About LUT 159: A message from Curly; This design of tram was run in large quantities by the Metropolitan Electric and the London United companies in London. The Metropolitan Electric ones were very fast. The London United ones were very slow. Outside London only Cardiff had cars of this type, but I have a feeling they were four wheelers.

The London United ordered far too many cars, planning them to serve wildly optimistic extensions which never came about. This made them available to send to other systems in the 1914-18 war, when rollingstock was needed in other places. Blackpool had some, so did Erith and I can’t remember offhand which others. None of these systems loved them, as they were extremely slow!

After London Transport was formed in 1933, the new LPTB sent some (which had been fitted with very primitive roofs) to the South Metropolitan Tramways, which then only had ancient 4 – wheel open-toppers. They put them on the West Croydon to Sutton route.

I was taken by my Father on some errand or other to Wallington, and I remember well (I was scarcely 5) waiting for a tram back to Croydon, and this extraordinary monster arrived! I had never seen anything like it! Even though very young, I well remember how rattly, leaky and primitive it all was, and painfully slow. The Sutton route was trolleybussed in 1935, which was the last year these cars ran.

I reckon I must be one of the very few tramway enthusiasts still alive who have memories of riding trams of the LUT 159 type! I would therefore have liked to have been at Crich for the first run, but I am due for Glasgow at Crich in September. I can’t manage both!