ABSTRACT

With the twentieth century arrived the first electric tramcars in London. Thirty years later the first trolley buses arrived - along with a fleet of new trams that were the most modern of their day. This era was one of rapid change, rich in achievement adn personalities. Among the more colourful of the undertakings involved was London United, which introduced the first public service of electric tramcars in 1901 adn became one of the predecessors of the present London Transport.

This is a study of this eventful period, relating the development of the tramway and trolleybus system to the changing social background. It contains a wealth of hitherto unpublished material, both factual and anecdotal, taken from contemporary newspaper and other accounts, and a remarkable collection of illustrations - 48 pages in all. It should be of interest not only to the transport enthusiast but also to the general reader interested in social history.

This book was first published in 1971.

chapter Chapter 1|6 pages

Enter Robinson

chapter Chapter 2|9 pages

The Opening Shots

chapter Chapter 3|13 pages

Battle Grounds

chapter Chapter 4|5 pages

Electrics at Last

chapter Chapter 5|16 pages

Junkets — And Hard Bargains

chapter Chapter 6|12 pages

New Ground — And ‘Underground'

chapter Chapter 7|5 pages

Mainly Robinson

chapter Chapter 8|13 pages

Hampton Court and Uxbridge

chapter Chapter 9|7 pages

Into Surrey

chapter Chapter 10|10 pages

Rounding Off

chapter Chapter 11|7 pages

Chill Winds — And New Brooms

chapter Chapter 12|5 pages

A Tramway King' Passes

chapter Chapter 13

LUT, MET and BET

chapter Chapter 14|5 pages

Wartime Readjustment

chapter Chapter 15|7 pages

Spencer Makes His Mark

chapter Chapter 16|7 pages

Mild Revival

chapter Chapter 17|6 pages

Modernization

chapter Chapter 18|9 pages

Finale

chapter |2 pages

Epilogue