St Helens and District Tramways / New St Helens and District Tramways
Owner St Helens and District Tramways Company
Opened 5th November 1881 (horse)
Operator St Helens and District Tramways Company
Entered receivership July 1888
Controlling interest acquired May 1889 (John Waugh)
Taken over (company) 1st February 1890 (St Helens and District Tramways Co Ltd) - a new company specifically formed to take over the old company
First steam service 3rd April 1890
Last horse service 12th May 1890
Taken over (track) 1st April 1897 (St Helens Corporation)
Operator (lessee) St Helens and District Tramways Co Ltd
Taken over (lease) 1st October 1898 (New St Helens and District Tramways Co Ltd)
First electric route 20th July 1899
Last steam service 6th April 1900 (probably)
Taken over October 1906 - controlling interest acquired by Lancashire United Tramways Limited
Lease terminated 1st October 1919
Length 20.51 miles + 1.77 miles leased from the South Lancashire Tramways Company
Gauge 4ft 8½ins
Button description Pattern of button currently unknown
Comment Before the takeover by St Helens Corporation, staff of the StH&DTCo and its successor, the StH&DTCoLtd, appear to have worn informal attire, so it is unlikely that uniform buttons ever existed (see link). During the era when the tramway was corporation-owned, but leased to the NStH&DTCoLtd, staff clearly wore uniforms (following electrification), however, no buttons have as yet come to light, suggesting that they were either unmarked, or that they bore a monogram or device that is not readily identifiable as an issue of the company.
The NStH&DTCo was also the operator of the Liverpool and Prescott Light Railway, the two companies having several board members in common. The NStH&DTCo’s parent company (from 1906 onwards), Lancashire United Tramways, was also the parent company of the L&PLRCo, as well as the South Lancashire Tramways Company.