Preserved London Transport - 1622 - BTH - Brush
This tram is the only remaining working example of the largest class of tramcars from anywhere in the UK as over 1,000 of these E/1 cars once operated in London, although one other example still survives but is just a static exhibit. New to the London Transport Passenger Board, in 1911, it entered service in 1912 on the London County Council tramway and is thought to have worked out of the Poplar depot throughout its working life. Although it was fitted with a top cover from new, it was extensively refurbished in 1928 in a process known as ‘Pullmanisation’. This involved the addition of platform vestibules and more comfortable seating in an attempt to ward off competition from rival bus operators. It also participated in early trials with lead-free paint. It has English Electric Feltham bogies and is powered by BTH 509P1 2 x 70 hp motors. It was withdrawn from regular service in 1940 and assigned to the ‘reserve fleet’ for the duration of World War II, but never returned to active service. Both decks were initially sold on to a caravan site on Hayling Island, Hampshire, after which the lower deck ended up in an orchard in Liss, also Hampshire, for many years. Discovered by a hiker in 1969, it was transported by crane and lorry to London in 1979. An upper deck discovered not too far away at Meonstoke, Hampshire provided a template for a replacement to be constructed at the Crich Tramway Museum, where it is seen approaching Bowes - Lyon Bridge, heading for the terminus at Town End, on 08/06/2003, when in operation at the museum's Transport Extravaganza. The tram was restored to depict a ‘rehabilitated’ E/1 tramcar with a refurbished interior, even though 1622 was never modernised in this way. The extended restoration process was undertaken in part by the London County Council Tramways Trust (lower body) and by the Tramway Museum Society, at Crich (upper body, trucks and final assembly) between 1994 and 1997. The trucks came from a Leeds Feltham tram (no. 517) but neither the bogies or the motors are historically accurate for this type of tramcar. It started operating at Crich during 1997 and has operated in nineteen seasons including 2021. These details and more can be found at www.tramway.co.uk/trams/london-passenger-transport-board-....
The camera being a Pentax MZ-M with the film being a Fujichrome Colourslide.
I would request, as with all my photos, that they are not copied or downloaded in any way, shape or form. © Peter Steel 2003.
Preserved London Transport - 1622 - BTH - Brush
This tram is the only remaining working example of the largest class of tramcars from anywhere in the UK as over 1,000 of these E/1 cars once operated in London, although one other example still survives but is just a static exhibit. New to the London Transport Passenger Board, in 1911, it entered service in 1912 on the London County Council tramway and is thought to have worked out of the Poplar depot throughout its working life. Although it was fitted with a top cover from new, it was extensively refurbished in 1928 in a process known as ‘Pullmanisation’. This involved the addition of platform vestibules and more comfortable seating in an attempt to ward off competition from rival bus operators. It also participated in early trials with lead-free paint. It has English Electric Feltham bogies and is powered by BTH 509P1 2 x 70 hp motors. It was withdrawn from regular service in 1940 and assigned to the ‘reserve fleet’ for the duration of World War II, but never returned to active service. Both decks were initially sold on to a caravan site on Hayling Island, Hampshire, after which the lower deck ended up in an orchard in Liss, also Hampshire, for many years. Discovered by a hiker in 1969, it was transported by crane and lorry to London in 1979. An upper deck discovered not too far away at Meonstoke, Hampshire provided a template for a replacement to be constructed at the Crich Tramway Museum, where it is seen approaching Bowes - Lyon Bridge, heading for the terminus at Town End, on 08/06/2003, when in operation at the museum's Transport Extravaganza. The tram was restored to depict a ‘rehabilitated’ E/1 tramcar with a refurbished interior, even though 1622 was never modernised in this way. The extended restoration process was undertaken in part by the London County Council Tramways Trust (lower body) and by the Tramway Museum Society, at Crich (upper body, trucks and final assembly) between 1994 and 1997. The trucks came from a Leeds Feltham tram (no. 517) but neither the bogies or the motors are historically accurate for this type of tramcar. It started operating at Crich during 1997 and has operated in nineteen seasons including 2021. These details and more can be found at www.tramway.co.uk/trams/london-passenger-transport-board-....
The camera being a Pentax MZ-M with the film being a Fujichrome Colourslide.
I would request, as with all my photos, that they are not copied or downloaded in any way, shape or form. © Peter Steel 2003.