Tramcar, 1937 LT.1958.43.e
“Truly a classic piece of engineering and styling. Well! For the passengers. The front end and driver’s cab left a bit to be desired. The cab was draughty and cramped.”
From "The Wearing of the Green" by William Tollan
My sister worked at the Empire Exhibition. On the last night they had a big celebration which finished very late. By the time it finished all the trams had stopped. My sister had to walk all the way from Bellahouston Park to Knightswood. My mum was at home, tearing her hair out with worry.
It was my complete delight to jump from the tram. Just as it slowed, before it stopped…You could jump off and run alongside. It felt as if you were slightly flying.
A lot of the captions on your tram photos mix up Coronations & Cunarders.
So many people used to jump off trams and buses as they were moving with no ill effects. As an 8 year old, with no knowledge of physics, I assumed that when people ran alongside, that was the proper way to do it. I decided to try it for myself and leapt off a fast moving tram and started running, only to find my legs couldn't go fast enough and I went flat on my face and thoroughly skinned my knees. Another passenger picked me up and carried me to the pavement while my mother assured the conductress that it was my own fault and she wouldn't be making a claim. Fortunately there was not much traffic about. I learned the hard way that you had to throw yourself backwards to counteract the forward motion of the car. I soon mastered this without any more mishaps but was always more careful about jumping from buses as they tended to bounce at the wrong moment.
Would you take public transport through Glasgow at night? Did you find the coronation trams comfortable - or did you prefer having your bones rattled?
Did you ever miss the last tram home?
We were used to standing to drive – it was a luxury when you got your own cabin.
The Coronation tram was on my route from Knightswood. It was a beautiful tram, bigger to start with, much more comfortable. Some older trams were open to the elements, Coronation trams were streamlined. The “Bone Shakers” shuddered along, the Coronation tram glided.
A lady at Bishopbriggs approached our Coronation tram. She was obviously not ready to travel yet. "How long will the next tram be conductor?" "Same length as this wan muissus, 34 feet"
