Bradford City Tramways



Owner Bradford Corporation
Opened 2nd February 1882 (horse)
Operator (lessee) 2nd February 1882 (Bradford Tramways and Omnibus Company)
Operator (lessee) 6th September 1884 (Bradford and Shelf Tramway Company [steam]) - new line to Shelf
First electric route 30th July 1898
Took over (operation) 1st February 1902 (all lines previously worked by the BTOC and the BSTC, including those owned by Shipley UDC and the Shelf Tramways Company)
Took over June 1903 (1,286 yards of track in Shelf owned by the Shelf Tramways Company)
Took over (lease) 30th April 1904 (Mid-Yorkshire Tramways [electric] - track and fittings passing into the ownership of Shipley UDC)
Closed 6th May 1950
Length 64.54 miles
Gauge 4ft 0ins


Button description (Pattern 1) Title (‘Bradford City Tramways’) in circlet, surrounding boar's head (without tongue) on a torse, in front of a sprouting tree
Materials known Black horn
Button Line reference [114/82B]


Button description (Pattern 2) Boar’s head (without tongue) on a torse, in front of a sprouting tree, set within a prominent rim
Materials known Brass
Button Line reference [None]


Button description (Pattern 3) Title (‘Bradford City Tramways’) in circlet, surrounding arms (shield with inverted chevron and three hunting horns, surmounted by a boar’s head), with ram and goat supporters, all above motto: ‘Labor Omnia Vincit’ (Labour conquers all things)
Materials known Black horn
Button Line reference [114/82A]


Button description (Pattern 4) Arms (shield with inverted chevron and three hunting horns, surmounted by a boar’s head), with ram and goat supporters, all above motto: ‘Labor Omnia Vincit’ (Labour conquers all things), set within a prominent rim
Materials known Brass; nickel; chrome
Button Line reference [None]



Comments The Pattern 1 & 2 buttons predate the granting of the ram and goat supporters to the City of Bradford on the 31st January 1908. Full ‘coat of arms’ buttons (Patterns 3 & 4) were issued to staff some time around this date, continuing well into the later 'Bradford City Transport' era - the sole change being the substitution of the word ’Tramways’ for ’Transport’. It is unclear why the only material known for both the Pattern 1 and Pattern 3 issues is black horn. Although these issues were clearly used on overcoats/raincoats (see link), it remains something of a mystery as to why the Corporation saw fit to state the full system name in this material but not on the standard issue jacket buttons (Patterns 2 and 4) - I know of no other tramway company/corporation which did this.