Scottish Tramway & Transport Society

1. Dundee Trams
   

DUNDEE CORPORATION TRAMWAYS

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Introduction:

The Dundee system was the smallest in Scotland of those surviving the Second World War with around 55 trams.  A compact system with three basic routes, it operated in an apparent time warp.  There were basically four types of trams: five-window, three- window, home-built small four-window and “Lochee Cars also with four windows.  There had originally been nearly 100 trams but there had been a weeding out process in the 1930s.  The tramway was closed in October 1956.

A

When the system opened, all trams were open-topped as seen here.  On the left is one of the original five-window cars, No.4, which was originally mounted on maximum traction bogies.

B

The original bogie cars, and many others, were given top covers and then in the 1930s, the best cars were completely modernised.  The “before” and “after” can be seen in this view of cars 5 and 14 allowing comparisons to be made. 

C

The five-window cars were the oldest to run into the mid-1950s.  No.8 is seen at the Blackness terminus of the Blackness-Downfield route with which they were generally associated.  The car’s origins as an open-topper can be detected in the generous height of the lower saloon.

D

No.14 is similar to No.8 but was originally a four-wheel car, going through the same modernising processes as the bogie cars to produce a near identical car with only the pillar cappings of the lower deck betraying differences.

E

The Constitution Road route featured a 1 in 9 gradient and was operated with combination single-deckers until 1928 when replacement buses took over.  This is No.54 at Hilltown.  The Dundee fleet experienced some re-numbering over the years and “54” was later allocated to a home-built small double-decker.

F

Open-balcony cars that had not been modernised in the 1930s were withdrawn before World War II although one or two, like No.50, survived into the 1940s as football specials.  The latter-day No.50 was a totally enclosed three-window car.

G

Here is the latter-day No.50 taking layover time at High Street.  These cars were generally operated on the prestige Ninewells to Maryfield route.

H

No.42 was similar to No.50 but had the wide corner pillars in the lower deck similar to those specified for London County Council’s contemporary trams.  This view was taken in August 1939 and shows the display of the route number – “22” originally used for this route.

I

In 1926 the Corporation built nine diminutive totally enclosed four-window cars in their own workshops.  They were originally numbered 91-99 and were known as “Watty Young” cars after the then General Manager, Walter Young.  This is the first but later versions had slightly longer platforms.

J

The “Watty Young” cars were all modernised in the 1930s and renumbered. Here is Car No.55, one of the short versions, by then mounted on an EMB Flexible-Axle truck, and featuring a simplified livery omitting decorative lining.

K

No.33 – originally No.99 – was the last “Watty Young” to be built and featured the lengthened platforms.  The truck is also by EMB and a shortened version of those employed on the “Lochee” cars.  These small cars tended to be used for rush-hour extras and football specials in their later years.

L

The pride of the fleet were the so-called “Lochee Cars” supplied by Brush in 1930.  They were intended for use on the Ninewells – Maryfield route but Dundee’s narrow track spacing precluded two of these cars passing each other with safety and they were transferred to the Reform Street – Lochee route where they remained for their entire operating life except for occasional special hires by enthusiasts.  Here is No.27 on one such tour at Ninewells terminus.