David’s introduction to Granton trams

Electric trams ran to Granton from 1909 to 1956, originally from Leith only, but latterly from Edinburgh also. At one time there were seven tram routes to the area, four from Leith via Lower Granton Road (services 2, 14, 16 and 17) and three via Granton Road (services 8, 9 and 13).

The trams which ran to Granton from Leith via Lower Granton Road were originally operated by Leith Corporation, and latterly by Edinburgh Corporation. The trams which ran from Edinburgh to Granton via Granton Road didn't reach it till later than the Leith ones, and they were always operated by Edinburgh Corporation. The trams to Granton were withdrawn in stages, from 1952 to 1956, and replaced by Corporation buses.

The trams, like trains, ran on rails, but unlike on railways, these were laid in the middle of streets with two sets of rails, one for each direction of travel. The trams had a lower and upper deck, and there was a pole attached to the roof at one end and to an overhead electric wire at the other end. They had a driver and a conductor, who collected the fares and pressed a button which rang a bell at the driver's end to signal the driver to start or stop the tram. The trams could run in either direction and were reversed at each terminus, with the conductor turning the pole around. There were reversible seats, and the conductor changed them round at each terminus, also.

The photographs show two different types of tram at Granton. There was a stair and a door at each end of the tram, and the passengers boarded and alighted at the rear door and used the stair at the back of the tram. If any passengers descended the stair at the front of the tram, they would be told off in no uncertain manner by the driver.

The trams which approached Granton via Granton Road passed Wardie School, of course, and some of the pupils travelled by tram to school. The child fare was 1d (one old penny - about half a present penny) for any distance, and the adult minimum fare was the same, while the maximum fare was 3d (three old pence).

The trams which ran along Lower Granton Road were occasionally subjected to negotiating very rough seas in winter, with huge waves washing over the road, and this could lead to that part of the tram service being suspended.

At the double bend where Trinity Bridge used to be, at the west end of Lower Granton Road, there was a single track, which had to be negotiated by trams travelling in both directions. This was called a 'tram pinch'. There was a traffic signal for the trams at each end of the single track, and when a tram entered this at each end, a red light came on at the other end. If two trams entered the single track at the same time, however, they would meet in the middle, and there would be an argument between the drivers as to which one should reverse.