Horse trams in Scotland?

[Calthrop]

A pretty thoroughly trivia-ish bit of trivia, but -- prompted by recent conversation with my brother, starting with the Fintona horse tram... we know of passenger-carrying horse-tram operations still active (for now) in the Isle of Man; and lasting in England, Wales, and Ireland, variously some way into the 20th century. I can't think of any similar in Scotland, which endured into the 20th century: can anyone inform whether there were in Scotland, any such survivals?

 

[JohnR]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inchture_Tramway

 

[Calthrop]

Thanks ! If you'll believe it, I'd been aware of the Inchture Village branch and its sad fate in 1916; but had forgotten, if I ever knew, that it was horse-worked.

Recall it as one of a number of lines which in the emergency of World War I, were reckoned surplus to requirements -- closed down, and their rails and (where appropriate) stock, put to military use. Other such victims were the Bideford, Westward Ho! & Appledore Railway; the Great Western's Uxbridge High Street branch; and the LSWR's Basingstoke -- Alton branch (though this last was, fairly briefly, reinstated post-war).

 

[Railsigns]

Rothesay. [Link]

 

[Calthrop]

My thanks, Railsigns. I infer from your link -- maybe exact date given, but I missed it -- that the Rothesay trams switched from horse to electric, round about 1900. Can you confirm / "precisify"?

 

[Railsigns]

I infer from your link -- maybe exact date given, but I missed it -- that the Rothesay trams switched from horse to electric, round about 1900. Can you confirm / "precisify"?

Going by Wikipedia, horse-drawn services ceased in 1902 and were replaced by electric power later in the same year.

 

[Calthrop]

Thanks. Looks to have been a lovely outfit – in its electric form as well. As one tends to say a million times about a million different lines: if only it could have survived till the present day. The tourists would be lapping it up; and it would be interesting as another British instance of the – extremely rare in the British Isles – 3’ 6” gauge.

 

[Bevan Price]

Several horse tram systems existed in Scotland and elsewhere, all long gone. For example:

Perth (until 1905)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perth_Corporation_Tramways

Dundee until 1902
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dundee_Corporation_Tramways

Paisley umtil 1903
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paisley_Tramways_Company

Glasgow until 1902
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glasgow_Corporation_Tramways

Not sure about Scotland, but elsewhere, horses were sometimes replaced by "steam tram locos" prior to electrification.

 

[Bill EWS]

Here is a photo of a horse-drawn double-deck tram in Aberdeen. It appears to be celebrating trams between 1874 to 1898. (Photo, Press & Journal).