London County Council Tramways

Early uniforms appear to have used cloth cap badges with the initials 'LCC' above a letter 'T', presumably standing for 'London County Council Tramways'. Examples and/or photographs of these cloth badges are known for the following grades: 'Motorman', 'Inspector' and 'Regulator'. At some point, the LCC appears to have begun replacing these cloth badges with metal badges, though seemingly without any attempt to impose a consistent style (unlike the cloth badges). The 'Motorman' badge is of a fretwork design, and like the cloth badges carried the initials 'LCC' above a letter 'T'. Curiously, there is no counterpart to this badge for the grade of 'conductor, and several photos exist which clearly show conductors wearing a 'wreath' style badge, but with the letters 'LCC' only. The omission of the 'T' on this badge, as well as the complete absence of a cloth badge for the grade of conductor suggests that the LCC may have used conductors interchangeably between their tramway and bus operations, and therefore deliberately avoided specifying 'tramway' on their cap badges. The only other metal badge currently known to me is for the grade of 'Assistant Regulator' (see below), which is of an oval design. It does however seem highly likely that similar badges existed for the grades of 'Inspector', District Inspector', 'Motor Inspector' and 'Regulator'.

Senior grades also appear to have worn two small round badges on their collars (see 'Inspector' photo below), sometimes mistaken for buttons. These button-like badges are clearly marked with the grade and the initials 'LCCT'. Examples are known to exist for the following grades ''District Inspector', 'Motor Inspector' and 'Regulator'. All staff appear to have worn the standard 'LCC' monogram button.


LCCmotorman_RR
LCC motorman with cloth cap badge


LCCMotorman_SH
LCC motorman with cloth cap badge
(with thanks to Stephen Howarth)


LCCinspector-RR
LCC inspector with cloth cap badge. Close inspection of this photo clearly shows the main jacket buttons to be the standard 'LCC' monogram design; however, the two lapel buttons appear to be button-like badges, possibly marked with the grade (see below for examples)


LCCRegulator_DJ
Regulator badge - cloth
(with thanks to the LCC Tramways Trust Collection)


LCCDistInsp_WoL LCCRegulator_WoL
Lapel button-style badges - brass
(with acknowledgement to 'Wheels of London', Times Newspapers Ltd, 1972)


LCCMotormanNTM_1
Later motorman cap badge - brass
(with thanks to the National Tramway Museum)


LCCmotorman2_RR
Motorman wearing a metal fretwork badge identical to that shown above


LCCInsAB
Conductor cap badge - brass


LCCconductor_RR
LCC conductor wearing a wreath badge identical to that shown above



LCCAssReg_WoL
Assistant Regulator badge - brass
(with acknowledgement to 'Wheels of London', Times Newspapers Ltd, 1972)