Coventry Corporation Tramways

Coventry Corporation Tramways

Map of Coventry Corporation Tramways
Operation
Locale	Coventry
Open	1 January 1912
Close	30 December 1940
Status	Closed
Infrastructure
Track gauge	3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm)
Propulsion system(s)	Electric
Depot(s)	Priestley's Bridge and Foleshill
Statistics
Route length	13.33 miles (21.45 km)
Coventry and District Tramways Company era: 1884–1893 Track gauge 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) Propulsion system(s) Steam
Coventry Electric Tramways era: 1895–1912 Track gauge 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) Propulsion system(s) Electric
Coventry Corporation Tramways era: 1912–1940 Track gauge 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) standard gauge Propulsion system(s) Electric

Coventry Corporation Tramways operated a tramway service in Coventry, England, between 1912 and 1940.

Initial steam powered tramway services were provided by the Coventry and District Tramways Company between Coventry and Bedworth from 1884 to 1893. A proposed extension to Nuneaton was withdrawn owing to opposition. The steam trams seem never to have been very successful, frequently de-railing and experiencing difficulty in ascending the Bishop Street gradient. The service headway was one hour. Steam traction ceased in 1893, after which there was no tramway service until 1895.

The steam tramway service was superseded by the Coventry Electric Tramways Company Ltd, which started operations in 1895. This company was a subsidiary of the New General Traction Company. The contractors for the electrification were the General Traction Company of Westminster, and the work was carried out under the supervision of Graff Baker and Winslow. Much of the equipment was supplied by the Westinghouse Company, and the Peckham cantilever trucks for the tramcars were also American.

Coventry was the first tramway in Britain to have side poles with span wires to carry the overhead electrification.

The first electric tram ran to Foleshill Depot (grid reference SP 34481 82294) on 5 December 1895 and the service was extended to Bedworth one week later.

A new depot was opened at Priestley's Bridge (grid reference SP 34277 80197) during 1899. On 6 March 1900 a tramway postal service was inaugurated, which continued until the end of tramway operation 40 years later. In latter days the postal car left Bedworth at 8.50pm, showing 'Postal Car' in red letters on the route indicator. The letter-box was fixed to the outside of the rear dash.

In 1896 the company made a profit of £3,360 (equivalent to £350,647 in 2015). By 1911 the profit had reached £12,599, (equivalent to £1,157,127 in 2015). the highest in the company history.

On Sunday 15 December 1907, car 9 overturned on turning the corner into Lower Ford Street after descending Far Gosford Street.

This company was taken over by the Coventry Corporation in 1912 at a cost of £202,132 (equivalent of £18,048,280 in 2015).