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Horse drawn trams first took to the streets of the City of Worcester in 1881 with a small network of routes radiating from the city centre. One line crossed over the River Severn to terminate in St.Johns whilst another went to Shrub Hill railway station and a third went along Foregate Street to the Ombersley Road. It is believed that the gauge of these tramways was 3'. The tramways passed through a succession of owners including Worcester Tramways Ltd. (registered 1893) and Worcester Electric Traction Co. Ltd (registered 1902) who gained approval to electrify the system and what became known as 'The Siege of Worcester' took place in 1903/4.
All of the images about trams on these pages are from postcards that form part of the archives of the Malvern Industrial Archaeology Circle.
THE SIEGE OF WORCESTER
The postcard graphically illustrates the problems in Broad Street that shoppers and others had to put up with whilst the original 3' gauge tram track was torn up and replaced by the new 3'6" gauge tracks for the electric vehicles. The City Council can surely not have appreciated the sheer scale of the problems that the approval for electrification would bring to the city. The roads started to be dug up in the summer of 1903 and disruption continued until the end of the year. The new system eventually opening to the public on 6th February 1904. There are at least 15 similar postcards in the same series that depict similar scene in other streets.
TRAMCARS IN ACTION
This postcard by the well known local publisher, Burrow of Cheltenham is taken at The Cross where the tracks curved sharply at the entrance to Broad Street. Two of the fleet of double deck trams are seen - one going in each direction on the double track.
This is looking east along Foregate Street with the Victoria Institute building on the left hand side. Behind the tram is the railway bridge that carries the Worcester and Hereford Railway.
This is Tram No.10 just entering a single track section in Broad Street.
SECOND SIEGE OF WORCESTER
Although successful as a means of transport, the lack of flexibility of operation led to the early replacement of the entire system by buses as early as 1928 when the 'second siege of Worcester' took place as the tram tracks were torn up.
The Worcester Electric Traction Co. Ltd. was put into voluntary liquidation on 17th September 1934 and the whole undertaking acquired by Worcester Corporation.
REFERENCE
Old Worcester - People and Places - Bill Gwilliam
A Short History Of The Worcester Tramways - H.H.Grundy
Worcester Evening News - 8th March 2003
Click here for more postcards of trams in Worcester trams