London Picture Gallery [2] Tram Scenes from slides obtained from Electrail

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Picture HT32 At Abbey Wood Road, outside Abbey Wood depot, probably taken on the last tram day. Some 15 years later J R King worked tram replacement buses from there. The shop and houses in the distance are in the county of Kent on the 698 trolleybus route. The trams would turn right towards London before getting here. Note on the tram is chalked the name of its former owner - LCC.		Picture HT23 Westhorne Avenue carrying the newest of London tram routes, the 72, which opened in 1932 to serve the new estate in Eltham. There was thought to run a trackless tram or trolley on this route. Another plan was to have a reserved track in the centre of a duel carriageway. In the end a conventional tramway was laid. The construction of Westhorne Avenue was in two parts, as a railway embankment bisected the new roadway. Joining the two halves saw the removal of a section of embankment, and the placing of a bridge over, during one single weekend in 1932.
Pictures HT22, HT24, HT25 and HT36 These pictures were taken at what LT called Middle Park Avenue but was know locally as Eltham Green or more likely "The Yorkshire Grey". That Public House is now a drive through McDonalds. In picture HT24 the tram is at the bottom of Eltham Hill. This is one of the 50 E1s [552-601] which used trucks and equipment from the 'F' and 'G' single deck cars built for the Kingsway Subway service. Route 44 is about to go around Eltham Green Roundabout to terminate at Middle Park. In picture HT36, Eltham Hill can be seen stretching away. Westhorn Avenue crossed the roundabout here with tram routes on three of the roads. The fourth seen on the right was to have been the new route to Grove Park. [See the group of pictures HT17/18/21 on the previous page]. The milkman still has his horse in the photograph. As electric powered public transport disappeared from our streets, electric powered milk floats started to appear! From: "Peter Harrison" <peter@peterandmarian.com> I enjoyed these tram pictures enormously - I traveled to school from the Welcome Inn to Pepys Road in New Cross using the #46 from 1951 until the trams stopped altogether. I preferred the #72 to Lewisham and a change there but a Jobsworth grade conductor would throw me off occasionally. Incidentally, I have lived in the US since 1977 but was back in the UK over Christmas and was disappointed to see the Welcome Inn being torn down. More progress I suppose.
Picture HT16 Also at Middle Park Avenue. The 44 is taking the wire to Eltham Hill where another tram can be seen already. The bus peeping out from the tram is probably on route 21 and is going the same way. The other wire is for route 72 which goes down Westhorne Avenue. A 72 can also be seen emerging from Westhorne Avenue onto the roundabout. I believe this junction had automatic points, but due to poor maintenance often failed.		Picture HT20 Eltham High Street at Eltham Church cross-roads. On the church wall the sign says <- to Eltham Hill. The turning to the left is Well Hall Road and was the terminus for the 44 until extended to Middle Park Avenue. The Burton's shop is now a McDonalds burger place - they get everywhere. In the High Street ahead can be seen Mellin wine bar and next door the Greyhound public house. In between is an alley which once led to a horse bus yard. The tram will turn left here on the way to Woolwich.
Picture HT34 Taken at New Cross Depot, looking out. On destination blinds it was New Cross Gate, or to the crews it was known just as 'The Gate'. I wonder what the chap on 1966 is saying to the conductor walking past! He is wearing the regulation summer white cover to his cap. These were worn from May to September. Note also, the building in New Cross Road which was still shorn up due to bomb damage.		Picture HT35 New Cross Road outside the depot looking towards Deptford. You can see the rail leading to the depot in the road. The Greenline coach would be on route 701-705 all of which passed by. Is that conductor at the stop the one seen in HT34? As we know the trams had to go because of the 'congestion' they caused. Look at this spot today and you will find traffic queues for most of the day.
Pictures HT26 and HT31 Tram #1 [ex-LCC 1 "Bluebird", built in 1932] caught on camera at Archway when the Southern Counties Touring Society hired the car for a tour in 1949. The tour also visited Grove Park and West Norwood. The tram is currently a non runner at Crich. An uncertain future for this tram?			Picture HT19 Thought to be at Eltham Green.

The captions on this page were written by John King who enjoyed studying
the photographs and writing the captions for them. Most of the places are very
familiar to him and he states that the Eltham group of photographs look no
different today except for the absence of trams and increased traffic.