The popular tram saw its … As a consequence, on the 1st April 1974, the transport undertakings of these two municipal operators were absorbed into the Merseyside PTE, and at midnight on the 31st March 1974, Southport Corporation Transport passed into history and almost 75 years of locally controlled municipal services ended. Trams will start by moving slowly before gradually working up to operational speeds. <>/Font<>/ProcSet[/PDF/Text/ImageB/ImageC/ImageI] >>/MediaBox[ 0 0 594.96 842.04] /Contents 4 0 R/Group<>/Tabs/S/StructParents 0>> [7], The pier was closed to the public during the Second World War to house and operate searchlights to detect enemy aircraft travelling to Liverpool docks, yet was not physically separated from the land like other piers were during this time. [1], In 1896, Southport Corporation purchased the Birkdale and Southport Tramways Company which had operated horse-drawn tramways since 1873. Although at one time spanning 1,340 m (4,380 ft), a succession of storms and fires during the late 19th and early 20th centuries reduced its length to that of the present day.
[33], Southend Pier is the longest in the country, at a length of 2,158 m (7,080 ft), List of town tramway systems in the United Kingdom, "End of the line for iconic Pier Tram after rising maintenance costs", "14 bizarre facts about Southport Pier only local people would know", "Distance from Southport Railway Station to Southport Pier", "Southport Pier – Restoration and Access", "Meeting of POS Development Management Committee at Southport Town Hall", "Southport Pier's £3m revamp to create almost 130 jobs", "150 years of tracked pier-based trundling, give or take a year", "Tram trips on Southport Pier suspended after cracks appear in the supporting columns", "Southport Pier tram removed before being sold", "BBC film on Southport pier for new TV drama", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Southport_Pier&oldid=980470157, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 26 September 2020, at 18:19. [22], The pier today is an open structure, with modern railings on an older base and a deck made of hardwood slats, affording a partial view of the sea below.
1-20), based at the Company's former horse tram depot in Churchtown. [1] The pier was closed during the Second World War, but when it reopened the tram did not reopen with it, as the town had lost its supply of DC electricity. Southport 's iconic tram has been removed from the pier, with a view to it being sold. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. [17], Deterioration continued during the latter 20th century and worsened by a storm in 1989, causing extensive damage. A fire in September 1897 destroyed the original pavilion; its replacement was opened in January 1902 and considered grander, with the inclusion of an auditorium.
84-95 (FFY401-412), a batch of Leyland PD2/3's with Leyland H30/26R bodywork being the first such vehicles in the fleet.
I recall the fuss when sadly the buses lost that livery in the 1980’s. Overhead wires are also live in this area and tram movements can be expected to occur at anytime.
13, 15, 17, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, 30, 32, 34, International Tramways and Light Railways Exhibition, This page was last edited on 26 August 2018, at 18:02. Two years later, in 1896, Southport Corporation purchased the Company and, along with Birkdale UDC, also purchased the tramway tracks that lay within their boundaries. [20], After falling into disrepair and subsequently closing, work to restore the pier began in 2000 and was completed in 2002, opening to the public in May 2002 with the restoration costing £7.2 million, complete with a new tram. [25], Initially, the pier had a baggage line from 1863, though this was replaced in 1864 when the pier was widened[1] to provide a steam-driven tramway capable of transporting passengers and their luggage.
endobj Thanks to everyone who does send submissions. A second route was opened shortly afterward, running from Lord Street to Cambridge Road, … It is expected that the tram will be sold for scrap.
Its length of 1,108 m (3,635 ft) makes it the second-longest in Great Britain, after Southend Pier. [14] Profits fell during the 1930s depression, compounded with a large fire in July 1933 destroying the pier head. [6], Storm damage was a frequent occurrence – several storms caused damage to the pier's foundations and buildings throughout the late 1880s and early 1890s.
[6], A popular attraction from 1903 were an array of divers, typically diving from the tea house roof several times daily; the most popular and longest-serving were Professors Osbourne and Powsey, the latter frequently jumping off the pier on a bicycle.