A single-decked tram with its all black coachwork …

[peterw]

A pop-up thread memo is telling me that there are four similar threads to this one, but I doubt it. And yes, before I begin I am aware that there is a large thread snowballing its way through Sheffield Discussion, but again it has nothing to do with my reasonably short thread.

Via the Manchester Evening News the Metrolink tramway bosses in that city are currently assuring readers that their de-icer tram is hard at work keeping the tracks free from ice. Or at least SOME of the tracks.

Laughable really, because way back in time when Sheffield was a city of some tramway repute (it was a better than average, damn good service) its bosses appeared to me to be pretty slick with the aid of an old codger of a single-deck tram, totally black livery and therefore almost invisible was out and about keeping the entire tramway network free from snow with just the one plough!

I just wonder how many Forumers remember that old beast. It had an open front, so the driver was always exposed to the elements and was never really seen because his overcoat, scarf and cap covered most of his head, including neck and face.

Those were the days! Magnificent trams, an advertisement-free livery to be proud of, a superb service running every day, hail rain snow and blow except on Christmas Days. Or am I mistaken about that?

In any event it was a service to be proud of. Go anywhere else and you wouldn’t find trams without advertisements — except in Sheffield!

Alas, Sheffield Corporation Tramway Department died many years ago and there is no way it will return. I am not mechanically minded but if my memory serves me, give the tramway department a four-wheeled chassis, and I seem to recall that at least one tram shed-cum-repair depot (it was somewhere near the old Kennings, on the right) had skilled men — and I do mean skilled — waiting to build the rest of it in-house, so to speak.

Finally, can anyone tell me why all new tramways throughout Britain seem to have developed a yearning for single deck trams built at a high cost by a couple of European tram builders rather than the good old double deckers, this time built by an enlightened Brit with the engineering capacity to do just that.

Like — “Hey, there’s money in building trams so why don’t we get a piece of the action?” asks Chairman.

 

P.S. During the early war years when tram tickets looked like tram tickets and had different colours for different prices, taking up the upstairs bays each Saturday night you were likely to find six or seven lively young lads on their respective journeys home, complete with their ticket to travel.

 

There was always a likelehood that you would be invited into the bay in order to play just the one hand at cribbage. It was usually over in double quick time and the winner would be able, without injury to his person, to walk away with the two-bob per player kitty which was handed over to one of the players before the start of play.

 

It was a simple game. Tickets would be collected by whoever wanged to collect them, they would then be crudely shuffled and dealt, the official tram number would be agreed by one and all, and each player would add that number to the four numbers on his ticket.

 

So, with six numbers we would go through the “fifteen-two, fifteen-four’” process and the person with the highest number would leave the tram with at least an extra ten bob in his pocket.

 

Happy nights! I only won it once. Took home 16 shillings, then checked the Pools via the Empire News bought from a street seller at the top of Snig Hill, and found that I’d be collecting at least something for having “eight home teams failing to win.” The dividend that week turned out to be a quite high “two thousand shillings”!

[little malc]

My father-in-law, Bill Woffenden was one of the snow plough drivers, he would tell us of days when it snowed, which seemed to be every winter in those days, that he would be roused in a morning by someone sent round from the depot asking him to come in for snow plough duties. (no telephone in those days!) He had huge very stiff leather gloves with long cuffs that came up over the wrists, heavy great coat, hat and goggles, he would often put newspaper in his boots for extra insulation, the snow plough was a conversion from an early 1900's single deck tram with open front! like all trams it was fitted with sand boxes for gritting the track when wheel spin happened. A couple of men on the back would throw grit on the road with shovels as they went along,but it worked! everything went on as normal in those days, and all schools stopped open!

Perhaps we have not moved forward all that much since then.

[Greybeard]

My recollection is that this tram was painted grey, not black. It was a converted horse car - number 274 and remained in service until 1952.

[peterw]

My recollection is that this tram was painted grey, not black. It was a converted horse car - number 274 and remained in service until 1952.

 

My apologies for not returning until now. The whole internet and mail system closed down following a sort of ‘regeneration’ by a guy who usually knows what he is doing, and I think still does. Five minutes to fix it this afternoon, no problem. He also apologised for the crash which he admitted was down to him. I can cope with people like that.

 

Nice to being replying to you once again, and Yes — you could well be right about the colour of the tram. And now that you have mentioned 274 I recall that in my younger days, when I had an eye for numbers (but apparently not for colours!!!) three of them graced the front of the good old snow shifter and they could have been 274. The number does at least filter around in my mind.

 

I am envious of you, little malc, for having had the good fortune to have been closely related to one of the drivers! How cool can that be ~ if you’ll pardon the pun!!! And of course your description of everything is so much better than mine, although I was always aware of how cold they must have been.

 

But I wonder, now that I can relate to a pair of gloves (they were a saleable motor-cycle issue and bought primarily from Bunneys or the old Army and Navy Stores.

 

Anyway, my thanks for the info and again my apologies for not being able to get back on line earlier.

[oldrowley]

My recollection is that this tram was painted grey, not black. It was a converted horse car - number 274 and remained in service until 1952.

 

According to C C Hall's 'Sheffield Transport', snowplough 274 was renumbered 353 in 1937 and carried this number until withdrawal in 1952. There were numerous snowplough cars over the years eventually numbered in the 35x and 36x series and some of these were still in service until the end of course.

[Greybeard]

I should have looked Hall's book - it just happens there is a photo of 274 (dated 1917) in another book I have.

 

I do remember being on a 45 bus to Totley early one snowy morning in the late 40s , taking an urgent message to my Gran, and following a snow-plough tram along Abbeydale road . I just remember the tram was grey but not the number and felt sorry for the poor driver exposed to the elements.

[BLITZER]

As a young boy,I remember a lot of the trams were open ended at both ends. I would pay my ha'penny,climb up the winding stairs,and go straight to the open front,weather permitting. Great way to travel, to see all that's going on outside on your journey.

[bracken]

....you will find several pics of the old "grey" works cars described (along with nearly 2000 other Sheff tram pics!) here --http://www.tramway.co.uk/smx/cms/home/

Look down the left menu and click "photograph library" , a area box will pop up so print in Sheffield , then all the pics can be seen .

Most pics of the "works cars" (closed and open-ended) are mostly on page 10.

Click on each pic to enlarge . - Enjoy !