Plymouth, Plymouth Stonehouse and Devonport Tramways Company

PLYMOUTH
DATA

The Encyclopaedia of Plymouth History

PLYMOUTH, STONEHOUSE AND DEVONPORT TRAMWAYS COMPANY

THE ROUTE

The line constructed by the Plymouth, Stonehouse and Devonport Tramways Company started at the Plymouth Clock Tower, where George Street, Lockyer Street, and Union Street (Bank of England Place) met. From there it ran along Union Street, Plymouth, to the boundary with Stonehouse at Manor and Phoenix Streets.
A PS&D horse tram on Devonport Hill»

A horse-tram of the Plymouth, Stonehouse and Devonport Tramways Company climbing Devonport Hill

After passing along Union street, Stonehouse, and Edgcumbe Street the line then turned into Chapel Street and ran across Stonehouse Bridge, where there was a toll house. Then the line climbed Devonport Hill, first at 1 in 25, then 1 in 13 and finally reached 1 in 11 before lessening to 1 in 53 through the twin portals of the Barrier Gate at the top of the Hill. The line then passed along Cumberland Road before turning left into Ker Street Ope. It terminated in the triangle of land at the junction of Ker Street and Duke Street.

A private Act of Parliament in 1874 authorised the Company to extend the line from Cumberland Road up Chapel Street to a terminal spur in Fore Street and return via St Aubyn Street back to Cumberland Road again. This resulted in an interesting cross-over at the bottom of Chapel Street, where trams bound for Plymouth crossed over the line used by the incoming trams from Plymouth.

On Wednesday October 27th 1875 it was reported that the extension had been completed. The contractor was a Mr Charles D Savill, of London, while the work had been locally supervised by Mr W A Pudney and a Mr Brook.

During 1900-1901 the line was reconstructed for electrical operation. The gauge was reduced to 3ft 6ins. The tracks within Plymouth and Devonport were doubled and sold to their respective Corporations. The section within Stonehouse remained in the Company's hands and was still single track with passing loops. They then leased back the two municipal sections for a period of 21-years.

As Fore Street had become busier over the years, the opportunity was taken to remove the terminal spur so that other traffic was not held up by trams stopped in the middle of the main road. The system was then reversed so that inbound trams stopped at the top of St Aubyn Street to set down passengers and again at the top of Chapel Street, outbound, to pick up people for Plymouth.

In 1922 the system was linked up with the main Plymouth one at Fore Street and Derry's Clock, which enabled through-running circular services to be started.