Narrow Gauge Trams

[LYRobert]

When we lived in Brussels immediately after the war, there were standard and metre gauge trams running on some routes. They were referred to as "City trams" and "Country trams". The country tram system extended far into the surrounding country, and I remember (I was eight) being taken by tram to Waterloo on one occasion, and to Blankenberg on the coast on another.

 

[edwin_m]

When we lived in Brussels immediately after the war, there were standard and metre gauge trams running on some routes. They were referred to as "City trams" and "Country trams". The country tram system extended far into the surrounding country, and I remember (I was eight) being taken by tram to Waterloo on one occasion, and to Blankenberg on the coast on another.

This was the SNCV/NMVB which operated such routes right across the country. The only surviving parts, still metre gauge, are the coastal tramway, the Charleroi network and a short tourist line.

 

[LYRobert]

A feature of the 'Country Tram' was that they often had three or four trailer-trams, and sometomes a goods wagon in tow, trundling through the street. The old city trams often had a single trailer, but they were all being replaced by the much bigger bogie trams - the first of these made it's appearance on "Our" route (to Tervuren) whilst we were there (might have been a bit later - during our second stay there).

 

[snowball]

I’ve heard it said that the ‘new’ West Highland Railway link across and slightly along the road to enter Porthmadog station is legally a ‘tramway’.

Welsh, not West, of course.

It's described as railway in Work no. 3 in Schedule 1 here:

The Welsh Highland Railway Order 1999

This Order authorises The Festiniog Railway Company to construct works and compulsorily to acquire land for the purpose of rebuilding the Welsh Highland Railway from Dinas to Porthmadog in the County of Gwynedd. It includes level crossings of public highways at six places. Provision is made for...

www.legislation.gov.uk

And clicking forward to the next page and Schedule 2, it's called a level crossing.

Possibly surprising as on site it does seem more along the road than across it.

But road vehicles have to stop to let trains across.

 

[Strathclyder]

The other big traditional tramway network that was (just) narrow gauge was Glasgow (etc), which was 4'-7¾" - to permit operation of mainline goods wagons over it, by flange running.

Particularly in the sections of the network that ran past the numerous Clyde shipyards (Fairfield in Govan & John Brown's in Clydebank to name two, the latter being one of the last parts of the system to close in September 1962).

 

[Ken H]

Particularly in the sections of the network that ran past the numerous Clyde shipyards (Fairfield in Govan & John Brown's in Clydebank to name two, the latter being one of the last parts of the system to close in September 1962).

Leeds tramway had goods trains from Gipton Colliery to Whitehall Rd generating statjon. Dont know if the vehicles were captive and had special wheels or not. Leeds trams were standard gaugue.
Imagine a steam hauled train of trucks going through City Square!