Trams and Tramways

It is difficult for us, in the twenty-first century, to appreciate the effect that electric trams must have had over one hundred years ago - nothing as large and fast would have been seen in the quiet and dimly lit suburban streets. Some idea of the impact of a brightly lit tram in the normally dark streets can be gained from the above photo, of restored Fremantle tramcar 29 at Whiteman Park. Electric trams, also known as streetcars or trolleys, became a reliable and economical form of public transport from 1887. They were adopted throughout the world from about the beginning of the twentieth century in expanding towns and cities where workers required transport to and from their jobs. Often the tramway company generated its own electric power, and became involved in supplying power to houses and businesses. After years of dominating the streets, tramways began to face competition from other forms of transport, both public and private, and also suffered due to increasing road congestion. From the middle of the twentieth century tramways either survived and became a vital part of public transport systems, as in much of Europe, or declined and were abandoned, as in the United Kingdom and the USA. At the beginning of the twenty-first century, new systems are being introduced, sometimes replacing those abandoned earlier. In Australia, the Melbourne tramways survived and are expanding. One line has survived in Adelaide. Sydney has recently re-introduced trams. In Western Australia, ...