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[email protected] · July 14th 15, 11:29 PM posted to uk.transport.london

In article , (Peter
Beale) wrote:

On 13/07/2015 21:15, Clive D. W. Feather wrote:
In message , Peter Beale
wrote:
I've just checked a 1932 tramway track plan. Starting at the river and
going clockwise, the change pits we
[36, 38, 40] Woolwich High Street immediately east of the ferry
[46, 72] Eltham Road immediately east of Burnt Ash Road
[52, 54, 74] Downham Way immediately east of Bromley Road

Thanks, Clive. I thought it was in Downham Way that they changed. They
only had a very short stretch under the wires before reaching the
Grove Park Station terminus.

Hmm, so they did.

The 46 and 72 did indeed change at Lee Green, but my memory (it was a
long time ago) had them on the Lewisham side of Burnt Ash Road rather
than the Eltham side.

I've just noticed a note that says the overhead continued west to just
beyond the crossover on the Lewisham side of Burnt Ash Road. That could
be why you thought that.

I don't think I can make that excuse - it was certainly the change
pit itself that I had in mind. Probably there was a tram stop on the
Lewisham side, so the conductor had a good opportunity to put the
pole up, then the tram could continue without stopping over the
change pit.

The other interesting note is that until 1927 the 44, 46, and 72 ran
under trolleybus wiring between Woolwich and the Eltham Road change pit
(or Eltham Church for the 44) to prevent interference with the RGO.

That is interesting - do you mean they had twin wires like
trolleybuses - did they use both trolley poles? Pardon my ignorance,
but what is RGO? There were of course no trolleybuses between
Woolwich and Eltham or Lee Green, the 696 and 698 went from Woolwich
Free Ferry towards Plumstead and Erith.

Trams used both their trolley poles on that section with no return through
the rails. They were only a bit like trolleybuses because they used skates
not trolley wheels.

The RGO is the Royal Greenwich Observatory which moved to Sussex in 1927.

--
Colin Rosenstiel