Sheffield Corporation Trams

In September 2015 it will be 60 years since I worked as a Conductor on Sheffield Corporation trams.

I was C219 and worked on the Crookes - Handsworth route out of Tinsley Depot, this employment was only for six months so I had no chance to officially achieve one of my ambition's to drive a Tram.

My Driver was a Fred Wakefield and I recall he had a son called Gordon, they were happy days and I did get to drive a Tram when on Nights, between Woodseats and Beauchief.

Is there anyone still around that worked on the Trams at that time.

Gordon England (Scarborough)

Hello England, although he did not drive a tram to my knowledge, my father Harry Gill drove Sheffield Corporation Buses in the early 1950's and knew a good few conductors. Do you recall that name?

My late uncle, Sydney Robinson, was a tram conductor in the 1950s. Public records show that Frederick G. Wakefield married Eva Nutt in Sheffield in 1941, and their son Gordon F. Wakefield was born in 1947. Fred Wakefield evidently died aged 90 in 2005.

Hi all another name for the pot John (Jack) Downing. Worked on the trams until there demise and then went on to be a bus conductor as he had no driving licence at that time.

My father-in-law was a tram driver. Bill Woffenden, known to one and all as 'whip-it-quick.'

My late mother was a conductress in WWII

Strange how little I know about my family history.

Early recollections of grandad (mums dad) must have been after he retired. He was always in the garden or doing some other mundane job Gran would find for him.

Anyway, I remember the story (vaguely) of his either return from or journey to work after the Sheffield blitz.

He too was a tram conductor during the war years.

Are there any records available of such as Tram Drivers and other Sheffield Transport staff !

My wife's maternal Grandfather, Ernest Fidler, was a tram driver, probably during the period

1900 - 1930.

My Uncle Mark Robinson was a Bus Conductor, 1945 - 1951.

A family friend, Arnold Travis, was a Bus Driver.

My first memory of riding on a tram would be around 1948 at 5yrs old my mother used to visit my grandmother who lived on Hinde Street in those days a completely different place!.We caught one at the top of Liversey Street to the Wicker then changed to the Firth Park tram and on to my Grans,in those days the seats were wooden lats with the backrests hinged so when the tram reached its destination they were pulled to the opposite side,the driver walked to the other side as it could be driven from both thus doing away with the turning problem!.As the 60s approached the trams were a lot more luxurious than the earlier models and were a lot more comfortable,in those days Sheffields public transport system was far superior than nowadays, you could interchange trams nearly everywhere in the city!.But of course it was the era of cheap oil so the tracks were dug up or covered with tarmac and we went over to bus transport which to be honest was comprehensive and cheap not like nowadays expensive and unreliable!

My first memory of riding on a tram would be around 1948 at 5yrs old my mother used to visit my grandmother who lived on Hinde Street in those days a completely different place!.We caught one at the top of Liversey Street to the Wicker then changed to the Firth Park tram and on to my Grans,in those days the seats were wooden lats with the backrests hinged so when the tram reached its destination they were pulled to the opposite side,the driver walked to the other side as it could be driven from both thus doing away with the turning problem!.As the 60s approached the trams were a lot more luxurious than the earlier models and were a lot more comfortable,in those days Sheffields public transport system was far superior than nowadays, you could interchange trams nearly everywhere in the city!.But of course it was the era of cheap oil so the tracks were dug up or covered with tarmac and we went over to bus transport which to be honest was comprehensive and cheap not like nowadays expensive and unreliable!

Yes OT, I too remember those old trams. Once up to speed they used to rock forward and backwards. I suppose it was the 1940s version of a 'white knuckle ride'!

My Grandma would take me to Millhouses Park on the tram. She had trouble walking but would manage to get down from Heeley Bank Road to Queens Road where a route led to the park. I always remember feeling worried that she might not be able to get onto the tram because they had very high steps; but she always managed to.

I have fond memories of paddling, boating, playing ball games and eventually swimming at Millhouses. Afterwards we would often visit my Great Aunt who lived on Dobcroft Road, just across from the park.

Other parks we went to were Norfolk and Weston; always on the tram because she never drove a car. In fact non of my grandparents ever learned to drive. They probably couldn't afford a car. What a different world we live in now, eh!

echo.

My grandad was controller for the trams & buses in Sheffield during the war do you remember him his name was Walter Broomhead?

We still have trams where I live, they are called streetcars however and like trains they have to use a loop to turn around. They cannot be driven from both ends like the old English trams.