A Steam Tram at Heywood, Middleton, Manchester (UK)

[rogerfarnworth]

Until I read the February 1963 edition of 'The Railway Magazine', I had no idea that steam trams served boroughs in the Manchester conurbation. .........

A Steam Tram at Heywood, Middleton, Manchester (UK)

The February 1963 edition of the Railway Magazine included a photograph of a Steam Tram which used to serve Heywood. [1] Until coming across the image above, I had no idea that steam trams served b…

rogerfarnworth.com

John R. Prentice says that "the Manchester, Bury, Rochdale and Oldham Steam Tramways Co. Ltd. (MBRO, founded c.1883) became the second largest steam tramway operator in Britain with over 90 tram engines, 80 double-deck passenger trailers and 30 miles of routes. Of all these, two-thirds of stock and track were narrow gauge (3ft 6ins), including the section between Bury and Rochdale, through Heywood.

 

[Townsend Hook]

One of the MBRO steam tram engines does still survive, as a kit of parts at Crich Tramway Village’s off-site store at Clay Cross, near Chesterfield. There is a long-term aspiration to restore it, but it does require a very expensive restoration as well as infrastructure changes to permit it to operate (first and foremost a steam shed separate to the main depot).

 

[rogerfarnworth]

That sounds like quite an investment!