northernrail
Member
A surprise item has recently been advertised for sale of the auction site eBay the complete lower deck body of a London County Council Trailer tram. The remains of this car have been stored in Kent for some time but its owners have recognised that they are unable to proceed with its restoration and would like to donate it to a suitable organisation to ensure its survival. The tram is currently priced at a nominal sum of 99p but, at the time of writing, has yet to attract any offers.
Its condition is described as deteriorating but the trams chassis remains sound and it would not yet be beyond restoration. The main body looks to have remained in reasonable condition; the only section which has deteriorated is a later addition to one end which is not authentic and would require removal anyway. It has fortunately been stored off the ground; large wooden wheels fitted at some point have kept the body free from damp and ensured it has not rotted.
The trailer trams of the LCC were a short lived experiment conducted in the capital in an attempt to provide more capacity at peak times. In total 150 trailers were built by Brush around 1913 and numbered T9 T158, following on from eight earlier trailers converted from ex horse trams. Initially successful, their short lives were due to a combination of objections to trailer operation for the Metropolitan police and a reputation they gained for slowing down the service and they were gradually withdrawn from 1920 onwards. Being almost new, they were then sold off and many converted into houses, which has ensured that several bodies have survived.
At least two further trailers are known to exist. The LCCT have the remains of T86 in store as a possible future restoration project whilst T124, which became a house in Ireland after withdrawal, has been rescued for the National Museum of Ireland and fully restored, although representing a Dublin trailer tram and given the fake number 224. A third possible survivor is believed to exist in a garden in London, after spending some time stored at the Seaton Tramway. Hopefully, the remains of this fourth trailer car will find a good home where it can receive the attention it deserves. Anyone interested in committing to saving and restoring the tram can visit the eBay site at:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Brush-Ele...ps=63&clkid=1043494464028155036&_qi=RTM742988
and hopefully there will be a happy outcome for this remarkable survivor.
Its condition is described as deteriorating but the trams chassis remains sound and it would not yet be beyond restoration. The main body looks to have remained in reasonable condition; the only section which has deteriorated is a later addition to one end which is not authentic and would require removal anyway. It has fortunately been stored off the ground; large wooden wheels fitted at some point have kept the body free from damp and ensured it has not rotted.
The trailer trams of the LCC were a short lived experiment conducted in the capital in an attempt to provide more capacity at peak times. In total 150 trailers were built by Brush around 1913 and numbered T9 T158, following on from eight earlier trailers converted from ex horse trams. Initially successful, their short lives were due to a combination of objections to trailer operation for the Metropolitan police and a reputation they gained for slowing down the service and they were gradually withdrawn from 1920 onwards. Being almost new, they were then sold off and many converted into houses, which has ensured that several bodies have survived.
At least two further trailers are known to exist. The LCCT have the remains of T86 in store as a possible future restoration project whilst T124, which became a house in Ireland after withdrawal, has been rescued for the National Museum of Ireland and fully restored, although representing a Dublin trailer tram and given the fake number 224. A third possible survivor is believed to exist in a garden in London, after spending some time stored at the Seaton Tramway. Hopefully, the remains of this fourth trailer car will find a good home where it can receive the attention it deserves. Anyone interested in committing to saving and restoring the tram can visit the eBay site at:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Brush-Ele...ps=63&clkid=1043494464028155036&_qi=RTM742988
and hopefully there will be a happy outcome for this remarkable survivor.
