This fine postcard from Perth in Scotland shows car 1 at the tram terminus at Scone, probably at around the time of the electrification of the tramway in 1905. The tram is going to Cherrybank. The card is in the "Fair City Series" from a publisher whose initials are J.K.T.
The electric tramways in Perth were just 5 miles of route built to 3ft 6in gauge. They began as the horse tramways of the Perth and District Tramways Co. Ltd., which opened its first line in September 1895. In October 1903 the horse tramways were taken over by Perth Corporation, which after a brief experiment with a petrol tram, began electric service on the tramway on 31st October 1905. The main route was from Scone to Cherrybank, with branches going to Craigie and to Dunkeld Road, the latter added at the time of electrification. The depot was beyond the terminus at Scone.
The rolling stock consisted of twelve cars built in 1905 by Hurst Nelson & Co. Ltd. of Motherwell. Car 1 in our postcard was the first of the group numbered 1-9. They were open top double-deck 4-wheel cars on Hurst Nelson solid-forged trucks with two 25 horsepower Westinghouse motors controlled by Westinghouse controllers. They seated 20 passengers inside with 22 on top. The livery was crimson lake and cream. Cars 10-12 were similar in design but had bodies built three inches lower to allow them under a low railway bridge in King Street on the Craigie route. To distinguish them from the higher cars they were painted deep olive green and cream. In 1907 the bridge was raised and as any tram could then use that route, the low bridge cars were repainted into the standard livery. There was also a water car that had been converted from former horse car number 5.
The tramway had an uneventful life. After neglect during the Great War, the tramway was in a poor state. In 1927 the Perth General Omnibus Company began operation of a bus service in direct competition with the tramway's main route. The Corporation responded by taking over the bus company on 3rd April 1928 and operating the buses themselves. The tramway lingered for a while, but closed on 19th January 1929.
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