The Trams

The line began in June 1874 with a horse drawn service from Shepherd's Bush to Askew Crescent in Acton. Small extensions and changes of ownership by 1895 found the line reaching the top of Acton Hill and owned by London United Tramways, namesake of the present day bus company. Acton Tram Depot opened in 1896. Unlike the LUT tram depots at Stamford Brook and Fulwell the Acton Depot did not pass to the modern London United in the dismemberment of London Transport, but went instead to CentreWest as the Uxbridge Road forms the backbone of that company's territory.

Representing the modern London United RML2269 showing an incorrect side blind - 94 instead of 9		On 20th July 1996 Acton Tram Depot held an open day to celebrate its Centenary
These 2 photos ©Martin G. Layton

It took much deliberation by the people of Ealing in the form of their elected representatives on the council to allow "A form of transport which is unable to yeald right of way to other traffic, but must require other traffic to yeald". The tramway was approved & built in 1900. By 1901 the line was electrified and reached Southall. It took until 1904 to pass through the open country of Hillingdon Heath and finally reach Uxbridge.

The tramway opening cermony in 1901 at Southall	Junction of Ealing Broadway and Uxbridge Road 1905	Junction of High Street and Uxbridge Road 1905
These 3 postcards ©Ealing Public Libraries

At the tramway opening ceremony in 1901 at Southall Town Hall is recognisable as today's landmark, but Lady Margaret Road and the Broadway shops are yet to be built In the 1905 views the junction of Ealing Broadway and Uxbridge Road is established as we know it today. A little further west Christ Church is hidden by trees as is any evidence of Ealing Town Hall. The shops and Railway Hotel at the junction of High Street and Uxbridge Road have been replaced over the years.

History is not quite clear as to exactly when the Shepherd's Bush to Uxbridge tram service was numbered 7. It was was certainly 7 in LUT days. 1-4 had been tram services but by the time the London Passenger Transport Board was formed in 1933 they were trolleybus services. Interestingly, the other LUT tram services inhertied by London Transport were 55, 57, 63, 65, 67 and 89. These appear to be fitting into the London County Council (LCC) pattern with north of the Thames services being odd-numbered although they did not inter-work with LCC. It may have been intervention by the Metropolitan Police who were very pro-active with public transport in the 1920s. There were certainly strict rules laid down regarding bus route numbers (the so-called Bassom system). Some of these routes did share tracks with LCC services between Hammersmith and Kew and some crossed over LCC services at Shepherd's Bush but the 7 certanly seems an odd man out in this respect. The story is further complicated by the fact that the tram route number 7 passed the Kings Arms in Acton, terminus of the London General Omnibus Company’s number 7 bus to Liverpool Street

Photographed from about the same spot as the 1905 view but looking west a tram passes the junction of Ealing Broadway & Uxbridge Road		Looking east from the junction of Ealing Broadway & Uxbridge Road a Trolley bus aproaches the junction with the tram lines looking filled in
Both these postcards ©Ealing Public Libraries

The historian who captioned these two postcards as 1935 was in some doubt about the date of the conversion from tram to trolleybus, but I am reliably informed that the change took place on 15^th November 1936. The landmarks are established but the traffic is almost non-existent.