S. Alasdair Munro

Mr. Munro's paper is a good introduction to the pre-electric tramways in Liverpool. He has made good use of the material which can be found in the records of the corporation and elsewhere, and the splendidly-detailed reports of the Borough Engineer have provided 'period' cross-section of some of the many systems of track construction which were tried in Liverpool before the girder rail rendered all else obsolete. One is pleased to find illustrated the fascinating 14-lever Saxby & Farmer signal cabin which stood at the corner of Victoria Street and Whitechapel, especcially since this unique installation with all its semaphores is hardly remembered in Liverpool; tgis obscurity cannot be blamed on Ward Lock's guide, which, years after electric traction caused the cabin to be removed, was still advising strangers to ask the signalman which car they should take. Also reproduced are an 1885 map of the tramways and two photograhs of cars at Lime Street Quadrant. There are a few innacuracies, particularly concerning the pre-1875 period, and mechanical traction is completely dealt with; the United Company, whatever its faults, tried hard to introduce mechanical traction and even organized a sort of latter-day Rainhill Trials for steam trams, not mentioned by Mr. Munro. Compressed air, cable and accumulator haulage were also demonstrated (J.B. Horne)… (altro)