In Pictures: A Newcastle tram in Rutland…

We occasionally feature on these pages a tram which is a little off the beaten track and get very little publicity or coverage and that is the case in this article as we feature the unrestored lower saloon of a Newcastle tram which has found its way to the Rocks by Rail Museum near Cottesmore in Rutland.

It is believed that this lower saloon once belonged to Newcastle Corporation Tramways “A” class tram no. 117 (similar to 114 at Beamish) which was built by Hurst Nelson in Motherwell in 1901. It was rebuilt as an open balcony car five years later and was then sold on for further use in Sheffield in 1941. Its final withdrawal came in February 1951 and it then eventually found its way to a farm close somewhere in the East Midlands. There it remained until 2019 when the Industrial Diesel Railway Preservation Group acquired it.

The plan for the remaining parts of the tram are that it will be restored and fitted to a 6-wheel rail milk tank chassis so it can be used to carry passengers in the future.

Seen stored outside this is the remains of 117 at the Rocks by Rail Museum. Although it looks in poor condition it is still hoped to restore the body to allow it to carry passengers once more. (Photograph by Stephen Cobb, 1st August 2021)

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