5  to  6  miles per hour.  The Granton Circle had cost £50,390.

Tram   service   round   the Granton Circle   was   started   on   the same  day, August 3rd, with cars from Pilrig via Bernard Street and via Pilrig Street, and  the  Seafield - Stanley  Road  ,service was  extended  down  Craighall  Road to  Newhaven,  continuing  to  Pilrig  via  Bernard  Street  and  Leith  Walk. Cars were also run for a few weeks from Pilrig to Goldenacre via Junction Street, but were withdrawn from September 2nd, transfer tickets being introduced changing   at   Bonnington   Terrace.    The Pilrig North Junction Street­ Caledonian Station service was withdrawn from the same date, and the Granton services were operated without any   additions to the   rolling stock. The fare right round the six mile Granton Circle was four pence, certain semi-circular journeys  were  charged at   three pence, and  Pilrig  to  Granton by  either  route  cost  2½d., with  2d.,  l½d.  and  ld.  stages intermediately.

The Leith tramways were early users of automatic points  and  signals. Eight sets of Turner's patent point controllers  were  installed  on  the  original lines, six at junctions and two at the swing bridge catch points and signals supplied by S. Dixon and Son Ltd. were installed at the Bonnington Terrace single-line junctions and at each end of  Stanley   Road.   Similar   signals were  installed  in  1909 at  Trinity   Bridge.   The  other  single  line  section,  in  Duke  Street  on  the  Seafield  route,  required  no  signals  as both  ends were in  line of sight.

Mr. John Wilson, the manager died on April 6th 1909, and Mr. F. A. Fitzpayne took charge; he was confirmed as manager on July 27th. Halfpenny fares were re-introduced in August 1910. During the last half year of horse tram operations the cost had been 8.32d. per car  mile, whilst  operating expenses for the electric trams in 1911 were down to 4.5d. per car mile, the lowest  figure  achieved  by any tramway  undertaking  in  the United   Kingdom.

In the summer of 1911 proposals were again made for extending the Seafield line to at least the Burgh boundary and possibly to Kings Road, where   at   Easter   1910   a   group   of   businessmen had  opened the Marine Gardens with an exhibition hall, concert hall, circus and menagerie, and some exhibits from the 1908 Scottish National Exhibition held at Saughton Park, Edinburgh.  The extension via Iona Street and Easter Road was also discussed but both were turned down.  Some  changes  had  been  made  in  the tram services for  the winter of 1910, but  the previous  pattern  was restored in April, 1911, and remained in force for six years. Most of the system was covered by the two long through services, the  six mile  Granton Circle and the 5.3 mile "figure eight” service Seafield – Pilrig - Stanley Road - Bernard Street - Pilrig, the other two services being Pilrig - Stanley Road via Ferry Road;  and  Pilrig - Bernard  Street.   North Junction Street was left unserved.

Until 1914 the  tramways   still  used  a  horse-drawn   tower  wagon  supplied by  Rawlinson and  Son of  Blackburn in  1905. In   1910  Leith  fire  brigade took delivery  of  two  Halley  motor  fire  engines,  WS113  and  WS114,  and in   March  1914,   the   tramways   followed   suit   with   a  Halley   motor tower wagon,  WS194.   The   registration   letters “WS” were allotted to the Burgh ofLeith  and  used  until  1920,  by  which  time  they  had  reached  WS500.   Fire engine WS113 still exists today at the fire brigade museum collection. At   the   end   of   1914   an   experimental   island   for   tram   passengers  was made at the Foot of  Leith  Walk;  it  became  a  permanent  fixture two  months later. By now  the  war  had  started  and  those  men on  the  tramways  who  had been  in  the  Scottish   Volunteers  were  among  the  first  to   go.   Others had   to be taken on and trained. More  men  were  required  for the  services  and  in July 1915, one  tram  was  decorated  with a red,  white  and blue  poster  with  the famous picture  of  Kitchener  and  the  words  "Your  Country  Needs  You". This recruiting car ran for two weeks.

On May 22nd 1915, a great tragedy occurred with the railway disaster at Gretna in which  214  officers  and  men   were  killed.  Nearly all came from Leith, and many families  were  left  penniless. Later that year Leith began to recruit women tram conductors. By  1915 one sixth of the adult male population of Leith were in the Services and women  tram  drivers  were  engaged;  by 1918 there were also women inspectors. From 1914,  members of H. M. Forces in uniform travelled free of charge, but from May 1915, they  were charged workmen's fares. Through tickets to Edinburgh were withdrawn in December 1915, at the request of the Edinburgh and District Tramways.

On December 19th 1915, trams were unable to use Commercial Street owing to a serious fire at Bond No. 48, near the Citadel station. The building contained whisky and other goods, and twelve hours later was still blazing furiously, with butter and melting cheese  running down the front of the building from the barred windows. Motor, steam and horse drawn equipment was used by the fire brigade, and work at the fire lasted until January 6th.

 

Nearby was the only tramway with railway level crossing on the system, with a dock railway, the scene  of a  serious  collision  on  December 30th 1927, when  a  goods  train  struck  the  rear  part  of  an  east bound tram.

Early in 1916 the manager submitted a table of  revenue,  expenditure and passengers carried since the start of the system, which showed  how  revenue  had  declined  with  the  reintroduction  of  halfpenny   fares in 1910.   Since  costs   were  rising much  faster  than   revenue,  the  halfpenny    fares  were abolished from  March  15th  1916.

 

Early in 1917 the  Bernard Street Pilrig route was extended at each end to Portland  Place  (Caledonian  Railway Station) and via Pilrig Street to Bonnington Terrace. Winter storms had damaged the sea wall in Starbank Road and Trinity  Crescent, and single line operation was necessary from Pier Place to Trinity Bridge during repairs. An arrangement was made with the postal authorities for the conveyance of mails from Granton to the  Foot of  Leith Walk at 3d. per bag. A postman from the sorting office in Kirk Street collected the mail from the tram on arrival.

From March 15th,  1917,  part  of  the  "figure nine"  service was discontinued (from Stanley Road via Bernard Street to Pilrig) and  from  that  date onwards there  was  no  service  down  Craighall Road. This  situation lasted for thirty two years,  until  October  17th  1949,  when  after agitation  from  the travelling public Edinburgh Corporation extended the tram  service  from Stanley   Road  terminus   down  to   the   foot of  Craighall  Road. Extra   cars were introduced from March, 1917, from Pilrig to Granton   via   Bernard Street.   In April 1918, a number of tram stopping places were eliminated.

There was great rejoicing on November 11th 1918, when the war ended but  difficult  conditions still  remained,  and  the  proposals  now  being  discussed for  amalgamation  with   Edinburgh   did  nothing  to  raise  the spirits  of  Leith folk, as many were against it. Tram fares were increased on May l6th 1919. The public were demanding the  restoration of  the  former  stopping places,  and  early  in  1919  most  were restored.

In November, 1920, Leith was merged into Edinburgh, and Mr F. A. Fitzpayne was appointed Deputy Manager of Edinburgh Corporation Tramways.  The  administration of  both systems was merged but the cable and electric services continued to run  separately. Mr. G. T. Goalen, convener of Leith Corporation Tramways, later became convener of  Edinburgh Transport Committee and lost no opportunity of reminding the transport press that by contrast with Edinburgh’s difficulties the Leith Corporation Tramways had been a  huge success in every way. He could have reminded the editors that in January, 1899, The Railway World had said that Leith could not hope to work its tramways by electricity  more cheaply than it could by cable cars as part of a large system based on Edinburgh.

In 1922 Edinburgh Corporation decided to convert the entire system to electric traction. This took around three years to implement. The last cable tram operated in June 1923. 

 

An old postcard view of Bonnington Bridge

£37,.384

£24,083

10,963,826