Lanarkshire Tramways



Owner Hamilton, Motherwell and Wishaw Tramways Company, subsidary of the British Thomson-Houston Company
Opened 22nd July 1903 (electric)
Operator Hamilton, Motherwell and Wishaw Tramways Company
Name changed 11th August 1903 (to the Lanarkshire Tramways Company)
Took over operation) September 1913 (Lanark County Council built Stevenston, Mossend, Bellshill line, as the lessee)
Took over (operation) 24th October 1913 (Lanark County Council built Mossend to Holytown line, as the lessee)
Took over (operation) 11th February 1914 (Lanark County Council built Belshill to Uddingston line, as the lessee)
Took over (ownership) May 1921 (all lines previously leased from Lanark County Council)
Name changed 30th October 1930 (Lanarkshire Traction Company)
Closed 14th February 1931
Length 28.43 miles
Gauge 4ft 7¾ins

Button description Title (‘LANARKSHIRE TRAMWAYS COMPANY’) within a border, surrounding a monogram of interwoven letters, 'LTC'.
Materials known Brass
Button Line reference [113/39]

Comments In the early years, the company was controlled by the British Thomson-Houston Company Limited (BTH), though their stake declined significantly over the years. BTH also owned, operated or controlled the following systems: Cork Electric Tramways, Chatham and District Light Railway, Isle of Thanet Electric Tramways, and Paisley District Tramways. Interestingly, the buttons of all these companies have very little in common stylistically, suggesting that BTH left this aspect of tramway operation to the tramway companies themselves.

The unusual gauge was to allow for the running of railway wagons over the system.