General Tramways Company of Portsmouth
Owner General Tramways Company of Portsmouth
Opened 4th March 1878 (horse)
Operator General Tramways Company of Portsmouth
Taken over (ownership) 11th April 1878 (the Provincial Tramways Company)
Took over 8th May 1878 (Landport and Southsea Tramway Company Limited)
Amalgamated 1st September 1883 (with the Gosport Street Tramways Company, and the Portsmouth Street Tramways Company - both subsidiaries of the PTCo); thereafter worked as the Portsmouth Street Tramways Company (a newly incorporated company)
Length Circa 2.13 miles (owned by the GTCo)
Gauge 4ft 7¾ins (?)
Button description Uniforms probably not worn
Comments Photographs of the General Tramways Company of Portsmouth, prior to the amalgamation with the Portsmouth Street Tramways Company, have not survived, so it is impossible to state whether or not uniforms were worn. However, given that photographs from the early days of the latter show tramcar staff wearing informal attire, it seems highly likely that the GTCo did likewise, and that marked uniform buttons never existed.
The Provincial Group (Provincial Tramways Company) was established in 1872 in London, and at various times, either owned, controlled or operated the following systems: Borough of Portsmouth, Kingston, Fratton and Southsea Tramways; Cardiff Tramways; Cardiff District and Penarth Harbour Tramways; General Tramways of Portsmouth; Gosport and Fareham Tramways; Gosport Street Tramways; Great Grimsby Street Tramways; Landport & Southsea Tramway; London Southern Tramways; Plymouth, Stonehouse and Devonport Tramways; Portsdown and Horndean Light Railway; and Portsmouth Street Tramways.
The unusual gauge was to allow for the running of railway wagons over the system.