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Great Grimsby Street Tramways

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The Great Grimsby Street Tramways Company was a tramway serving Grimsby and Cleethorpes in Lincolnshire, England. It was a subsidiary of The Provincial Tramways Company.

Contents

Great Grimsby Street Tramways Company (1881)

The tramway opened in 1881 using horse-drawn trams on standard gauge single track line with passing loops, stretching from the depot in Park Street, on the Grimsby/Cleethorpes boundary, to the Weatsheaf Inn in Bargate Grimsby. In 1887 the route was extended to Kingsway in Cleethorpes and in 1898 it was further extended up Issacs Hill to terminate on Cleethorpes seafront. A branch line 1 mile long departed the main line at Riby Square and ran south to serve Freeman Street. In 1901 the system was relaid as mostly double track and converted to electric traction with new electric tramcars replacing the horse trams although six were retained and used as trailer cars until 1918, mainly on football match days, originally 22 electric trams were used but some others were added later.

Grimsby Corporation Tramways (1925)

In 1925, after long proceedings, the Grimsby Corporation Tramways bought the tramway company. As the rolling stock was showing signs of age, the Corporation purchased sixteen tramcars from Sunderland District Electric Tramways.

The Freeman Street branch was replaced by trolleybuses and extended to Weelsby Road and in 1927 the depot moved to Victoria Street Depot, an old seaplane hangar. The People's Park segment of the line closed in 1928. The line from the old market to Cleethorpes remained open with high traffic, but was replaced by trolleybuses in November 1936. A few trams remained in operation between Riby Square, Park Street and Cleethorpes until March 1937. This system closed in 1937, the tram depot was subsequently used as bus depot, still in use by Stagecoach Grimsby-Cleethorpes.

Cleethorpes Corporation Tramways (1936)

In July 1936, the Cleethorpes Urban District Council bought the tramway company and operated the trams, only to convert the whole line to trolleybuses a year later. The line was extended to Bathing Pool. Operation was transferred to the Grimsby Cleethorpes Transport Joint Committee in 1957, and was replaced by motor buses in 1960.

References

Great Grimsby Street Tramways Wikipedia