The London ‘HR/2s’

AVAILABLE OCTOBER

In the late 1920s, the London County Council was looking to the future of its tramway network. Many of its existing trams were elderly and small and at the same time the economics of running the system were becoming increasingly difficult.

However, the two main issues faced could be solved by the acquisition of new and larger trams. These had the advantage that an increased number of passengers could be carried whilst running a less frequent service. There were also a number of routes – such as those that served Dog Kennel Hill in south London and the Highgate Village route north of the Thames – where more powerful trams would be advantageous. The planned enlargement of the Kingsway Subway to accommodate double-deck trams also necessitated the construction of trams with all-metal bodywork. As a result, the LCC developed two new classes of tram - and these were to become the ‘E/3’ and the ‘HR/2’.

Following on from his well-received book on the ‘E/3s’, the author now examines the story of the 109-strong ‘HR/2’ class, exploring their history from the completion of the two prototype cars in 1927 through to their final operation at the end of the conversion programme on 5 July 1952.

Incorporating some 60 images, the book illustrates the evolution of the class from its introduction in 1930 and the routes over which they operated for almost a quarter of a century.