Wolverhampton District Electric Tramways Company
Car 34 preserved at the Black Country Living Museum
|
|
| Operation | |
|---|---|
| Locale | Dudley, Wolverhampton |
| Open | 22 April 1899 |
| Close | 31 August 1928 |
| Status | Closed |
| Infrastructure | |
| Track gauge | 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) |
| Propulsion system(s) | Electric |
| Depot(s) | Mount Pleasant, Bilston |
| Statistics | |
| Route length | 14.67 miles (23.61 km) |
The Wolverhampton District Electric Tramways Company operated an electric tramway service between Dudley and Wolverhampton between 1899 and 1928.
On 22 April 1899 British Electric Traction purchased the assets of the Dudley and Wolverhampton Tramways Company. The Dudley and Wolverhampton Tramways Order of 1899 authorised rebuilding and electrification and the first section between Dudley and Sedgley opened on 3 October 1900, and the remaining section from Sedgley to the Wolverhampton boundary at the Fighting Cocks on 9 January 1902.
The route from Dudley to Sedgley section was worked by tramcars from the Dudley, Stourbridge and District Electric Traction Company. The line between Sedgley and the Fighting Cocks (on the Wolverhampton boundary) remained steam operated until 1902.
On 1 May 1900, the Wolverhampton District Electric Tramways Company purchased the assets of the Bilston and District Tramways from British Electric Traction. The newly electrified line to Dudley was transferred to the new Company, on 1 February 1901.
Electric services began as follows:
The offices, a transformer station and the repair and paint shop were based at 34 Mount Pleasant, Bilston.
On 23 April 1903 services started over the South Staffordshire Tramways Company track) from Moxley to Darlaston.
Control of the Dudley to Fighting Cocks section was transferred to the Company on 27 October 1903.
From 1 January 1904, the Birmingham and Midland Tramways Joint Committee took a controlling interest in the company.
On 9 November 1905, the section between Stow Heath Lane and Bilston was taken over by Wolverhampton Corporation Tramways, and the Deans Road to Willenhall section on 18 April 1906. Wolverhampton Corporation Tramways cars were modified with overhead equipment to operate through journeys. Wolverhampton Corporation Tramways used the Lorain Stud contact system on the remainder of their routes.
...
Wikipedia