OUGD505 - Studio Brief 01 - Opening of Leeds Steam Tramway

The opening of the Leeds Steam Tramway took place on the 2nd August 1882, throughout Leeds. In 1878 James Kitson & Co of Leeds began manufacturing steam powered trams to replace the existing horse drawn trams. The top speed of these trams was limited to 8 miles per hour.

The earliest trams were single decker horse drawn trams, but later double deckers were introduced, the last of which ran in 1901. The trams were operated by the Leeds Tramways Company. The steam trams were introduced after horse drawn trams and were used until full electrification. Throughout most of the twentieth century the tramways used a mixture of bus style and balloon trams, both in double-decker formation.

Within leeds, there were two renowned steam tram builders, Thomas Green & Son Ltd and Kitson & Co, were based in Leeds. Early on, production of small combined boiler/engine units began and it was not long before Green’s began to produce in 1882 the first of over 200 steam tram locomotives. By August 1881 the Wortley route was entirely operated by steam trams and it was announced that they could be operated at ten shillings less than a tram car drawn by three horses.

Forty five steam tramways opened in the UK during the 1880s, but the steam tram era did not last long. Not one system was opened in the 1890s, operators instead switching to electric traction. The last steam tram ran in Leeds on June 1 1902.