The 150th anniversary of the inauguration of the first street tramway in Europe is this August Bank Holiday Weekend and the Merseyside Tramway Preservation Society are planning to celebrate with two special events – a plaque unveiling and an “All Trams Out Day” on the Wirral Heritage Tramway.
The idea of tramways was bought to the UK from America by a shipping entrepreneur – George Francis Train. He originally put the idea to Liverpool Town Council, but they weren’t interested, so he crossed the Mersey, and put the idea to John Laird, who accepted the proposal for the town of Birkenhead.
The street railway (as it was then called, the term tramway came a few years later) commenced running between Woodside Ferry (the current terminus of the Wirral Heritage Tramway) and Birkenhead Park (the world’s first public park, opened in 1847) and was an immediate success, so much so the concept spread to towns and cities across England and into Europe.
On Saturday 28th August 2010 at 1300, the Transport Trust, with the Merseyside Tramway Preservation Society, will be inviting the Lord Mayor of Wirral – Alan Jennings – to unveil a plaque on the building at the corner of Argyle Street and Price Street, Birkenhead. They then plan to retrace the tram route on a bus from the Wirral Transport Museum.
The following Monday, the Bank Holiday 31st August 2010, the Merseyside Tramway Preservation Society is holding an “All Trams Out Day” at Woodside Ferry terminal, Birkenhead, when all available tramcars on the Heritage Tramway will be on display between 1300 and 1530. Trams will also operate on the half mile track up to the Transport Museum, with return fares costing £1.20 for adults and 60p for concessions.
Source: Merseyside Tramway Preservation Society