Llandudno & Colwyn Bay Electric Railway (Tramway)

[Jack]

One from 7th June 1954

[dwsi]

Found this on ITNsource.com. It might have been posted before.

LAST TRAM BETWEEN LLANDUDNO AND COLWYN BAY (Clip 1)

[Merddin Emrys]

I've just been lent an excellent video about the tramway, some great shots in it. I've just found a dvd copy on Ebay which I've bought, here's the link. It seems to be easily available on the internet, well worth a look!

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=170707135785

Llandudno and Colwyn Bay Electric Railway
An evocative selection of films (much in colour) recapturing the glory days of one of Britain's most popular and best loved coastal tramways.
Assembled to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the closure of the most famous seaside tramway in North Wales, this DVD features spectacular scenes along the entire length of the highly scenic line.

Board fully laden 'toastracks', exposed 'open-toppers' and sedate single-deckers for a trip along this narrow-gauge line in a variety of different weather conditions.


Swing the trolley at West Shore, Llandudno
Sample summer crowds at Palladium Corner
Watch the procession of trams swinging on and off the single track in Mostyn Street
Catch an 'Accrington', 'Bournemouth', or 'toastrack' for an exhilarating cross-country ride through Bodafon Fields
Tackle the steeply graded Penryhn Hill
Skirt the damaged sea-wall at Penryhn Bay
Peer into the depot
Roll along the esplanade at Rhos-On-Sea
Negotiate the single track over busy Brompton Bridge
Join the throngs of traffic on the trunk Conway Road
Edge on and off the inter-laced track in Colwyn Bay
Special Features:

Pre-war footage
Bournemouth cars in their home town
An ex-Darwen streamliner on the Colwyn Bay shuttle
The short-lived replacing 'Red Buses'
The Great Orme Tramway (including scenes from the 1950s)
The 'St. Tudno' and 'St. Seriol'
Local buses
Also the Rhyl Miniature Tramway and magnificent period views of Llandudno, Penryhn Bay, Rhos-On-Sea and Colwyn Bay.

Something for everyone!


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Produced by - Online Video
Running time - 60 Minutes
DVD only

[mull]

A question came up tonight that someone on here might be able to answer.
In the early 1950s whilst staying with my Nain in Penrhynside the family came down into Llandudno for the evening to visit other relations  by tram. The journey was in the dark so I assume it was in the winter. I recall the tram crossed over to the opposite tack at Nant y Gamar road and ran on the wrong line as far as the Grand Theartre.
Was it something to do with track repairs as I seem to recall there was a lot of anti tram feeling at the time especially from the council.
Anyone able to date what year this work took place ?
 

[Michael]

Take your last point first. There was ALWAYS anti tram from feelings from Llandudno council for all the years the trams ran. The Council absolutely hated them. Colwyn Bay council didn't think much of them either.             I cannot help you with the date of the line transfer in Craig y Don because especially towards the end of running the company were forever make do and mending bits of the line. Sometimes a line transfer would only be there for a few days Mike

[mull]

Thanks for that Mike.
If only they could have kept them running for another 10 years I am sure a preservation society would have stepped in to keep them running.
Just think what an attraction they would have been for both Llandudno and Colwyn Bay.
I can remember the councils wanting rid of them..
As far sighted then as they are today.

[wjones74]

Whilst talking with my work colleague today , he informed me his dad had transfered a load of old film of the trams (and other llandudno home movies of the same era) on to dvd recently , and that he would get me copies of them , when i get them i will try and upload them here , one thing is for sure not many people have seen them so i'm quite looking forward to it! watch this space !!!

[Merddin Emrys]

Sounds interesting!

[Michael]

Whilst the tram topic is active, perhaps a little light relief. It's true as well.  As youngsters we were always short of  cash. So one of us came up with the bright idea, put a ha'penny (short for halfpenny) on the flat section of the line, let a tram run over it and flatten it like a pancake, and look--weve got a penny. Needless to say it didn't work but the smaller halfpenny was ironed out to an extent but not evenly all around, and it didn't do the Kings head a lot of good. Eventually we. We're spotted and told strongly that it was against the law to deface coins of the realm Mike

[Hugo]

You've been a naughty boy in the past Mike and deserve a     but having said that we used to go under Maesdu Bridge and put a penny (that's inflation for you) on the rail track and when the train went over it, it would be massive.

It's nice to see you back on here and I  hope that you had a nice holiday again.   

[Merddin Emrys]

Probably will not work the same with modern money as new 'copper' coins are plated steel, not real copper any more 

[jemima]

Hi,

I have just been re-reading two books on Llandudno and in these books there appears the same picture of a tram in 1915 - in connection with recruiting for World War One.  Now, I have checked the books to see where this photograph came from - but there is no reference to the source.

Can anyone help?
The two books are "Llandudno Queen of Resorts" - Ivor Wynne Jones (2002) page 85
and "A Century of LLandudno" - Jim Roberts (1999) page 51

[Cambrian]

Oddly enough, the caption in the first edition of Ivor's book gives the year as 1914. Given they have both shown the photo, my guess would be it is one from Conwy Archives (or the old Gwynedd one). Ivor was always very protective about his original material and would have been upset if the later book had simply reproduced it from his. Another alternative it was a commercial postcard and therefore several copies about.

[jemima]

Hi
Thanks for the prompt response. I will make enquiries at the archives when I next get there.

Regards
jemima

[DaveR]

Penrhyn Ave in Rhos (by the Co-op) is being resurfaced this week and the top layer has been scraped off in preparation for tarmacing. I thought I would take a close look and, sure enough, the old Tramway rails are quite visible set in the concrete.