General Tramways Company of Portsmouth



Owner General Tramways Company of Portsmouth (taken over by the Provincial Tramways Company before opening in February 1878)
Opened 18th March 1878 (horse)
Operator General Tramways Company of Portsmouth
Amalgamated August 1883 (with the Gosport Street Tramways Company, the Landport and Southsea Tramways Company, and the Portsmouth Street Tramways Company - all subsidiaries of the Provincial Tramways Company Limited); thereafter worked as the Portsmouth Street Tramways Company
Length ? miles
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 GTCOP did likewise, and that marked uniform buttons thus never existed.

The Provincial Group (Provincial Tramways Company Limited) was established in 1872 in London and at various times, also owned and/or operated the following systems/companies: Cardiff Tramways Company Limited; Cardiff District and Penarth Harbour Tramways Company; Gosport and Fareham Tramways; Gosport Street Tramways Company; Great Grimsby Street Tramways; Landport and Southsea Tramways Company; London Southern Tramways; Plymouth, Stonehouse and Devonport Tramways; Portsdown and Horndean Light Railway; Portsmouth (Borough), Kingston, Fratton and Southsea Tramways Company; and the Portsmouth Street Tramways Company.

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