Created 28-Jan-25
Modified 20-Mar-25
Visitors 3
11 photos
The Gateshead & District Tramways Company was formed in 1880 and from 1883 operated almost seven miles of steam tramway before converting to electric traction in 1901, with the network eventually growing to over twelve route miles. The conversion to electric traction followed the takeover by the British Electric Traction Company (BET) in 1897.
Powers to operate motorbuses were obtained in 1909 and the first services commenced in 1913. However, in that year BET formed the Northern General Transport Company and this became the parent company for all the groups operations, including tramways, in the region. The bus services were as a consequence transferred from 1st January 1914.
Some extensions of the system took place and in several places single-track and loops was replaced by double track. A useful extension to the tram system took place in 1923 with the opening of track across the High Level Bridge into Newcastle, followed by an additional link across the Tyne Bridge in 1928.
There had been plans to operate trolleybuses into Gateshead but these were interrupted by World War 2 and eventually a bill was passed authorising the conversion of the trams to buses along with a change of name to Gateshead & District Omnibus Company. The tram system had survived complete until conversion to buses in 1950 and 1951.
The initial fleet of seventy-buses were replaced quite quickly with Leyland Atlanteans such that after 1966 the fleet comprised solely this model with the exception of five PD3s. However, Gateshead and District finally disappeared from 1st January 1976 as the National Bus Company (which took over BET operations in 1968) rationalised the company structure bringing the Northern General subsidiaries into the parent company.
Powers to operate motorbuses were obtained in 1909 and the first services commenced in 1913. However, in that year BET formed the Northern General Transport Company and this became the parent company for all the groups operations, including tramways, in the region. The bus services were as a consequence transferred from 1st January 1914.
Some extensions of the system took place and in several places single-track and loops was replaced by double track. A useful extension to the tram system took place in 1923 with the opening of track across the High Level Bridge into Newcastle, followed by an additional link across the Tyne Bridge in 1928.
There had been plans to operate trolleybuses into Gateshead but these were interrupted by World War 2 and eventually a bill was passed authorising the conversion of the trams to buses along with a change of name to Gateshead & District Omnibus Company. The tram system had survived complete until conversion to buses in 1950 and 1951.
The initial fleet of seventy-buses were replaced quite quickly with Leyland Atlanteans such that after 1966 the fleet comprised solely this model with the exception of five PD3s. However, Gateshead and District finally disappeared from 1st January 1976 as the National Bus Company (which took over BET operations in 1968) rationalised the company structure bringing the Northern General subsidiaries into the parent company.
© David Beilby
