Wolverton and Stony Stratford Tramway

The Wolverton and Stony Stratford Tramway was a narrow gauge street tramway between Wolverton railway station, the London and North Western Railway's (LNWR) Wolverton railway works, Stony Stratford in Buckinghamshire, and (briefly) onwards via Old Stratford to Deanshanger in Northamptonshire.

Wolverton and Stony Stratford Tramway
The Krauss steam tram
Overview
HeadquartersWolverton
LocaleEngland
Dates of operation1887–1926
SuccessorAbandoned
Technical
Track gauge3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm)
Length4 1⁄2 miles (7.2 km)

History

The 2-mile-54-chain (2.68 mi; 4.30 km) tramway opened in 1887.[1][2] A 2-mile-long (3.2 km) extension opened in 1888 to Deanshanger to the west of Stony Stratford,[2] but the tramway company quickly ran into financial trouble and declared bankruptcy in 1889.[2] The line was purchased by a syndicate of Bedford businessmen, which reopened the Wolverton to Stony Stratford section in 1891.[2] The Deanshanger extension never re-opened.

In the early 1920s the line was taken over by the LNWR, which purchased a new Bagnall tram locomotive. After the LNWR merged into the London Midland and Scottish Railway the line was closed, in 1926.

The line was unusual for a British street tramway in being entirely worked by steam locomotives; it was the last steam street tramway in Great Britain.[3]

Locomotives
Builder Type Date Notes
Krauss 0-4-0 tram 1886
Green 0-4-0 tram
Brush 0-4-0 tram
W.G. Bagnall 0-4-0ST 1922

Memorabilia

One of the carriages (significantly larger than an AEC Routemaster double-decker bus) is on display at the Milton Keynes Museum on Stacey Hill (southern edge of Wolverton) with a variety of memorabilia.

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See also

References
  1. Milton Keynes Heritage (map). Milton Keynes Development Corporation 1983
  2. Milton Keynes Museum. "OUR TRAM: THE STORY OF THE TRAM]". Milton Keynes Heritage Association. Retrieved 8 April 2020.
  3. Display board in Milton Keynes Museum

    Other sources
    • Prideaux, J.D.C.A. (1978). The English Narrow Gauge Railway. David & Charles. ISBN 0-7153-7511-3.

    See also
    • British narrow gauge railways


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