Cavehill & Whitewell Tramway Belfast – Steam Horse Drawn & Electric Trams 1882 – 1911 | Season 4 – Episode 7
Wheels Feb 09, 2024
It is often said if you want something done, you have to do it yourself. This was the situation that arose in the early 1880s when the residents of Glengormley north of Belfast wanted a tram connection to the city. Despite arguing that the tramway was a necessity for the residents and to allow day-trippers to escape the city and visit Cavehill Park, Belfast Castle and the Zoo, the Tramway Company were still opposed – so the people of Glengormley did it themselves.
Emboldened by the challenge to bring the tram to Glengormley the Vicar, George Chichester Smythe, formed an action-committee. Subsequently, a private company was founded, with Vicar Smythe, William Gregg and brothers Grant and Robert Armstrong assuming roles as directors, giving birth to The Cavehill & Whitewell Tramway Co. in 1881.
The tramway received authorisation through the Cavehill and Whitewell Tramway Order of 1881 and track-laying for the 4 ft 8+1⁄2 gauge started on January 23rd 1882. With great commercial foresight, their tramway route to Glengormley commenced at Chichester Park Gate where the trams coming out from Belfast on the Antrim Road route ran only as far as Chichester Park.
On the return journey, from the terminus at the Glengormley Arms, it was originally intended that the passengers from Glengormley would link up at Chichester Park with the Belfast Tramway Co., but owing acrimony and a lack of co-operation between the two companies, passengers from Glengormley were conveyed back into Belfast city centre with Armstrong’s Horse Buses.
On June 16th 1882, Chief Inspecting Officer for Railways, Major General Charles Scrope Hutchinson, inspected and approved the line for traffic and it became operational on July 1st 1882.
Right from the beginning, the new tramway took an unconventional approach. Rather than beginning with horse-drawn trams on their 3.1 mile route and gradually advancing to steam-drawn trams, they opted for the latest technology, ordering a steam-tram from Kitson and Company.
Built in 1882, Kitson Steam Tram No. 1, serial number No. T/49 was brought into service and during the initial seven months of operation, 115,000 passengers were transported between Glengormley and Belfast.
Interestingly at this time Kitson & Company employed the brilliant engineer Charles Parsons who after leaving their employ went on to invent the steam turbine. We previously covered his story – “Steam Turbine Ship Gate-crashing the Queen 1897 Charles Parsons Turbinia”
However, by the end of the 1882, due to unspecified operational issues the steam tram engines were giving trouble and five horse-drawn trams were temporarily employed to maintain the service. Frequent service interruptions occurred due to the consistent unavailability of Kitson steam trams until 1895. At that point, steam propulsion was discontinued, the engines were sold, and the system operated exclusively with horses until electrification was introduced in 1906.
Signing a contract in 1905 for £43,555 with British Electric Traction for the electrification of the 3.1 miles of track, the upgraded system opened to the public on February 12th 1906 operated by ten trams built by the Brush Electrical Engineering Company.
In 1910, extended an offer to acquire the company, which obtained Royal Assent on July 26th 1910. The system was incorporated into Belfast Corporation Tramways, though legal challenges postponed the official takeover until 1911. Subsequently Belfast Corporation Tramways managed the route until 1949 when trolley buses replaced the trams. We previously covered the trolleybus story –“Belfast boasted Ireland’s only trolleybus network 1938 – 1968.
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Information Sources and Photo Credits:
Anglian.org – Conor Carnmoney
Belfast Live
Belfast Newsletter
British Steam Locomotive Builders – JW Lowe
Dunnyrail
History of the Steam Tram (1937) by Dr H. A. Whitcome
The Golden Age of Tramways – Taylor and Francis
