Derby Tramways Company No. 1

The deconstructed remnants of Derby horse tram no. 1. Photo: Jim Dignan, 11th May 2024

The Museum’s latest tramcar acquisition arrived in February 2024 as a collection of wooden components accompanied by a meticulously type-written inventory and a set of hand-drawn diagrams depicting what it would look like if reassembled.

The parts belonged to the body of a Derby horse tram that was built by the famous Starbuck Car and Wagon Company, based in Birkenhead (who also built Sheffield Corporation Tramways no. 15).  Thought to be from horse tram number 1, this was one of 16 single deck horse trams purchased by the Derby Tramways Company for the start of its passenger services on 6^th March 1880.  The fleet was augmented by eight double deck tramcars purchased in subsequent years.

Line drawing of a Starbucks single deck horse tram, which continued in production even after the firm was taken over by George F. Milnes.

The single deck cars had seating for eight passengers on each side but three standing passengers were allowed on both the drivers’ and conductors’ platforms, making 22 in total.  Although they were intended to be pulled by a single horse the whole batch was later converted to two-horse operation.

Derby Tramways Company horse tram no. 12. Photo courtesy of Derby Museums

The tramway was built to a 4’ 0” gauge and, after the first route was opened, from Market Place to Midland Station via London Road, a further four routes were added by 14^th July 1881, providing a total route mileage of 4.7 miles (7.6 km).

A postcard illustrating a single deck Derby horse tram passing the Town Hall, date unknown: TMS archives.

Derby Tramways Company may initially have used different colours for each of its routes initially, but subsequently its tramcars were initially painted in Crimson Lake and Off-White before switching to Scarlet Lake and Off-White for those repainted after 1894.

Two Derby horse trams including no. 12 from the original batch waiting in St. Peter’s Street in a passing loop by St. Peter’s church for a third tram to clear the single track section. Photographed by John Dean circa 1895; Wikimedia Commons public domain image.

Unfortunately, the enterprise was not a resounding success.  The London-based company was under-capitalised almost from the outset and revenue was less than forecast as fewer passengers used the service than had been anticipated.  In addition, because of cost-saving measures to stem the rising losses, it gained a reputation for treating its staff and horses badly.

Drivers and conductors worked seven days a week, regularly clocking up 80 or 90 hours and were expected to remain with their vehicles from the time they left the stables until the end of the day.  Wages were poor: £1 7 shillings for drivers (£1.35p) per week and £1 3 pence (£1.01p) for married conductors.  The horses were not worked quite so hard as there were three shifts per day and they were occasionally given a day off.

A Derby Tramways Company double-deck horse tram on London Road, Derby, passing the General Infirmaty (left) and Queen’s Hall Methodist Mission (right) taken from Valentines Postcard 1895, Wikimedia Commons public domain image.

As the new millennium approached, Derby Corporation began to take an interest in taking control of the tramway and converting it to electric traction, using powers granted under the 1870 Tramways Act.  By this stage the company was not in a position to undertake such a costly investment and so it accepted a reasonably generous offer from the Corporation with a hand-over date of 1^st November 1899.

Following the take-over, the Corporation retained both original sets of liveries but also used Dark Maroon and Cream for those repainted between 1901 and 1906.

The task of extending and converting the system did not begin for another three years though the Corporation did replace some of the older vehicles with second-hand double deck horse trams purchased from Glasgow Corporation.  It is not known if this included number 1.  The last horse tram ran on 1^st June 1907, by which time the expansion and conversion process was almost complete.

A postcard issued in 1904 to commemorate the transition from horse trams to electric traction, though horse trams were still used on some routes until the final conversion process was completed in 1907. Photo: TMS archives.

It is not entirely clear how or when the tramcar entered preservation, but it is believed that it survived as a garden shed, presumably after being sold off by the tramway.  The documentation that accompanied it was prepared by a tramway enthusiast – Alf Pitman, who was also involved in the preservation of Derby 1, the Museum’s electric tramcar – probably during the 1970s.

The remains of the car were recently donated to the Tramway Museum, together with the remnants of another electric tramcar (Derby 53) by Derby City Museum following a rationalisation of its collection.  Both sets of remains are currently on temporary display in the Assembly Rooms while consideration is given to how they might best be displayed in the longer term.

In the meantime, this latest acquisition gives the museum its only horse and electric tramcar pair with matching numbers.

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