Leeds City Tramways
1900 The Leeds Corporation Act empowered the Corporation to lay down tramways, extending the powers it had under the 1896 Act[1] - see Leeds Corporation Tramways
Presumably then became known as Leeds City Tramways
The Power Station was at The Calls, Leeds, on the bank of the river Aire. The plant consisted of three Hicks-Hargreaves horizontal, cross-compound condensing-engines, coupled to E.C.C. generators each of 800 kilowatts capacity, also one Fowler-Greenwood set of 650 kilowatts capacity, and one 800 kilowatt rotary converter; these machines generate current at 550 volts pressure, which is transmitted direct to the trolley wires.
There are also installed two 1000-kilowatt Curtis turbines driving three-phase alternators, generating at 6600 volts, 25 cycles per second; these supply current to sub-stations, where it is converted by means of rotary converters to D.C. current at 550 volts.
1905 LEEDS CITY TRAMWAYS. Last week’s receipts - the Leeds tramways amounted to £5,546 6s. 9d., increase of £lB4 17s. on the corresponding week last year.[2]
1910 A very large "tramcar lay-out fan" (of points and tracks) was constructed by Edgar Allen and Co. at the Imperial Steel Works, Tinsley, for the renewal of the car tracks in the Kirkstall road depot of the Leeds City Tramways This fan was claimed to be the largest piece of work of this class hitherto constructed in one lay-out in England.[3]
1911 A line using railless traction was opened, from City Square to Farnley Moor Top, a distance of 4+ miles. The wires were carried mostly on bracket arms attached to poles placed at one side of the road, the wires being suspended over the centre of the road, so that the car could travel from one side of the road to the other without any danger of the trolley wheel leaving the wires. The cars, which were supplied complete by the R.E.T. Construction Co., Ltd., were of the single deck type, and were driven by two 20 horse-power motors through worm gearing on to a countershaft, and thence by chains to the road wheels.
1925 The Leeds Committee met (yesterday) afternoon to make a final choice for the position of Tramways and Transport General Manager, rendered vacant by the death of Mr. (J. B. Hamilton).... [4]
1928 About forty applications have been received for the post of General Manager the Leeds City Tramways, shortly to become vacant[5]