Colchester Corporation Tramways



Owner Colchester Corporation
Opened 28th July 1904 (electric)
Operator Colchester Corporation
Closed
8th December 1929
Length 5.74 miles
Gauge 3ft 6ins

Button description Title ('COLCHESTER CORPORATION TRAMWAYS') surrounding the municipal arms (a shield bearing a 'green' cross and three crowns)
Materials known Brass; nickel
Button Line reference [113/24]

Comment The green cross represents St Helena, who was reputed to have been born in Colchester in the 3rd Century A.D., and to have made a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, where she was said to have discovered the true cross. Apparently her luck didn't end there as she also went on to discover relics of the Magi - hence the three crowns.

Although it is unclear when the enterprise was renamed 'Colchester Corporation Transport', it seems likely that this was after the demise of the trams, the first buses only being introduced 18 months prior to the last tram running. It is therefore very unlikely that tramway staff would have been issued with new uniforms bearing 'Colchester Corporation' buttons (note that these did not actually carry the word 'Transport').