Public transport has now been around for over 150 years in one shape or another and this book takes a nostalgic look at the heritage and story of Buses and Trams. Tramways when operated in the 19th century and beyond formed a large part of the community in towns and cities, helping to get people around in style using steam and electric technology. Trams over time were however up against the might of the internal combustion engine, in the shape of the emerging petrol and diesel powered buses. These newfangled vehicles didn’t require rails or overhead cables and could go just about anywhere. There was also of course the electric trolleybus that sat somewhere between a bus and tram. The tram has thankfully made comebacks over the years and buses have evolved with the times, so join us looking through the early years to more recent times. This book is full of facts, information about the manufacturers, insight about the classic buses and includes some superb archive pictures.
From the horse-drawn trams of the nineteenth century to the larger electric models of the early twentieth, this reliable form of public transport revolutionised town travel by making it affordable enough for working people to use. From the 1930s, the rise of the trolleybus, which also picked up power from overhead cables but ran without expensive tracks, looked set to supersede the tram – but ultimately, by the 1950s, both fell victim to motor buses and private cars. However, since the 1980s the environmental benefits of light rail have encouraged a growing comeback for trams on our crowded and polluted city streets. Using beautiful contemporary photographs, this is the fascinating story of the rise, fall and revival of this everyday, yet sometimes controversial, mode of urban transport.
Northampton, the county town of Northamptonshire, is rich in transport history. 1880 saw several tram routes commence operation within the Northampton Borough, being operated by the Northampton Street Tramway Company. After this, public transport in the town began to develop. The tram network being electrified in 1901. The 1910s saw a number of independent bus operators begin to link Northampton with the surrounding villages, introducing motor bus operation into the town. Over the years, Northampton has been home to numerous independent bus and coach operators. Two major operators also served the town, Northampton Corporation Transport (later Northampton Transport and First Northampton) and United Counties / Stagecoach Midlands. Northampton’s Trams and Buses explores the development of the tram network within Northampton, as well as exploring how bus services in the Northampton, Wootton, Hardingstone and Moulton areas of Northamptonshire have developed from the early 1900s to 2021.
It is widely recognised that there are many people for whom public transport is essential, particularly amongst the elderly, children and teenagers. Less obvious is the dependence of our cities for their existence on high capacity public transport. Although there is still a prevalent view that local public transport is only for those who do not have a car, we are slowly beginning to realise that we need to find ways of restricting use of the private car more severely and that will involve some transfer to public transport. There is a widening gap between what we expect of public transport and what can be delivered. Our expectations for travel are increasing, both in quantity and in the standards of speed, reliability and comfort. Out-of-town shopping, leisure parks and business parks all involve more travel than did their predecessors. Cars are becoming more like mobile sitting rooms with all the home comforts such as CD player and telephone. To give all this up for a bus or train is asking a lot. Urban Public Transport Today gives an honest appraisal of the pros and cons of new public transport technologies. It shows how public transport can be made a less unacceptable alternative to the private car than it is now. Public transport needs to be co-ordinated and planned together with land uses under the Town and Country Planning legislation; too often public transport solutions overlook the significance of town planning policies generating demand for travel. The author draws on a thorough study of many continental European countries and includes the latest Euro-legislation and recent case histories to give a comprehensive coverage of everything from policy problems (including land use decisions) to practical considerations (including road building). Urban Public Transport Today will be invaluable for all those involved in the land use/local transport conundrum, including planning officers, policy makers and transport consultants as well as students in transport studies, town planning and geography. Barry Simpson acts as an advisor to a number of public authorities and private firms in the field of public transport including the Department of Transport. He has served for 15 years as an examiner to the Royal Town Planning Institute and teaches transport studies at Aston University.
An interesting, lavishly illustrated look at how much modern technology in buses, such as the use of electric or gas instead of a combustion engine, is based on century-old technology.