As regular readers of British Trams Online will be aware under the road surfaces in many UK towns and cities there is tram track lurking. Track which hasn’t been used in anger for many, many years but was just covered over following the abandonment of the tramway to be forgotten. But there are times when this track is rediscovered when roadworks take place and the latest such location is in Sheffield where there are power cable works taking place.
These tracks are on the A61 Penistone Road which was once on the route of the Wadsley Bridge to Woodseats route which ran for the last time on 4 October 1959, some 12 months before the final trams were run in the city. After closure the rails were buried under tarmac but these new roadworks have caused it come to the surface once more and to see what was lost over 60 years ago.
Just in the mid distance in this first photo we see some of the track which remains in place.
Just visible in the middle of the photo we see more track poking out.
And finally some long unused track is on the side of the road here having been removed. (All Photographs by Simon Temple, 20th June 2023)