OLD DEVONPORT . UK
www.olddevonport.uk
 

TRAMWAY SERVICES IN OLD DEVONPORT

TRAMWAY SERVICE "MORICE SQUARE to CAMEL'S HEAD and SALTASH PASSAGE"

Commencement (see note A below)

Official opening during morning of Wednesday June 26th 1901.  Public traffic from Midday on Wednesday June 26th 1901.  The first day was almost a disaster as there was insufficient electrical power for the nineteen tramcars put into service.  Eventually just two tramcars were put on the service from Morice Square to Camel's Head.  

Original Route (see note B below)

Morice Square, New Passage Hill, William Street, South Keyham (Albert Road Gate), Keyham Road, North Keyham (Saint Levan Gate), Saltash Road, Royal Naval Barracks, Saltash Road, Wolseley Road, Camel's Head.

Fares from Morice Square to the Royal Naval Barracks, one penny; from North Keyham (Saint Levan Gate) to Camel's Head,one penny; from Morice Square to camel's Head, four pence.

Subsequent development (see note C below)

When Devonport Corporation had finished constructing their line from the WestonMill side of Weston Mill Creek to Saltash Passage, the Devonport and District Tramways Company Limited started a shuttle using tramcars 22 and 24, which were housed overnight in the small Depot erected at  Weston Mill.

Devonport Corporation also constructed the Camel's Head Embankment to replace a rather rickety wooden bridge across the Creek.  The Embankment carried the tramway linking the two separate sections.  A tramcar first crossed the Embankment on Saturday March 26th 1904.

Unfortunately the traffic on the Saltash Passage section did not cover the expenses thanks to the Great Western Railway Company's Saltash suburban train service and the London and South Western Railway Company's Saint Budeaux suburban service and on Saturday January 16th 1909 the Devonport and District Tramways Company withdrew their trams from that section.

Unification of Devonport and Plymouth, 1916

Following the amalgamation of the Three Towns in November 1914, the Devonport and District Tramways Company's network was joined to the Plymouth Corporation Tramways network.  As a result, the Company's Morice Square to Saint Budeaux Square service became Plymouth's Route 8 on and as from Monday October 23rd 1916.  The fare for any distance on any one tramcar on any one route was one penny.

Under the new route licensing regulations that came into force on Wednesday July 8th 1931, route "K" was officially known as .

1937 Renumbering Scheme

When the whole network was renumbered on Monday April 5th 1937, the .

Note A:  Wherever possible an exact date of commencement of a service is shown.  However, in a lot of cases no precise date has been recorded so reference will be made to official returns to the Council or other documentary evidence to narrow the date down as much as possible.

Note B:  This gives the roads and streets the service passed through.  A road or street name in brackets indicates that it has not been confirmed beyond doubt that the road or street was used by buses on this route but it is a "best guess" based on the author's knowledge of the practice at the time.  If it is subsequently confirmed by either documentary or photographic evidence that the road or street was traversed by this service then the brackets will be deleted.

Note C:  Where deviations to the original route are shown they will be from and to a road or street named in the "Original Route" section so that the alteration in route can be easily followed.