DUNFERMLINE AND DISTRICT TRAMWAY COMPANY
A lot of the information here was found within the pages of the books written by Allan Brotchie (details within the 'further reading' section). I have tried not to copy his writings word for word, but I have copied certain words or phrases as no other word or phrase could be found to be suitable.
(Tramcar near the terminus in Townhill)
Trams were introduced to Dunfermline in November 1909 by the Dunfermline & District Tramway Company which had a depot at St. Leonards Street (the present Stagecoach depot), and one in Cowdenbeath (also the present Stagecoach depot). The work was carried out by Edinburgh contractors, Balfour Beatty Ltd. The track, which was of 3'6" gauge, was brought to the town by ship from Middlesborough via the harbour at Charlestown. Granite setts for the trackbed were imported from Norway. The first 20 trams were brought to Dunfermline by rail and were all of the open top double deck kind.
The main tram line ran from Dunfermline to Lochore via Cowdenbeath and Lochgelly (The present route 19 perhaps). There were lines within Dunfermline to Rumblingwell and Townhill. The roadway at the bottom of Townhill Road had to be lowered beneath the railway viaduct near Dunfermline Upper station to allow the tramcars to pass. Another line was built in 1918 from Dunfermline to Rosyth. This line ran down the middle of Queensferry Road to Rosyth, splitting the road in two, thus creating Scotlands first dual carriageway. The line was to be extended - (but never was) - from a junction at Rosyth Halt to Inverkeithing. This is why there is a large 'green' area all the way through Rosyth (Queensferry Road) on the east side.
(Dunfermline St.Leonards depot 29th June 1937. Tramcar 26 sits
beside replacing Alexander Leyland WG5255 - R147)
During the early 1920's, 'pirate' buses used to run just in front of the trams trying to entice passengers away from the trams. (This reminds me of the bus privatisation era). A degree of control was introduced by the local authorities, benefitting the tram company. In 1924, the tramway company decided to introduce it's own buses on other profitable routes, so the need to build a bus depot was easily solved by building beside the St. Leonards tram depot (See photograph HERE) . The bus side of the tramway company was run in close collaberation with the Scottish General Omnibus Co. (SGO) of Larbert, as both were subsidiaries of the Fife Tramway Light & Power Company. In March 1930, SGO and all it's subsidiaries were purchased in the name of W. Alexander & Sons by powers granted under the 1929 Railways Act.
The St. Leonards depot is still in use today as the Dunfermline depot of Stagecoach Fife.
(Scotlands first dual carriageway - Queensferry Road between Rosyth and Dunfermline)
PHOTO HERE OF DUNFERMLINE & DIST. TRAMCAR STUCK IN A SNOWDRIFT.
PHOTO HERE OF TRAMS AT COWDENBEATH DEPOT.
(Tramcar seen leaving Townhill, adjacent to the brickworks)
END OF THE LINE. DUNFERMLINE AND DISTRICT TRAMS LINE UP 'OUT OF USE' NEAR HILL OF BEATH.
TRAM ROUTES OPERATED (From 1909)
DUNFERMLINE - COWDENBEATH (2 Nov 1909) LOCHGELLY (23 Dec 1909) LOCHORE (5 Dec 1912)
DUNFERMLINE - TOWNHILL (3 Nov 1909)
COWDENBEATH - KELTY (17 Nov 1910)
DUNFERMLINE - RUMBLINGWELL (27 Dec 1913)
DUNFERMLINE - ROSYTH (17 May 1918)
BUS ROUTES OPERATED (From 1924)
DUNFERMLINE - INVERKEITHING (3rd Apr 1924)
DUNFERMLINE - LOCHGELLY (3rd Apr 1924)
DUNFERMLINE - BURNTISLAND (3rd Apr 1924)
DUNFERMLINE - NORTH QUEENSFERRY (3rd Apr 1924)
DUNFERMLINE - SALINE (By Sept 1924)
DUNFERMLINE - CHARLESTOWN (By May 1925)
TRAMCAR FLEET
LIVERY:- BRIGHT GREEN AND CREAM. ( See photograph of Volvo Citybus FRA93 as this bus was painted in the Dunfermline and District colours for about a year c1987)
| CAR 1 | CAR 2 | CAR 3 | CAR 4 | CAR 5 |
| CAR 6 | CAR 7 | CAR 8 | CAR 9 | CAR 10 |
| CAR 11 | CAR 12 | CAR 13 | CAR 14 | CAR 15 |
| CAR 16 | CAR 17 | CAR 18 | CAR 19 | CAR 20 |
| CAR 21 | CAR 22 | CAR 23 | CAR 24 | CAR 25 |
| CAR 26 | CAR 27 | CAR 28 | CAR 29 | CAR 30 |
| CAR 31 | CAR 32 | CAR 33 | CAR 34 | CAR 35 |
| CAR 36 | CAR 37 | CAR 38 | CAR 39 | CAR 40 |
| CAR 41 | CAR 42 | CAR 43 | *CAR 44 | *CAR 45 |
| #CAR 44 | #CAR 45 |
BUS FLEET
LIVERY:- DARK RED AND CREAM.
TILLING-STEVENS TS3A - B26F LAYOUT
| SP8741 - 1 | SP8742 - 2 | SP8743 - 3 | SP8744 - 4 | SP8745 - 5 |
| SP8759 - 7
|
SP8760
|
SP8830
|
SP8831 - 102 | SP8868
|
| SP9139 | SP9140 | SP9426 | SP9427 | SP9428 |
| SP9429 |
ALBION PE24 - B20F
| SP9550 - 17 | SP9551 - 18 | SP9552 - 19 | SP9553 - 20 | SP9920 |
| SP9921 | SP9922 | SP9923 |
ALL THE OTHER VARIOUS VEHICLES.
FG246 - 25 - ALBION PH24 - Ch19
FG247 - ALBION PH24 - Ch19
FG281 - TILLING-STEVENS TS3A - Ch29
FG282 - TILLING-STEVENS TS3A - Ch29
SP6446 - FIAT - B14
SP8782 - LANCIA - Ch18
SG1570 - LOTHIAN - B32R
FG3752 - ALBION - B28
FG1767
FG3279
SP8965 - LEYLAND
FG3143 - GUY
SP9990
FG1857 - DODGE - B20
FG3175 - GUY - B26
FG2028 - MORRIS - B14
FG4294 - ALBION - B26F
FG4170 - KARRIER
FG4366 - KARRIER
HS5112 - ALBION
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