Lincoln Tramways Company
History
Powers to build a 3ft 6ins-gauge horse tramway between Lincoln and Bracebridge were obtained on the 11th August 1881 under the Lincoln Tramways Order, which was passed into law by the Tramways Order Confirmation (No.3) Act 1881. Although the promoters — the Lincoln Tramways Company Limited — had developed plans for around 4 miles of tramway, only a single line was authorised, totalling just 1.79 miles. Whether the bill included just this line, or whether it included others that were struck out, is unclear.
The line opened for business just over a year later on the 8th September 1882. It ran southwards from St Benedict's Square, which was situated just to the south of the River Witham, along High Street, St Catherines and Newark Road to a terminus outside the Gatehouse Hotel in Bracebridge. Although relatively short, it had to cross two railway lines in High Street — the Great Northern Railway Company's next to Lincoln Central Station, and the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway Company's connecting line to the Midland Railway Company station (later known as St Marks), just to the south of Tentercroft Street.
The tramway led a rather uneventful life, but does seem to have been quite a profitable concern. For most of its existence it appears to have been operated by a fleet of around 10 horsecars.
Although Lincoln Council first expressed an interest in building an electric tramway as early as 1889, it was to be another 10 years before they finally decided to proceed. The decision was undoubtedly driven by the date on which the corporation could compulsorily purchase the tramway — under the 21-year rule of the Tramways Act 1870 — which would fall on the 11th August 1902.
On the 10th July 1900, the corporation duly acquired powers — under the Lincoln Corporation (Tramways &c.) Act 1900 — to take-over, operate and convert the existing tramway, as well as to build extensions to it. However, whilst the LTCo's days were certainly numbered, there then followed an inordinately long period of council indecision around which lines to build, and in particular, what form of current collection to use.
Negotiations with the LTCo also took time, and involved increasingly acrimonious accusations and counter-accusations, often conducted in the local press; agreement was, however, eventually reached, the corporation taking possession of the tramway in July 1904. The company gave notice of voluntarily winding up on the 30th June 1904.
The corporation continued to run the horse tramway for another year, until it was closed for reconstruction and conversion to electric traction on the 22nd July 1905.
Uniforms
The Lincoln Tramways Company (LTCo) operated horse trams for over twenty years, from 1882 through to its take-over by Lincoln Corporation in 1904. Despite this, photographs which conclusively stem from this era are extremely rare, though what has survived suggests that drivers and conductors simply wore informal but smart attire — trousers, overcoats, jackets, waistcoats, shirts and ties. Headgear appears to have largely followed the fashion of the day, predominantly the bowler hat, though in later years, no doubt flat caps would have made an appearance too. No badges of any kind appear to have been worn on either the uniforms or the hats.
Given the small size of the system, it seems unlikely that the LTCo bothered to employ the services of an inspector, and certainly, no photographs of them have survived.
Further reading
For a history of Lincoln's tramways, see: 'The Tramways of the City of Lincoln' by D H Yarnell, in the Tramway Review, Nos 63 (p163-173), 64 (p195-205) and 65 (p1926); Light Railway Transport League (1970 and 1971).
Images
Horse tram drivers and conductors
Lincoln Tramways Company horsecar at the Bracebridge terminus around 1890. All the adults present are wearing workman-like attire. This photograph is taken from Tramway Review No 63 (1970), the whereabouts of the original being unknown.