South Lancashire Tramways Company



Owner South Lancashire Tramways Company (a subsidiary of the South Lancashire Electric Traction and Power Company Limited)
Opened 20th October 1902 (electric)
Operator South Lancashire Tramways Company
Entered receivership July 1904
Taken over (ownership) 2nd January 1906 (Lancashire United Tramways Limited ) - from receivership
Took over (operation) 1st April 1906 (Farnworth Council Tramways [electric]) - including tramcars, but not the track, under a lease arrangement
Took over (operation) 1st April 1906 (lines owned by Kearsley UDC, previously worked by Farnworth Council Tramways)
Took over (operation) 28th February 1907 (newly built line to Pendlebury, owned by Barton-upon-Irwell Rural District Council)
Through running 14th June 1909 (Bolton Corporation Tramways) - from Bolton via Moses Gate and Black Horse to Clifton (on SLTCo)
Taken over (operation) 1913 (Salford Corporation Tramways) - Winton to Worsley service
Through running 13th December 1913 (Bolton Corporation) - all Bolton through services terminate at Black Horse
Through running 3rd May 1926 - Bolton to Walkden via Moses Gate and Brookhouse
Joint operation 6th December 1926 (with BCT) - Bolton to Walkden via Moses Gate and Brookhouse
Taken over (operation) 1st April 1927 (BCT) - all services between Moses Gate and Black Horse, and the majority of services between Bolton and Walkden (via Moses Gate and Brookhouse)
Parent company name changed 1928 - to Lancashire United Transport and Power Company Limited
Company name changed 10th May 1929 - to South Lancashire Transport Company
Joint operation 1st February 1930 (with SCT) - from Manchester (Deansgate) via Pendlebury to Black Horse
Taken over (operation) 19th August 1931 (BCT) - all services between Moses Gate and Walkden
Closed 16th December 1933 (with the exception of the lines leased to Salford and Bolton Corporations, which ceased operation on the 7th October 1936 and the 12th November 1944, respectively)
Length 39.1 miles
Gauge 4ft 8½ins

Button description Title (‘SOUTH LANCASHIRE TRAMWAYS COMPANY’) within a border, surrounding a monogram of interwoven initials, ‘SLT
Materials known Nickel; brass
Button Line reference [114/67]

Comment By acquiring the South Lancashire Tramways Company’s parent company (the South Lancashire Electric Traction and Power Company Ltd), Lancashire United Tramways Limited also gained control of the Lancashire Light Railways Co Ltd (the owners of the Liverpool and Prescott Light Railway), as well as the moribund South Lancashire Electric Supply Company Ltd. The LUTL also went on (in October 1906) to acquire a controlling interest in the New St Helens and District Tramways Company, with which it shared several board members. The NStH&DTCo was the operator of both the Liverpool and Prescott Light Railway and the St Helens Corporation system (until 1st October 1919).