Trams - and a bus

Leeds: Trams- and one bus

Dewi Williams

Comments/corrections to: Dewi Williams

Leeds: Trams - and a bus

During my army training at Catterick, I found that there were special buses run after dismissal at noon on Saturdays to various northern cities, returning on Sunday nights. I was able to go to several cities, and Leeds in particular I visited several times because of its wonderful tram system. Most of my time in Leeds was spent actually on trams, riding around all the routes that I could. It was an interesting city, with such a variation: solid buildings downtown, narrow streets of back-to-back houses further out, the notorious Quarry Hill flats, new and old suburbs.

John McIntosh writes:

Route 1 ran from City Square to Lawnswood and Headingley.
Route 2 from Briggate circular to Moortown and Roundhay.
Route 3 from Briggate circular to Roundhay and Moortown.
Route 4 went to Kirkstall Abbey.
Route 5 went to Beeston.
Route 8, was Elland Road, much used when there was a football match (Leeds United) and there was a siding there which accommodated a large number of trams on match day.
Route 9 was to Dewsbury Road (returning to Gipton)
Route 11 was a short lived route from Cross Gates to Lower Wortley and the only time I ever saw a tram with this route number was one which left Cross Gates Terminus at 7-55 am. each day.
Route 14 served Bramley and Stanningley and used to come into it's terminus at Corn Exchange, on an island, and then return to West Leeds without a change of route number.
Route 15 was Cross Gates to Whingate.
Route 16 operated on the Halton to New Inn, (Upper) Wortley, and it is important to stress this as there used to be a tram route at one time from Gipton to Lower Wortley, hence the distinction. When the Lower Wortley route was done away with (much of it single track), the Gipton Estate trams were re-routed to Dewsbury Road.
Route 18 was the Whingate to Cross Gates service.
I think that 20 was the New Inn (Upper Wortley) to Halton service.
Route 22 was to Temple Newsam, and I think it was a periodic service in tandem with the service to Halton.
There were other route numbers which I cannot recall. There was a service to Hunslet, Belle Isle and Middleton shown on your home page, but I cannot remember what the route number was to Hunslet.

WARNING! Most pictures are raw, "as-scanned". I'll edit, crop and retouch each of them in due course.

Click on the thumbnail to get the Big Picture.

	n26_05 Leeds: "Middleton Bogie" tram no. 262 at Middleton. Photographed on 1953-02-21
	n26_06 Leeds: "Middleton Bogie" tram no. 262 at Middleton. Photographed on 1953-02-21
	n26_07 Leeds: Trams passing at Middleton: Middleton Bogie 264. Photographed on 1953-02-21
	n26_08 Leeds: "Middleton Bogie" tram no. 258 at Middleton. Photographed on 1953-02-21
	n26_09 Leeds: Middleton Light Railway. Photographed on 1953-02-21
	n26_10 Leeds: Tram on Middleton Light Railway. Photographed on 1953-02-21
	n26_12 Leeds: Swinegate Tram Depot: there appear to be two works cars numbered "1" plus a "2". Photographed on 1953-02-21
	n26_13 Leeds: Swinegate Tram Depot: service car 6 with trailer loaded with gravel. Photographed on 1953-02-21
	n26_15 Leeds:Feltham tram 512 on route 15, to Whingate, at City Square. Photographed on 1953-02-21
	n26_16 Leeds: tram no. 276 at City Square. Photographed on 1953-02-21
	n26_17 Leeds:Feltham tram 558 heading to Corn exchange from Temple Newsam. Photographed on 1953-02-21
	n26_18 Leeds: Ex-London Feltham tram 586 at Halton on 16 route to Wortley. Photographed on 1953-02-21
	n26_19 Leeds: Feltham tram 527 at Temple Newsam. Photographed on 1953-02-21
	n26_20 Leeds: Feltham tram 527 at Temple Newsam. . Photographed on 1953-02-21
	n26_21 Leeds:Feltham tram 527 at Temple Newsam. . Photographed on 1953-02-21
	n26_22 Leeds: Feltham tram 527 at Temple Newsam. Photographed on 1953-02-21
	n26_22a Leeds:Feltham tram 527 at Temple Newsam. Photographed on 1953-02-21
	n26_23 Leeds: Feltham tram 527 leaving Temple Newham for Corn Exchange. Photographed on 1953-02-21
	n26_25 Leeds: Feltham ex-London tram 558 near Temple Newsam. Photographed on 1953-02-21
	n26_26 Leeds:Feltham tram 550 on route 15 to Whingate, at Crossgates. W Photographed on 1953-02-21
	n26_27 Leeds: Feltham tram 550 on route 15 to Whingate, at Crossgates. Photographed on 1953-02-21
	n26_28 Leeds: Feltham tram 550 on route 15 to Whingate, at Crossgates. Weekend pass from army training at Catterick. Photographed on 1953-02-21
	n26_29 Leeds: Feltham tram 550 on route 15 to Whingate, at Crossgates. Photographed on 1953-02-21
	n26_30 Leeds: Interior of upstairs of Feltham tram, at Crossgates. Photographed on 1953-02-21
	n26_31 Leeds: Trams at Harehills, by night. Photographed on 1953-02-21
	n26_32 Leeds: Tram on route 3, circular route, at Harehills: at night. Photographed on 1953-02-21
	n26_33 Leeds: Night view of tram 197 at Harehills. Weekend pass from army training at Catterick. Photographed on 1953-02-21
	n26_36 Leeds: Night view of Feltham tram 509 at Harehills, en route to Briggate. Photographed on 1953-02-21
	n28_4_1 Leeds: Tram no. 172 near Gipton. Photographed on 1952-11-29
	n28_4_2 Leeds: tram no. 236 near Gipton. Photographed on 1952-11-29
	n28_4_3 Tram 236 on Dewsbury Rd. route 9, climbing out of "Gipton Gulch". Gipton was a new housing estate. Photographed on 1952-11-29
	n28_4_4 Tram on Dewsbury Rd. route near Gipton Photographed on 1952-11-29
	n28_4_5 Leeds: tram no. 195 on Compton Road route 10. Photographed on 1952-11-29
	n28_5_1 Tram 162 (?) on Dewsbury Rd route near Gipton Photographed on 1952-11-29
	n25_07 Feltham tram no. 560 near Corn Exchange, Leeds. Photographed on 1952-11-29
	n25_08 Leeds: tram track repairs near Corn Exchange. Photographed on 1952-11-29
	n25_09 Leeds: tram track repairs near Corn Exchange. Photographed on 1952-11-29
	n25_10 Leeds: Middleton Bogie trams nos. 263 and 258 at Swinegate on routes 12 and 26 to Middleton. Photographed on 1952-11-29
	n25_11 Middleton Bogie tram no. 257 on 12 Circular route to Middleton at Belle Isle. Photographed on 1952-11-29
	n25_12 Leeds tram 237 from Middleton to Swinegate. Photographed on 1952-11-29
	n25_19 Middleton Bogie tram no. 260 in Middleton Woods, on circular route 12. Photographed on 1952-11-29
	n25_21 Leeds: Middleton Light Railway. Photographed on 1952-11-29
	n25_23 Leeds tram 277 heading to Moortown, at night. Photographed on 1952-11-29
	n25_13 Middleton Bogie tram no. 255 on 12 route passing standard tram on route 26 at crossover near Middleton Photographed on 1952-11-29
	n25_14 Middleton Bogie tram no. 271 on 26 circular route on newly-laid track near Middleton Photographed on 1952-11-29
	n25_15 Middleton Bogie tram no. 270 on 12 circular route at siding in Middleton Photographed on 1952-11-29
	n25_16 Middleton Bogie tram no. 257 near Middleton. Photographed on 1952-11-29
	n25_17 Leeds: Middleton Light Rrailway: Middleton Woods Photographed on 1952-11-29
	n25_18 Leeds: Middleton tram Photographed on 1952-11-29
	n25_01 Leeds tram no. 443 at Halton on route 16 to New Inn, Wortley Photographed on 1952-11-29
	n25_02 Leeds: Feltham tram on reserved track on route 22. Photographed on 1952-11-29
	n25_03 Leeds: Feltham tram 560, at Temple Newsam. Photographed on 1952-11-29
	n25_04 Feltham tram no. 560 at end of line, Temple Newsam, Leeds, heading to Corn Exchange Photographed on 1952-11-29
	n25_05 Interior of top deck of Feltham tram, Leeds. This shows top of stairwell. Photographed on 1952-11-29
	n25_06 Double-deck bus heading to Hull. The roof of the bus has an arched shape to allow it to pass through the arch of the historic town gate into Beverley in East Yorkshire. Several were modified to cover this route. (thanks to Steve Willimott) Photographed on 1952-11-29
	n28_1_1 Roadside tram (light rail) track to Temple Newsam, Leeds Photographed on 1953-01-25
	n28_1_2 Feltham tram no. 556 at Halton, on route 16 to New Inn, Wortley. Photographed on 1953-01-25
	n28_1_6 Tram in downtown Leeds. Photographed on 1953-01-25
	n28_2_1 Leeds trams 172 and 197 at Bramley Town End. The trams used to cut across the middle of a roundabout (traffic circle), while motor traffic was supposed to go around the circle, similar to the Decarie Circle in Montreal. In practice, motor vehicles sometimes followed the trams straight across. The tracks to the left of the picture lead into a small tram depot. (notes from Keith Isherwood). Photographed on 1953-03-22
	n28_3_1 Leeds tram no. 164 to Half-Mile Lane, Staningley, route 14 Photographed on 1953-03-22
	n28_3_2 Leeds tram no. 178 on reserved track route 14 near Half-Mile Lane, Stanningley. Photographed on 1953-03-22
	n28_3_3 "Lance-Corporal" tram Briggate, Leeds, on 2 circular route. [4] Domed building in the background is Leeds Corn Exchange. [26] The "Lance Corporal" cars were built specially for services to the "rich" suburbs with de luxe bucket seats etc. [27] and usually ran on the 2-3 circular route to Moortown and Roundhay. Photographed on 1953-03-22
	n28_3_4 Feltham car no. 541 at Halton, heading for New Inn, Wortley, on route 16 Photographed on 1953-03-22
	n28_3_5 Feltham car no. 549 leaving Temple Newsam heading for Corn Exchange Photographed on 1953-03-22
	n28_6_1 Leeds tram 131 on route 18 to Crossgates Photographed on 1952-11-29
	n28_6_2 Feltham car no. 558 heading to Whingate on 15 route. Photographed on 1952-11-29
	n35_01 Leeds tram no. 290, ex-Southampton, on route 1, West Park Photographed on 1953-03-22
	n26_38 Night view of experimental single-deck tram, Leeds (tram now in National Tramway Museum) Photographed on 1953-02-21
	n26_39 Night view of experimental single-deck tram, Leeds (tram now in National Tramway Museum) Photographed on 1953-02-21
	os_129 Leeds trams in Briggate Photographed on 1952-11-30
	os_130 Leeds: Middleton Bogie car at Middleton, The only reason for including this poor picture is to show the "bow wave" of snow thrown up by the tram (lower right). Photographed on 1952-11-30
	os_141 Leeds tram (Middleton Bogie) in Middleton Woods. Photographed on 1952-11-30
	os_142 Leeds tram on Roundhay Road Photographed on 1952-11-30
	os_143 Leeds car no. 233 on reserved track (private right-of-way) in City Square Photographed on 1952-11-30
	os_144 Leeds car no. 221 on reversing stub, Harehills, where Upland Road (just off to the right of the picture) joins Easterley Road; the Clock Cinema is just off the picture. The building with the tall chimney on the left is the Fforde Grene pub and partially obscured by the tram is the Yorkshire Bank, which closed a few years ago. Photographed on 1952-11-30
	os_145 Leeds UCC (Feltham) car on Crossgates route. Photographed on 1952-11-30
	os_146 Leeds car no. 237 on loop siding just outside the park gates at Roundhay. Photographed on 1952-11-30
	os_147 Tram 301 on Roundhay Road [26] about 100 yards above the Clock Cinema at Harehills. 301 was ex London, the LCC's No 1, the experimental deluxe car originally painted blue and nick-named "Bluebird". It is now at the National Tramway Museum at Crich in London Transport livery (see my photo). It replaced 2 Felthams that were burned out in London before they could be delivered. Photographed on 1952-11-30
	os_148 Leeds: Middleton Bogie car no. 259 at Middleton, in snow. Note the loop line (siding) in foreground. Photographed on 1952-11-16
	c0504 Leeds "Middleton Bogie" tram 259 at Middleton Photographed on 1952-11-29
	c0505 Leeds "Middleton Bogie" tram 259 at Middleton Photographed on 1952-11-29
	c0506 Leeds Feltham tram 527 at Temple Newsam Photographed on 1953-02-21
	c0507 Feltham tram 527 at Temple Newsam Photographed on 1953-02-21
	c0508 Feltham tram 527 at Temple Newsam Photographed on 1953-02-21
	c0509 Feltham tram 542 Photographed on 1952-11-30

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This page last updated on 2008-03-21.