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Sheffield Tram Ride Through Attercliffe in 1960


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Sheffield Tram Attercliffe.jpg

Sheffield Tram Ride Through Attercliffe in 1960

Here's a terrific old film of a Sheffield tram travelling down Attercliffe and into what I think are the tramsheds at the end of it's journey.

The film shows old shops in Attercliffe and steel works that are now long gone

Have a look at post below what places or people you spot!

 

 

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Love watching this video, watched it many times. Even made a comment on there 5 months back?

Living in Darnall I wish Attercliffe Road was still like that. 

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Blooming marvellous!

The film must have been taken in September or October 1960, as a passing tram is carrying a "Sheffield Last Tram Week" inscription; I wonder if this was 523's last journey?

Quite a film for car-spotters as well as for tram and 'bus enthusiasts: amongst the expected Morris Minors etc. I noticed an (oncoming) Trojan van and a (parked) Austin Atlantic convertible.

One final query: if this film was indeed taken during, or leading up to, Last Tram Week, my memory tells me that by that time only one route was still in operation: City Centre to Vulcan Road (I travelled it with my Dad in car 506 on the last day). So, is Vulcan Road in Attercliffe or is this a different route?

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Absolutely correct - Blooming marvellous!

Almost too many vintage cars and vans, and of course long-lost shops and factories to make mention of.

The glimpses that bring back most memories for us are:-

Several BRS lorries, most of which probably came out of the Staniforth Road Depot, and which in these scenes were probably working the steel-works to Wicker Goods Station traffic - got a glimpse of that too. My wife, when young used to spend many a day sat on the engine cover in the cab, whilst her father drove various Albions, Seddons, and such to ports as Goole, Immingham, and Hull.

And the green Bedford OYD lorry sneaking out of Princess Street. Identical to the one that Phil Downsby had. To indistinct for me to ever be sure that it was his, but certainly, it looks the blooming same.

 

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5 hours ago, Athy said:

Blooming marvellous!

The film must have been taken in September or October 1960, as a passing tram is carrying a "Sheffield Last Tram Week" inscription; I wonder if this was 523's last journey?

Quite a film for car-spotters as well as for tram and 'bus enthusiasts: amongst the expected Morris Minors etc. I noticed an (oncoming) Trojan van and a (parked) Austin Atlantic convertible.

One final query: if this film was indeed taken during, or leading up to, Last Tram Week, my memory tells me that by that time only one route was still in operation: City Centre to Vulcan Road (I travelled it with my Dad in car 506 on the last day). So, is Vulcan Road in Attercliffe or is this a different route?

I think the last route was Beauchief-Millhouse-City-Attercliffe-Vulcan Road abandoned 8 Oct. 1960. Vulcan Road is in Tinsley just before the canal bridge. I believe buses duplicated this route on the last couple of days.

Meadowhead -City - Lane Top via Heeley and Pitsmoor had been abandoned on 2nd April of the same year.

The very last journey in regular service was I think by car 222 which ran into Tinsley depot, I think  about 4pm. As the trams finished their duties they all ran in to Tinsley depot, even the ones from Tenter Street apart from the ones meant for preservation which ran in to Queens Road Works and included the official last tram 510.

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Thanks, Bog'. I do remember thetram arriving at the Vulcan Road terminus and being underwhelmed - as I recall, the track just stopped (perhaps it had a siding or loop line), no building or shelter of any sort as i had been expecting.

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2 hours ago, Athy said:

Thanks, Bog'. I do remember thetram arriving at the Vulcan Road terminus and being underwhelmed - as I recall, the track just stopped (perhaps it had a siding or loop line), no building or shelter of any sort as i had been expecting.

I think there was just a crossover for the trams to change tracks for the return journey, but then that's all a tram needs. I worked buses to Vulcan Road in later days but we went round the loop. I think there was a row of basic tin topped shelters on the return track side.

Quite a number of trams and later buses were needed there when shifts changed in the steel works, some of them being workers special routes.

I have recently seen a picture of a crowd round one of the last trams on Vulcan Road but can't remember where I saw it.

EDIT Not the picture I was thinking of but here is one of trams on Vulcan Road, possibly the last day,

trams_506_and_509_vulcan_road.jpg

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17 hours ago, boginspro said:

I think there was just a crossover for the trams to change tracks for the return journey, but then that's all a tram needs. I worked buses to Vulcan Road in later days but we went round the loop. I think there was a row of basic tin topped shelters on the return track side.

Quite a number of trams and later buses were needed there when shifts changed in the steel works, some of them being workers special routes.

I have recently seen a picture of a crowd round one of the last trams on Vulcan Road but can't remember where I saw it.

EDIT Not the picture I was thinking of but here is one of trams on Vulcan Road, possibly the last day,

 

Brilliant photograph Boginspro, thanks for posting.

It is always the little details that fascinate me the most.

The electric clock, on the lamp-standard in the middle-distance, the destination sign over the passenger shelters, and of course, the dark-satanic-mill impression that was always, at least for me, Vulcan Road.

So, I thought it only fair to post another image, taken same day, 08/10/1960, but pointing in the opposite direction.

Sheffield's last-tram day is remembered as being one, where as the day progressed, the heavens themselves opened, as this photograph testifies. This probably explains the scarcity of spectators, or perhaps they were all sheltering under the tin topped shelters.

Never-the-less, the tin topped shelters, on the return track, the track-layout, and of course, Hadfields Limited's well remembered entrance can be seen.

All now long-gone, of course.

PT139-Sheffield Transport No.515 at Vulcan Road, Tinsley, Sheffield-08-10-1960-web copy.jpg

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45 minutes ago, Unitedite Returns said:

Sheffield's last-tram day is remembered as being one, where as the day progressed, the heavens themselves opened, as this photograph testifies. This probably explains the scarcity of spectators, or perhaps they were all sheltering under the tin topped shelters.

Never-the-less, the tin topped shelters, on the return track, the track-layout, and of course, Hadfields Limited's well remembered entrance can be seen.

All now long-gone, of course.

Thanks, Unitedite Returns   that's a better photo' and brings back great memories of a very sad day.

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Im guessing here with these 'then & now' comparison photos from that video, so please correct me if I a wrong..

 

Attercliffe Rd

5a107484b4c87_ScreenShot2017-11-18at17_55_28.png.9fafc2786672513b9483152cbb51d94d.png

5a10749234775_ScreenShot2017-11-18at17_55_43.png.4cd850e275cde31cbf0f046b7cd2453f.png

 

 

And the same bridge views from the other side?

5a10752627858_ScreenShot2017-11-18at17_58_39.png.81a6f964d858165bd52c398d523afb5e.png

5a107535d0d05_ScreenShot2017-11-18at17_59_23.png.fd9e68b18addabb475d3278bfc99a323.png

 

 

Attercliffe Rd out of city approaching junction with Worksop Rd

5a107766b69bf_ScreenShot2017-11-18at18_07_51.png.a9dc404699c98f2dbb8884f681ecd41e.png

5a1077731a16e_ScreenShot2017-11-18at18_08_12.png.46ec76ccba8b755a1b78ddec37ababfa.png

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I notice on the video above, one of the shops/pubs has very distinctive red/gold signage. The same sign also appears on a building on the Beachief to City Centre video, here on Abbeydale Rd approaching London Rd. Anyone know what it is please?

 

Screen Shot 2017-11-18 at 18.18.09.png

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14 hours ago, LeadFarmer said:

I notice on the video above, one of the shops/pubs has very distinctive red/gold signage. The same sign also appears on a building on the Beachief to City Centre video, here on Abbeydale Rd approaching London Rd. Anyone know what it is please?

 

 

Only a guess, but could it be an advertisement for Swan Vesta safety matches? I seem to remember that some of their adverts looking vaguely like that, but usually, with a picture of a stylised flame-yellow swan, on a similarly coloured back-ground.

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16 hours ago, LeadFarmer said:

The same sign appears in the Attercliffe video..

Thanks for this. The more that I look at this advertisement, the more I can't help thinking "Swan Vesta".

You have also captured the lorry nicely.

An Austin FFK140, I think, or possibly, the Morris FFM variant. Which was more or less, the same thing.

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On 17/11/2017 at 18:03, boginspro said:

I think there was just a crossover for the trams to change tracks for the return journey, but then that's all a tram needs. I worked buses to Vulcan Road in later days but we went round the loop. I think there was a row of basic tin topped shelters on the return track side.

Quite a number of trams and later buses were needed there when shifts changed in the steel works, some of them being workers special routes.

I have recently seen a picture of a crowd round one of the last trams on Vulcan Road but can't remember where I saw it.

EDIT Not the picture I was thinking of but here is one of trams on Vulcan Road, possibly the last day,

trams_506_and_509_vulcan_road.jpg

Excellent - and there's "my" tram 506! Who knows, my Dad and I may even have been on the upper deck at that very moment. So, the Vulcan Road route existed mainly to serve a steelworks? That would explain the "underwhelming" surroundings.

I tried to give you a green point but it doesn't seem to work (perhaps there is a time restriction in awarding them?) so have a virtual one.

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Vulcan Road and Hadfields Ltd were almost synonymous. Hadfields had one of the largest foundries in the UK as well as melting shops, rolling mills, forges and employed 15,000 at its busiest. All now gone to make way for Meadowhell and Black Friday.

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On 18/11/2017 at 11:45, Unitedite Returns said:

Brilliant photograph Boginspro, thanks for posting.

It is always the little details that fascinate me the most.

The electric clock, on the lamp-standard in the middle-distance, the destination sign over the passenger shelters, and of course, the dark-satanic-mill impression that was always, at least for me, Vulcan Road.

So, I thought it only fair to post another image, taken same day, 08/10/1960, but pointing in the opposite direction.

Sheffield's last-tram day is remembered as being one, where as the day progressed, the heavens themselves opened, as this photograph testifies. This probably explains the scarcity of spectators, or perhaps they were all sheltering under the tin topped shelters.

Never-the-less, the tin topped shelters, on the return track, the track-layout, and of course, Hadfields Limited's well remembered entrance can be seen.

All now long-gone, of course.

PT139-Sheffield Transport No.515 at Vulcan Road, Tinsley, Sheffield-08-10-1960-web copy.jpg

 

Am i right in thinking this is looking down Vulcan Road towards where Meadowhell now is?

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1 hour ago, WaveyDavey13 said:

Am i right in thinking this is looking down Vulcan Road towards where Meadowhell now is?

I had to check a map because I have only briefly seen the Meadowhall shopping centre. It is looking towards it from Sheffield Road but the Vulcan Road that is there now seems to have moved to the south west and the shopping centre is on top of most of the East Hecla Works.

I have put one map over another, you may have to zoom or use the NLS link to see it clearly       ----------         http://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/#zoom=15&lat=53.4152&lon=-1.4129&layers=10&b=1

vulcan road.png

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Every time I go to Meadowhall I always look at Vulcan road and think how sad it is that all the works are gone. Would have loved to have seen it in its prime. 

The only thing I’ve managed to find that links then and now is this little bit of wall on the entrance to Vulcan rd. 

67901DDC-6083-458E-8E37-6E1AF0B2FCD1.jpeg

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I recently found an old box in my loft and in it was an old bent penny I remember putting in the tracks outside the town hall to be run over by the last tram. Also can any one please tell me how the old trams used to steer as the points don't seem to be electric but the tram always goes the right way at a junction.

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7 hours ago, Deefa said:

I recently found an old box in my loft and in it was an old bent penny I remember putting in the tracks outside the town hall to be run over by the last tram. Also can any one please tell me how the old trams used to steer as the points don't seem to be electric but the tram always goes the right way at a junction.

The points were mostly all electrically operated. 

As the driver approached the points he either coasted through them causing no change or demanded power by changing the control leaver position and this in turn triggered a change in the points...I would guess a control box at the side of the road saw the power demand and operated a relay.

There was one set of points up near the university which were manually operated by a man who sat in a little cabin at the side of road. It was thought accelerating through this junction to pull the points ove was too dangerous so it was done by a man with a metal bar. 

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Some points were sprung to be in a certain direction. The single line section on Neepsend Lane had spring points at each end, the tram approaching from the single line would be directed to the left hand line when reaching the double track. Trams going the opposite direction would run through the points pushing them across with the wheels, and they would spring back.

The points man at Houndsfield Road was required because it was not possible to coast through the junction because of the steep incline on the approach.

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