Tramways in Plymouth
A Plymouth Corporation tram at the Theatre
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| Operation | |||||||||||
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| Locale | Plymouth, Devon | ||||||||||
| Open | 1872 | ||||||||||
| Close | 1945 | ||||||||||
| Owner(s) | Plymouth Corporation | ||||||||||
| Infrastructure | |||||||||||
| Track gauge | 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) | ||||||||||
| Propulsion system(s) | Horse, later electric | ||||||||||
| Depot(s) | Milehouse | ||||||||||
| Statistics | |||||||||||
| Route length | 17.57 miles (28.28 km) | ||||||||||
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The tramways in Plymouth were originally constructed as four independent networks operated by three different companies to serve the adjacent towns of Plymouth, Stonehouse and Devonport in Devon, England. The merger of the 'Three Towns' into the new borough of Plymouth in 1914 was the catalyst for the three companies to join up under the auspices of the new Plymouth Corporation. The network was closed in 1945, partly as a result of bomb damage during World War II.
The earliest of the three companies, the Plymouth, Stonehouse and Devonport Tramway, was the first tramway in the United Kingdom to be constructed under the provisions of the Tramways Act 1870. Initially a 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) gauge horse-worked line, it was later converted to 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) gauge and electric power. The second was the Plymouth, Devonport and District Tramway (later the Plymouth Tramways Company), which was built to 3 feet 6 inch gauge and used both steam and horse power before electrification. The final company was the Devonport and District Tramway which also adopted the 3 feet 6 inch gauge but was electrified from the outset.
Plymouth grew up around a natural harbour on the eastern side of the promontory now known as Plymouth Hoe, on the south Devon coast. Naval dockyards were established at Plymouth Dock (later known as Devonport), facing across the River Tamar to the north west of Plymouth; Stonehouse was sandwiched between the two and became the home for military barracks, hospitals and a victualling yard.
The South Devon Railway arrived at Plymouth in 1848 and a permanent station was established at Millbay the following year. This was on the western side of Plymouth Hoe and a new commercial dock was established on the shore opposite the station. Immediately north of the station the railway crossed Union Street on a viaduct. This was a road which had been built to link the centres of the Three Towns. The Cornwall Railway opened another line from Millbay through Devonport in 1859.
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