The Modern Tramway Journal After WW2 and into 1960s

[rogerfarnworth]

Modern Tramway – January 1951 – Birmingham Bustigestion!

I have a few older copies of Modern Tramway which I had not yet read. The first of these is the January 1951 issue.

The editorial for this issue of Modern Tramway was a long update on Birmingham’s tram-scrapping programme. An update that railed against the dominance of the bus! It was clearly written by someone who knew the centre of Birmingham at the start of the 1950s very well.

The featured image for this article shows a tram service on Slade Road, Erdington in 1951, the photograph was shared on the Birmingham Area History Facebook Group by Jan Ross on 23rd November 2023, © Public Domain.

http://rogerfarnworth.com/2026/05/10/mo ... tigestion/

[rogerfarnworth]

Modern Tramway – January 1951 – The ‘Felthams’ in Leeds

I have a few older copies of Modern Tramway which I had not yet read. The first of these is the January 1951 issue, this is a second reflection from that copy of the Journal.

As the London network began to close a significant number of trams were sold. This copy of Modern Tramway notes that the remaining ‘Felthams’ were sold to Leeds City Transport.

http://rogerfarnworth.com/2026/05/11/mo ... -in-leeds/

[rogerfarnworth]

Modern Tramway – January 1951 – The Brisbane City Tramways

I have a few older copies of Modern Tramway which I had not yet read. The first of these is the January 1951 issue, this is a third reflection from that copy of the Journal.

The featured image for this article is Brisbane City Transport No. 506: a high-speed, resilient-wheeled car, one of a new [1950] batch of 50, with full-length sliding doors, leather-covered foam-rubber seats and a panelled body. This car had a multi-notch controller driving 4 x 40 hp motors; there are 64 seats and the overload capacity is 110, © Public Domain. [1: p1]

http://rogerfarnworth.com/2026/05/11/mo ... -tramways/

[rogerfarnworth]

Modern Tramway February 1951 – New Tramcars for the Brno Tramways in 1950/51

The featured image for this article is Brno Tramways No. 131 with Trailer No. 310, which early in 1951 was newly delivered to Brno. [1: p21]

Gerald Deuce reported in February 1951 on a series of new tramcars being delivered to Brno in what is now the Czech Republic. [1: p25-26]

He writes that these tramcars:

“are uni-directional single truck motor-cars with trailers of similar design and are intended for PAYE [Pay As You Enter] operation with the entrance at the rear. All the doors except the leading set of the motor-car, are under the control of the respective conductor.

“The cars are heated by electric radiators fitted under the transverse seats, and lighted by a fluorescent tube strip along the ceiling.

“Brno is the capital of Moravia and has a population of just over 273,000. It is situated about 130 miles south-east of Prague, and is the centre of the Czechoslovak textile industry and an important tourist centre.” [1: p25]

http://rogerfarnworth.com/2026/05/12/mo ... n-1950-51/