Tyneside Tramways and Tramroads

Owner The Tyneside Tramways and Tramroads Company
Opened 4th September 1902 (electric)
Operator The Tyneside Tramways and Tramroads Company
Closed 6th April 1930
Length 10.99 miles
Gauge 4ft 8½ins

Button description Elaborate monogram of initials 'TTTT&Co'
Materials known Nickel

Button Line reference [None]


Comments This rather elaborate button has long been suspected to be an issue of the Tyneside Tramways and Tramroads Company. The sticking point however has always been the 4th 'T', which at best appeared to have been added solely to confer a pleasing symmetry on the monogram. I must confess to having been rather sceptical about this until I was recently shown a photograph of a TTTT&C cap badge, which has the company title firmly prefixed with the word 'The' (see link)! This use of the word 'The' is really quite uncommon (for tramway and railway companies), so I'm left wondering if the prefix was indeed a deliberate contrivance to generate the fourth 'T' needed for a symmetrical monogram. Chicken and egg or egg and chicken - we'll probably never know!

Note that the company eventually passed into the hands of the British Electric Traction Company Limited (BET), but this was after the demise of the trams.