County Borough of Southport : Centenary Celebrations 1867 - 1967 : Transport Department commemorative brochure, 1967
In 1967 the Lancashire seaside resort of Southport celebrated its centenary of being incorpoated as a County Borough, an administrative honour that granted the borough the power sof the county council within its boundaries. To help celebrate the Borough's Transport Department, Southport Corporation Transport, produced a neat little booklet that looked at the history of public transport in the borough.
This started in May 1873 with the running of horse trams by the Southport Tramways Company who, in 1880, were joined by the Birkdale Company. In 1896 the Corporation exercised its right to purchase the tramways and also began the process of electrifiying and extending the network. The first electric services ran on 18 July 1900 (work having started in February that year!). The Corporation finally bought out the remainder of the Southport Company. The system was a typical Edwardian 'first generation' system in that by the 1920s the Corporation was looking to run motor buses and, on 31 December 1934, the last tram ran in the town. The first motor bus purchased had been in 1924 or 26 - a locally constructed Vulcan. The buses, I recall, rean in a grand red and cream livery that matched the painting of the town's street lighting columns!
In the next few decades the undertaking were staunch supporters of the nearby Leyland company and they provided the majority of the bus fleet as can be seen in the photographs. There were some wartime interlopers in the form of Utility Daimlers and, in post-war years, the Department ran one of the country's most unusual services using most unusual vehicles. These were the twelve Bedford QL type that ran, open-top, along the beach from the town's promenade to Sandhills and Ainsdale. These last ran in 1967 and the Bedford's disposed of.
By 1967 the Corporation was on the verge of purchasing the first 'new generation' buses in the form of Leyland Panther single deck buses suitable for OPO operation. This was driven by the need to review operations as passenger figures continued to collapse. Some Atlantean double deckers were purchased in 1973 - the year before the Borough became part of the new Merseyside County Council and the transport department passed to the Merseyside PTE.
The Canning Road depot, seen here, was originally constructed by the growing Southport Tramways Comapny's fleet in 1900 and extended in 1923. Subsequent extensions came in 1932 and 1963 - in the latter year the Corporation closed a leasehold depot in old aircraft hangers in Hesketh Road. The depot alos housed the Borough Police force vehicles, beach patrol and rescue vehicles and the Pier Tram trains! A selection of various Leyland models can be seen in the pictures that includes a fine shot of the very grand tram sheds which survive now used by Arriva.
County Borough of Southport : Centenary Celebrations 1867 - 1967 : Transport Department commemorative brochure, 1967
In 1967 the Lancashire seaside resort of Southport celebrated its centenary of being incorpoated as a County Borough, an administrative honour that granted the borough the power sof the county council within its boundaries. To help celebrate the Borough's Transport Department, Southport Corporation Transport, produced a neat little booklet that looked at the history of public transport in the borough.
This started in May 1873 with the running of horse trams by the Southport Tramways Company who, in 1880, were joined by the Birkdale Company. In 1896 the Corporation exercised its right to purchase the tramways and also began the process of electrifiying and extending the network. The first electric services ran on 18 July 1900 (work having started in February that year!). The Corporation finally bought out the remainder of the Southport Company. The system was a typical Edwardian 'first generation' system in that by the 1920s the Corporation was looking to run motor buses and, on 31 December 1934, the last tram ran in the town. The first motor bus purchased had been in 1924 or 26 - a locally constructed Vulcan. The buses, I recall, rean in a grand red and cream livery that matched the painting of the town's street lighting columns!
In the next few decades the undertaking were staunch supporters of the nearby Leyland company and they provided the majority of the bus fleet as can be seen in the photographs. There were some wartime interlopers in the form of Utility Daimlers and, in post-war years, the Department ran one of the country's most unusual services using most unusual vehicles. These were the twelve Bedford QL type that ran, open-top, along the beach from the town's promenade to Sandhills and Ainsdale. These last ran in 1967 and the Bedford's disposed of.
By 1967 the Corporation was on the verge of purchasing the first 'new generation' buses in the form of Leyland Panther single deck buses suitable for OPO operation. This was driven by the need to review operations as passenger figures continued to collapse. Some Atlantean double deckers were purchased in 1973 - the year before the Borough became part of the new Merseyside County Council and the transport department passed to the Merseyside PTE.
The Canning Road depot, seen here, was originally constructed by the growing Southport Tramways Comapny's fleet in 1900 and extended in 1923. Subsequent extensions came in 1932 and 1963 - in the latter year the Corporation closed a leasehold depot in old aircraft hangers in Hesketh Road. The depot alos housed the Borough Police force vehicles, beach patrol and rescue vehicles and the Pier Tram trains! A selection of various Leyland models can be seen in the pictures that includes a fine shot of the very grand tram sheds which survive now used by Arriva.