Ilford Council / Corporation Tramways
Owner Ilford Urban District Council
Opened 14th March 1903 (electric)
Operator Ilford Urban District Council
Taken over (operation) 12th April 1905 (East Ham Tramways/Corporation Tramways) - Ilford Hill section of 'ICT'
Took over (operation) 7th June 1905 (Barking Town Urban District Council Light Railways) - Loxford Bridge section of 'BTUDCLR'
Took over (operation) 1st June 1914 (Barking Town Urban District Council Light Railways) - Loxford Bridge to Barking section of 'BTUDCLR'
Owner's name changed 1926 to Ilford Borough Council
Taken over 1st July 1933 (London Transport)
Length 6.66 miles (+0.74 miles leased from Barking Town Urban District Council)
Gauge 4ft 8½ins
Button description (Pattern 1) Title (‘Ilford Urban District Council’) surrounding monogram of entwined letters: 'IUDC'
Materials known Nickel
Button Line reference [None]
Button description (Pattern 2) Arms (shield with fish, river and seven crowns, surmounted by a stag and sword [seaxe] issuing from a helmet with garlands), with a forrester and abbess supporters, all above motto: 'In unity progress'
Materials known Brass
Button Line reference [None]
Comment Although I have absolutely no evidence that the above buttons were indeed issues of Ilford Council/Corporation Tramways, it does seem a reasonable possibility. Tramcars initially carried the arms of Essex which, by the time of the First World War, had evolved into a completely bogus armorial device - no doubt invented by the proud burghers of Ilford! This was superceded by bone fide arms in 1926 (granted on October 17th) following Ilford's elevation to borough status (Pattern 2 button).
The tree symbolises the famous (at least locally) Fairlop Oak in Hainault Forest, whilst the seven crowns refer to the district of Seven Kings where the seven Saxon kings (heptachy) are reputed to have met.