Falkirk & District Tramways Company 1905-1936

Opened on the 21st October 1905 under the Falkirk and District Tramways Order of 1901, this tramway used a 4ft gauge. It began as a circular route linking the town of Falkirk with the neighbouring villages of Camelon, Larbert, Stenhousemuir, Carron and Bainsford.

The original fleet consisted of 15 (Nos. 1-15) open-top double-deckers from the Compagnie Générale de Construction, of St. Denis, France.

An extension to St. Mary Square, Laurieston was opened on 3rd September 1909 and completed the system.

In 1920 the Falkirk and District Tramways Company was taken over by the Fife Tramway, Light and Power Company, a Balfour Beatty subsidiary.

New tramcars were ordered in the shape of ten Brush single-deck tramcars (Nos. 1-10), with additional tramcars Nos. 13-16 arriving in 1931 and five single-deck vehicles from the Dearne District Light Railway system (Nos. 11, 12, 17-19) in 1934.

In 1935 the Scottish Motor Traction Company bought up most of the Company’s shares and closed the tramway down the following year (21st July 1936) to make way for its bus services.

FLEET SUMMARY

Fleet No.TypeTrucksBuilderSeating

1906

1-15Double-deck
open-top		?Compagnie Generale de Construction?
16-18Double-deck
open-top		?Brush?

Nos. 16-18 top-covered from 1908 to 1913.

1929

1-10Single-deck
saloon		?Brush?

1931

13-16Single-deck
saloon		?Brush?

1934

11-12Single-deck
lowheight		PeckhamEnglish Electric36
17-19Single-deck
lowheight		PeckhamEnglish Electric36

Nos. 11-12, 17-19 ex-Dearne District Light Railway.

In producing this history reference has been made to the following source;
The Directory of British Tramways (Keith Turner, PSL 1996).