Glossop Tramways 1903-1927

Although promoted by the Urban Electric Supply Company, the Glossop Tramway was the idea of one of its employees, local engineer, Charles Knowles.

Authority for the tramway was given under the Glossop Electric Tramways Order of 1901 and provided for a single-track line running from Hadfield Station on the Great Central Railway’s Manchester to Barnsley line, through Glossop to the terminus at the Queen’s Arms Hotel in Old Glossop.

A ½-mile branch line from the main line at Norfolk Square in the centre of Glossop ran to Whitfield. The line weaved around a number of mills along its 4½ mile length, although the two terminal points were less than half this distance apart as the crow flies.

The initial fleet consisted of seven Milnes open-top double-deckers, joined later by a BEC single-decker, and finally a second-hand ERCTW single-decker from Sheffield.

Although extensions to join the Manchester system were considered, in the end the system remained as it was and, because of the effects of World War 1, it became run down.

The Whitfield branch was closed in 1918 and although the tramway was offered for sale to Glossop Council, it was never purchased and closed down at short notice on the 24th December 1927. The service was replaced by the motorbuses of the North Western Road Car Company.

FLEET SUMMARY

Fleet No.TypeTrucksBuilderSeating

1903

1-7Double-deck
open-top
4-wheel		?Milnes?

Withdrawn 1927 (1-7).

1904

8Single-deck
demi-car		?BEC?

Withdrawn 1927 (8).

1918

9Single-deck?ERTCW?

No. 9 ex-Sheffield Corporation (No. 56, new 1899).
Withdrawn 1927 (9).

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