March 2025

Trams were the predecessors of bus services today. There were a number of electric tramway systems within the Trust's area of interest - Bath, Bournemouth, Bristol, Camborne, Exeter, Plymouth, Reading, Swindon, Taunton.

Our archives hold several hundred maps and engineering plans. This hand-coloured one, dated 10 February 1902, shows the problem for double-deck vehicles passing under railway bridges.

The steel bridge over Caversham Road, Reading (at the west end of the station) had reasonable clearance for the overhead trolley wire which supplied electricity to the tram. Even so, the wires had to be set to one side of each tram track.

However, the bridge over the Oxford Road (by Reading West station) was a brick arch with limited headroom, so the trams had to use a single track in the centre of the road under the bridge. For safety reasons, there was a large sign on the bridge telling passengers to "Keep Your Seats".

The arch was replaced by a steel bridge in 1938, which enabled trolleybuses - and later motor buses - to pass below in the normal traffic lane.

RCT/DWG/286
Archive Item of the Month, March 2025