OLD DEVONPORT . UK
www.olddevonport.uk
 

TRAMWAYS IN OLD DEVONPORT  |  DEVONPORT AND DISTRICT TRAMWAYS COMPANY Ltd

OFFICIAL OPENING

With the Board of Trade inspection having taken place on Tuesday June 11th 1901, there was a slight delay before the official opening ceremony on Wednesday June 26th 1901.

Car number 20 was the first to depart Morice Square, with number 19 behind and a third car behind that, all with the Mayor and local dignitaries aboard.   Their route took them to Camel's Head first, then back to the Technical College in Paradise Road and onwards to Pennycomequick.  From there they returned to Fore Street from where they then took the lines to Milehouse.  The whole journey took one hour ten minutes.

The sections between Camel's Head and Saltash Passage and Milehouse to Tor Lane were not yet finished as they were being constructed separately for Devonport Corporation.

Nineteen cars were then laid on from Noon to provide the services for the public on four routes, starting with one each on the Fore Street to Milehouse and Pennycomequick sections.  One car provided a service between the Dockyard Gates at Albert Road and the Technical College and one car left Morice Square for Camel's Head.  Unfortunately, the first day was almost a disaster for one very simple reason: there was not enough power to run all the cars at the same time.  Cars came to a standstill all over the system and eventually all but six were returned to the Depot.

Two cars were then place on the Camel's Head section; two more on the line to Pennycomequick and the remaining two on the route to Milehouse.  The line from Keyham Gates to Pennycomequick via Albert Road saw no service at all on the opening day.