History

The Scottish Tramway and Transport Society was known as the Scottish Tramway Museum Society until 1983. Like The Tramway Museum Society which followed it, the STMS grew out of the Light Railway Transport League, being founded on 27th June 1951. In the year 2000 edition (No.52) of "Scottish Transport" we reported on the "Centenary Scot" event at Crich, mentioning that Graham Ewing was the only surviving founder member of the STMS resident in UK. We were wrong, as two others were quick to point out! Nigel Macmillan of Clarkston and Vernon Wood of Dover reminded your wayward Editor that they were both founder members. They both provided detailed information on the very origins of the Society. Our Golden Jubilee is an appropriate opportunity to set this out.

Photo Caption (we’re still building our web site -this will follow)

1068 was photographed at Ruby Street by Struan Robertson shortly before the car's departure. Amazingly, the Coplawhill staff replaced the dented upper panelling, involving a considerable amount of work.


Mr Wood even provided copies of the two original letters (see below) from R.R. (Bob) Clark - another founder member, now resident in Canada. From the second letter, it can be seen that the STMS had well and truly arrived.

That was the start. A price for the purchase of the Glasgow Corporation "Room & Kitchen" tram was advised by the Transport Department as £75. It may be recalled that by the early 1900s these cars had already been written down to £5! Such is inflation. Following representations, this was reduced to £35 - still an enormous sum for a fledgling tram preservation Society and a headache for its first Treasurer, Graham Ewing. In the end, when it was decided by the Corporation of Glasgow that there should be a Museum of Transport, No.3 was adopted into that collection and restored close to its original condition as No.672. But that was ten years away.
Ian Cormack became Secretary of the STMS in 1954 and, for many years. was synonymous with the Society contributing a substantial portfolio of books to its range of publications. Along with his wife Margaret fulfilling the role as Treasurer, he steered the Society through its early, formative and often difficult years.
He was to become President of the Society in recognition of this after Tony Browning stepped down as President on his retirement as Keeper of the Glasgow Museum of Transport. By 1953 the last of the ex-Paisley "Standard" cars were being withdrawn and, following intervention by the STMS, No.1068 was set aside and stored at Elderslie Depot.

A Hard Lesson
The STMS, flushed with the success of securing a future for two trams, cast its sights further afield. Graham Ewing takes up the story.
Aberdeen 73 - a hard lesson learned:
"At the Society's 21st Anniversary Dinner in 1972 held at the Cambus Court Hotel, Cambuslang, the Chairman stated that there had been many ups and downs over the years, but mainly `ups'. However, one of the 'downs' was the sad story of Aberdeen tramcar No.73. I was serving in the RAF in Singapore at the time but the story went something like this.
In 1954 Glasgow Corporation Transport were retaining for us the Room & Kitchen tram. This was the original purpose for which the Society was formed and the reason for its featuring prominently on the Society's badge.

PHOTO (we’re building this site-this will follow)

They were also holding the ex-Paisley car, No.1068. However, it had come to our notice that Aberdeen No.73, the last remaining open balcony tram in the Granite City was about to be disposed of. To cut a long story short, the tram was purchased and brought to open storage in Kerr Street. Paisley. It was on the morning of Sunday 28th November, 1954 at 10.30 am, that one of our members, dressed in his Sunday best and all ready to go to Church, answered a knock at his front door, to be confronted by another member in a boiler suit. The dialogue went something like this: "You can get that gear off, 73 is stuck under Well Street railway bridge." By the time the two members arrived at Well Street, fitters from Elderslie Depot were already removing the bow collector. I wonder what they charged their time against.

A 1939 Fordson lorry had been purchased in Glasgow for the purpose of retrieving the truck from Aberdeen. It was found that the crankshaft of its V8 petrol engine was oval so no attempt was made to undertake the 290 mile round trip. Rental of the site was a drain on the Society's limited funds. The body of 73 lay for about two years in Kerr Street, remarkably free from vandalism (this was 1956 after all) but when a large window was broken in what had become the local children's wendy house, it was decided to cut our losses and dispose of the car.

A furniture van was hired and a team set about removing all "useful" parts of the body and take them to the then Secretary's garden for storage, The shell of the body and the Fordson lorry were left to a scrap merchant. Sadly, this ended this attempt at preservation, creating disillusionment and bitter memories. Another four years and it might have gone to Crich, but it was not to be"

A Burning Question
Time passed and by 1960 what is now the National Tramway Museum was in embryo state at a disused quarry at Crich, in the Derbyshire Peak District. Elderslie Depot had closed in 1957 and 1068 had been towed through dark city streets to Dalmarnock. Contraction was the order of the day. Depots had closed or were converted to house buses. Space within remaining depots was at a premium and Glasgow Corporation Transport wanted rid of this tram. The Transport Department generously offered the tram for nothing provided it was removed from their premises by September 1960. At a meeting of the Society to discuss the way forward, memories of the Aberdeen 73 trauma were still very fresh when the members were given the choice: does it go for burning or go to Crich? It was on the casting vote of the Chairman, Graham Ewing, that Crich became the car's home and, restored now to original condition in the Museum's work-shops as Paisley 68, it has now been at Crich as long as it was in Scotland. (To the delight of all the Society's members, it made a triumphal return to Glasgow for the 1988 Garden Festival and was prominently featured in Scottish Tourist Board publicity at the time. (The Chairman's casting vote decision has been well and truly vindicated.)

Unhappy Times
Meanwhile, the early 1960s were, on the whole, not a happy time. First of all, Glasgow's trams were in their final years of operation. Trams were not being overhauled or painted. STMS members resented adverse comments from visiting enthusiasts regarding the condition of the trams and the track. The general riposte was usually along the lines that it was a pity it took until then for visits to be paid. If only the system had been seen in its happier times. In their heart of hearts, local STMS members knew that these disparaging remarks were valid and that did nothing to help. Once the trams had finished. some of us were not nice to know! But time does heal and the Society threw its weight behind the National Tramway Museum. It was able to donate Coronation tram No.1282 and pay the purchase price of Kilmarnock Bogie car No.1115. In addition, members played a major role in securing the return from London of Cunarder No.1392 for the Glasgow Museum of Transport collection and then in the restoration of the exterior and interior of the car. This was undertaken over three years by members of the Society.

Our Various Venues
Meetings have been held in various places, commencing with Ian Cormack's house in Cambuslang before the body of former Glasgow
Motor School car 1017 was acquired by him, then at the Museum of Transport, Coplawhill. Around this time meetings were also held in Edinburgh. After Coplawhill, meetings were held at the headquarters of the Greater Glasgow Passenger Transport Executive at ConsortHouse before settling on the present venue at the Renfield St Stephens Church Centre in Bath Street, Glasgow.

The Magazine Appears
A significant event in 1963 was the publication of the first edition of the Society's Magazine "Scottish Tramlines" (brainchild of the late Douglas McMillan) under the editorship of David L Thomson. David relinquished this post after Edition 14, to be followed by George Williamson and then Brian Deans, who, recognising the need to broaden appeal, renamed it "Scottish Transport" and, as can be seen, this title continues to this day.

Society Successes
This same need to broaden its scope and to cater for members' wider interests, prompted the Society to change its name in 1983 to the "Scottish Tramway & Transport Society'.
Also at this time a pressure group division of the Society was formed to promote the concept of modern transport and two reports were produced, namely, "The Cathcart Alternative", and, "New Life for the Subway".

It has been in publications that the Society has enjoyed its greatest successes. See our sales page for more details. A series of three picture books on Glasgow in the tramway era commencing with "Glasgow by Tram" raised substantial funds to allow the "giant step" to be taken in publishing books such as The Glasgow Tramcar" (two editions) and Struan Robertson's recent work "The Glasgow Horse Tramways", to mention only a few. These have enabled the raising of money for worthy restoration causes. Most donations have gone to the National Tramway Museum, comprising two of £5,000 and one of £20,000. This last being handed over in August 2000. A substantial
donation was also given towards. the completion of the restoration of Glasgow trolleybus TB78, - now at Sandtoft Transport Centre in Lincolnshire.

The Future
The Chairman in early 2000 issued a questionnaire to members seeking their views on the STTS's future.

There was no doubt at all that members wanted the STTS to continue and there were constructive suggestions that closer links should be forged with other like-minded societies. This is beginning to happen. Attendance at meetings has recovered and a programme of lobbying for the return of modern light rail vehicles is in its early stages whereby contact has been made with the Scottish Executive setting out our views to which a helpful response was received. In addition to the 21st Birthday Dinner referred to earlier, there was also a Silver Jubilee Dinner in 1976. In recent years, there have been informal dinners held in June and January. These have grown in popularity and offer a convivial ending to the session and the year.

It is clear that we do not have one foot in the grave. With the continuing support of members and subscribers, there is no reason to doubt that this improved situation will continue.

Whatever the outcome, "Scottish Transport" will keep you informed.

"LIGHT RAILWAY TRANSPORT

LEAGUE".

SCOTTISH DIVISION.

GLASGOW AREA.

60,Drumsargard Road Burnside

Rutherglen

23rd June 1951

Dear Member,

Preservation of Historic Vehicles.

It has been the feeling of a number of Members in this area that the 1898 ex-"Room and Kitchen" single deck tramcar, until recently in the service of the G.C.T.Mains Dept. should be preserved. This vehicle is now out of service and is being offered for disposal.

A meeting will therefore be held on the evening of Wednesday 27th June at 7.30 p.m. in the Kenilworth Hotel, Queen Street, Glasgow, to discuss ways and means of acquiring it and restoring it to its original condition.

Yours truly,

ROBERT R. CLARK.

Scottish Divisional Secretary.

SCOTTISH TRAMWAY MUSEUM SOCIETY

Hon- Secretary
ROBERT R. CLARK
60 Drumsargard Road
Burnside
7th July, 1951 RUTHERGLEN

PRESERVATION OF G.C.T. "ROOM AND KITCHEN" TRAMCAR

Dear Sir or Madam,
In response to the unanimous request of those present at our inaugural meeting at the Kenilworth Hotel on 27th June, a visit has been arranged to Dalmarnock Tram Depot on THURSDAY 12TH JULY 1951 at 7.30 p.m. to Inspect the above car before the Transport Department undertake the removal of the testing equipment from it. All those interested are cordially invited to attend. (Trams 17, 26, and 36 pass the Depot).
A responsible official of the Department will be present to explain the dismantling necessary to remove this equipment, in order that we may be able to co-ordinate it with the dismantling which we shall have to undertake in restoring the car to its original condition.
Subject to the prevailing weather, it is proposed to take both moving and still pictures of the car for the Society's records.
After the inspection, a meeting will be held to consider a draft constitution for the Society. All those who are already members. or who wish to be enrolled may remain to take part in the meeting
Yours faithfully

ROBERT R. CLARK
Hon. Secretary