In this latest instalment of “Still Standing!” we are again heading to Greater London (or Surrey if you’d rather, its always a bit of a debate in this area!) as we take a look at another old tram depot that is still in situ.
The tram depot on Westmead Road in Sutton was opened by the South Metropolitan Electric Tramways and Lighting Company on 11th November 1906 as an eight track tram shed. Originally owned by BET, in 1913 the South Met became part of the Underground group which also included London United Tramways and Metropolitan Electric Tramways. However, whereas modernisation came for LUT and MET in the form of Feltham trams, the South Met was not so lucky and when takeover by London Transport came on 1st July 1933 it still had a fleet of largely four wheeled trams. As a result the routes served from this depot were some of the first to succumb to trolleybus operation with the last trams leaving on 7th December 1935. It then became a trolleybus depot and would it would remain like this until 4th March 1959 when trolleybus route 654 was converted to bus operation. The buses moved in, with the depot having been renamed Carshalton to avoid confusion with Sutton Bus Garage (still in use today) in 1950. It closed five years later and is now in commercial use with the current resident being Access Self Storage.
Sutton Tram Depot in 2020. Now in use by Access Self Storage the roof clearly shows is heritage as a former tram depot. (Photograph by Bob Hodges, 29th September 2020)