PLYMOUTH |
The Encyclopaedia of Plymouth History |
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THE SERVICE On Tuesday November 4th 1884 the Plymouth, Devonport and District Tramways Company began to operate two services, the main one from the West Hoe Pier to the bottom of Richmond Street, where it joined Russell Street; and another from the Pier to the corner of Southside Street. (The West Hoe Pier should not be confused with the Promenade Pier, which was not in existence at that time). From Wednesday November 5th 1884, the services ran to a timetable. The first car left the Pier for Southside Street at 6am and left there at 6.20am. At 6.40 it departed from the Pier again and left Southside Street at 7am. There was then a break until 8.20am from when it ran at 40-minute intervals until the last trip from the Pier at 10.20pm, and from Southside Street at 10.40pm. The service to Richmond Street started at 6.20am from the Pier, returning at 6.40am off Richmond Street. This was also followed by a break, until the 8am departure, after which there was again a 40-minute service until 10.40pm from the Pier and 11pm back from Richmond Street. Sunday services commenced at 12.40pm to Richmond Street and 1pm to Southside Street, the return journeys starting 20-minutes later. A 40-minute schedule was then maintained on both routes until the 10.20pm departure from Richmond Street and 10.40pm from Southside Street. Both routes were split into two 1d stages, from the West Hoe Pier to Derry's Clock and from there to either terminus, the through fares thus being 2d. On the same day that the timetable appeared the Company also published its Bye-Laws and Regulations. These covered all the usual transport matters, like paying fares on demand and not obstructing the Company's servants, and were to come into force, rather optimistically as it happened, on January 8th 1885. From Monday November 10th, there was a drastic alteration to the timetable. The early morning services ceased, the first car from the Pier to Southside Street leaving at 7.30am and to Richmond Street at 8am. The return trips started 30-minutes later instead of 20-minutes as previously and the trams ran at hourly intervals from each terminal point. The last cars were at 10pm from Southside Street and 10.30pm from Richmond Street. Sunday services were similar but to confuse matters the Richmond Street cars started at 12.30pm and ran on the half-hour while the Southside Street trams started at 1pm and ran on the hour. The fares remained as before.
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