Aberdeen Corporation Tramways
Encyclopedia
The system
The city's tram system was the most northerly municipal tramway in the United Kingdom. The system was electrified, with trams using bow collectorBow collector
A bow collector is one of the three main devices used on tramcars to transfer electric current from the wires above to the tram below. While once very common in continental Europe, it has now been largely replaced by the pantograph.-Origins:...
s to take power from the overhead wires. The trams were double deck and painted in a dark green and cream livery, often with the words "CORPORATION TRANSPORT" painted prominently on the sides.
In the late 1930s the city purchased 18 trams from the Nottingham system, which closed in 1936. Further secondhand trams were later obtained from Manchester. The last new trams for the city were built by R Y Pickering of Wishaw
Wishaw
Wishaw is a large town and former burgh in North Lanarkshire, Scotland. It is on the edge of the Clyde Valley, 15 miles south-east of Glasgow....
in 1949.
The city's best known service was route 1, from Bridge of Don
Bridge of Don
Bridge of Don is a suburb in the north of Aberdeen, Scotland. It has an estimated population of over 22,000.Bridge of Don is split into smaller areas...
to Bridge of Dee
Bridge of Dee
The Bridge of Dee or Brig o' Dee is a road bridge over the River Dee in Aberdeen, Scotland. The term is also used for the surrounding area of the city. Dating from 1527, the bridge crosses at what was once the City of Aberdeen's southern boundary...
. The city's last tram operated on 3 May 1958, being replaced by diesel buses.
| No. | From | To | Via | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bridge of Dee | Bridge of Don | Union Street | |
| 2 | Castle Street | Mannofield | Great Western Road | |
| 3 | Castle Street | Castle Street | Union Street, Queen's Cross, Fountainhill Road, Rosemount Place, Rosemount Viaduct and Union Terrace | Circular Route |
| 4 | Castle Street | Hazlehead | Queen's Road | |
| 5 | Castle Street | King's Gate | Union Terrace | |
| 6 | Castle Street | Castle Street | Union Terrace, Rosemount Viaduct, Rosemount Place, Fountainhill Road, Queen's Cross and Union Street | Circular Route |
| 7 | St Nicholas Street | Woodside and Scatterburn | George Street and Great Northern Road | |
| 9 | Castle Street | Sea Beach | Constitution Street |
The tram system was supported by 14 bus routes numbered No. 4, No. 8 and No. 11 through to No. 22, No. 4 being an extension of the No. 4 tram route.
Television studios
The former tram depot at Queen's Cross was purchased by Grampian TelevisionGrampian Television
Grampian Television is the ITV franchisee for the North and North East of Scotland. Its coverage area includes the Scottish Highlands , Inverness, Aberdeen, Dundee and parts of north Fife...
in 1960 and was converted into their television studios and headquarters. In 2003 Grampian Television relocated their studios and offices to new premises; the former tram depot was subsequently demolished and new flats built on the site.
Successors
Following the closure of the tram system, Aberdeen Corporation continued to operate buses. Following the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973
The Local Government Act 1973 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, that reformed local government in Scotland, on May 16, 1975....
, the fleet passed to the new Grampian Regional Council in 1975, becoming Grampian Regional Transport. The dark green and cream livery was retained. Following the Transport Act 1985
Transport Act 1985
The Transport Act 1985 was a Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom. It introduced deregulation of bus services throughout Great Britain, although a different system of franchised routes was applied in Greater London. It was introduced by the Conservative government of Margaret Thatcher.Bus...
the company was subsequently privatised, becoming the GRT Group
GRT Group
GRT Group plc was a bus operating company in the United Kingdom. Created in 1989 as a holding company to effect the buyout of Grampian Regional Transport , it grew by acquisition and in 1995 merged with Badgerline to create FirstBus plc, forerunner to worldwide transport company FirstGroup...
, which later became First Group. As of 2009, buses in Aberdeen are operated by First Aberdeen
First Aberdeen
First Aberdeen Ltd is the main bus company serving Aberdeen, Scotland and is part of FirstGroup. It was renamed First Aberdeen Ltd in 1998, having previously operated buses in Aberdeen as Aberdeen Corporation, Grampian Regional Transport and First Grampian.-Aberdeen Corporation:Aberdeen Corporation...
.
See also
- History of AberdeenHistory of AberdeenThe History of Aberdeen, Scotland is long and distinguished with a human presence in the area since the Stone Age. Aberdeen as a city, grew up as two separate burghs: Old Aberdeen at the mouth of the River Don; and New Aberdeen, a fishing and trading settlement where the Denburn entered the Dee...
- National Tramway MuseumNational Tramway MuseumThe National Tramway Museum, at Crich, in Derbyshire, England, is situated within Crich Tramway Village, a period village containing a pub, cafe, old-style sweetshop, including the tram depots. The village is also home to the Eagle Press, a small museum dedicated to Letterpress Printing including...
- Scottish Tramway and Transport SocietyScottish Tramway and Transport SocietyThe Scottish Tramway and Transport Society was founded on 27 June 1951. Until 1983 it was known as the Scottish Tramway Museum Society. The Society was originally formed by tramway enthusiasts, mainly living in the Glasgow area, with a view to preserve a Glasgow "Room and Kitchen" type single deck...