Online Exhibitions

The exhibitions in this section are produced by staff, volunteers and members working at the National Tramway Museum.

We will be looking at a wide range of topics exploring the history of tramways, and bringing to life the vast array of material contained within the John Price Memorial Library located here at the National Tramway Museum.

Wartime Operation

The fighting in Europe was expected to be short term and the Tramways Department initially financially helped those who went...

Victorian Cabmen’s Shelter

Our Victorian horse cabmen’s shelter from Bradford has recently been restored and can be explored during a visit to Crich...

Underground, Overground; one deck or two?

In common with many other Victorian cities, the centre of Birmingham posed challenges for tramway constructors on account of its...

Making Tracks

The early development of Birmingham’s tramways was somewhat piecemeal and involved a number of false starts. The first trams to...

Going off the Rails

Birmingham Corporation continued to develop – and expand – its tramway network until 1929 but as long ago as 1922...

Gaining Traction

The first tramway in Birmingham, which ran from Colmore Row (in the city centre) to what was then the city...

Electrification of the Lines

In 1891 Dickinson and Frederick Brown, a consultant to Walsall Council, visited a number of tramway or street-car systems in...

Corporation – Ownership, Extension and Operation

In 1896 Walsall Corporation considered the construction of its own generating station and the ownership and operation of the tramway...

Closing the system

By the late 1920s, the tramways were in a state where they needed investment or replacement. The first route to...

A Land Fit for Heroes

The end of World War I enabled equipment to be gradually become available to the Transport Department to be able...

2026 Opening dates and times:

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