Mr J.LLoyd of
Burton-upon-Trent (141A Ashby Rd, Burton DE15 0LQ)has kindly
provided me with some information on this tramway associated with
James Toulmin
(*6215), mostly derived from:
P.M.White &
J.W.Storer, "Sixpenny Switchback: a Journey in photographs ...", 1983
(ISBN 0 907864 08 2 and 09 0: in Burton public library).
Mark Bown, "The
Burton and Ashby Light Railways 1906-1927", Nottingham 1991
(ISBN 0 946245 50 9: JJT has the copy LLoyd sent me).
There is a also a brief
reference in
Denis Stuart,
"County Borough, History of Burton on Trent" (vol. I p.92).
The railway was a 3 ft 6
in gauge rural tramway system, owned by the Midland
Railway Co.; constructed under Light Railways Act 1896. Over 11 miles of track
linked Ashby, Woodville, Swadlincote, Newhall, Bretby, Winshill,
Burton, with a
branch to Church and Castle Gresley. 20 open double-deck tramcars were built by
Brush, Loughborough. The
line was opened from Burton to Swadlincote 13 June 1906,
to Ashby 2 July 1906, and the Gresley branch (closed 1912) 24 Sep
1906. Over 1.5m
passengers per year were carried from the start, reaching a peak
of over 3m in 1920,
but then falling off due to competition from buses. After 1923 losses accumulated,
and the line was closed 19 Feb 1927.
James Toulmin was
(General) Manager and resident Engineer throughout, living in a
house adjacent to the station forecourt at Ashby. White & Storer has numerous
references to him; Bown only a brief mention (p.29). There is a Toulmin Drive in
Swadlincote (see App.B, 6f) which must commemorate him.
One of the old cars is
still running in Detroit, USA, where they have a number of
historic tram-cars (JJT).