Derbyshire Times Friday October 18 1974

TRAM DEPOT IS ON THE MARKET

Matlock's old Tram Depot in Rutland Street, the last remaining link, still in its original location with the towns unique cable tramway, is on the market.
For several years before local government reorganisation last April, the depot was used as a vehicle maintenance centre by the former Matlock Urban Council but with the acquisition of alternative premises at Brookfield's Mill, Tansley it is no longer required for this use by West Derbsyhire District Council, the successor authority.
Under current local government practice the County Council and government departments which have offices in Matlock have been asked if they are interested in taking over the building. They have six weeks to reply, if the answer is found to be 'no' then the former depot will be advertised as available, and tenders sought for its lease.
The old tram depot built 83 years ago was part of the pride of Matlock when the cable trams plied up and down Bank Road and Rutland Street - the steepest tramway in the world on a public road with a gradient of 1 in 5.5!

MATLOCK GREEN GARAGE & RECOVERY SERVICE have used the premises since 1984.

 

 

 

 

 

RECOVERY

 

GARAGE

The premises were built in 1891

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The premises in 2005

 

Matlock Tramway 1893-1927

Although the idea of a cable tramway in this Derbyshire town was first conceived by Job Smith in the 1860's, after he had visited San Francisco and seen the cable cars in operation there, it was not until 1890 when the publisher and philanthropist, Sir George Newnes, himself a native of Matlock, became involved that the tramway became a reality.  The line was built to convey passengers from the centre of Matlock (where they had arrived by train) up the steep hillside to Matlock Bank, where a number of hydropathic hotels were to be found and was authorised by the Matlock Tramway Order of 1891. The line, which was around ½-mile in length, ran from Crown Square up the 1 in 5½ gradient along Bank Road to Rutland Street, where the depot and steam-driven winding gear was situated. Opened on the 28th March 1893, it was said to be the steepest cable tramway in the world.

The tramway was worked by a continuously wound cable in a central conduit to which the two service tramcars could be attached at will by driver-operated grippers. The cable travelled at 5½ miles per hour, with the tramcars travelling at the same speed. A loop at Smedley Street allowed the cars to pass. The fare for the upward journey was 2d, but only 1d for the downward journey.

The original rolling stock consisted of three Milnes open-top double-deck tramcars, one of which was kept as a spare.

In 1896 the line was purchased by Sir George Newnes and presented to Matlock UDC, but continual losses caused the line to close on 30th September 1927 and the service was replaced by the motorbuses of the North Western Road Car Company.