The Hongkong Electric Tramway – c1908 report and images
IDJ has sent a fairly detailed account of The Hongkong Electric Tramway which appears in a book published in 1908 linked below.
This includes details of:
– the construction of the Tramway, the consulting engineers being Alfred Dickinson & Co of Birmingham, UK, and the contractors Dick, Kerr & Co of London
– the track dimensions and length, along with three forms of “permanent-way’ construction depending on ground conditions, and overhead construction
– the generating station next to Bowrington Canal (between Wanchai and Causeway Bay)
– the layout of the depot which, comprises an engine-room, basement, boiler house and coal store, car shed and machine-shop, smiths, paint-shop, carpenter’s shop and office.
– the numbers of tram cars
– the number of company employees
– the number of passengers carried in 1906/1907
– the distance covered by the trams in 1906/1907
– earnings per car mile in 1906
– company profits at this time
– Chairman, EC Morgan
– Directors, R Miller and WJC Cutbill
– Company Secretary HWC Dermer
– General Manager and Chief Engineer, J Gray Scott, plus personal and professional background
– Chief Assistant, GF Malden
– Second Assistant Engineer, GC Hill
– Traffic Superitendent, A Course
– Chief Inspector, W Glendinning
The following images, with headings, accompany the article. Interestingly the main title is The HongKong Electric Traction Company Ltd.
General view of the works
The Staff
Interior of the car shed
The power house
Source: Twentieth century impressions of Hong-kong, Shanghai and other Treaty Ports of China, Arnold Wright, Lloyd’s Greater Britain Publishing Company, 1908
This article was first posted on 10th October 2014.
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- Alfred Dickinson, Consulting Engineer HK Tramways – further information from his great, great nephew
- Hong Kong Trams – linking 1881 and 2014 by way of 30th July 1904
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