Galway and Salthill Tramway explained

Galway and Salthill Tramway
Locale:Galway
Open:1 October 1879
Close:1918
Status:Closed
Propulsion System:Horse

The Galway and Salthill Tramway Company operated a narrow gauge passenger tramway service in Galway between 1879 and 1918.[1]

History

The tramway linked the city of Galway and the seaside resort of Salthill. The route ran from the depot on Forster Street, Galway near to Galway railway station south west to a terminus on the seafront at Salthill. The cost of construction was £13,000.

The initial six tramcars were double-deck cars by the Starbuck Car and Wagon Company, requiring two horses each. The tramway relied heavily on the tourist trade, which was drawn by the possibility of excursions to the Aran Islands by the Galway Bay Steamboat Company.

Closure

The reliance on the tourist trade resulted in a slump in the company's fortune during the First World War and many of the company horses were commandeered by the British Army in 1917 for the war effort. The company was wound up during 1918.

Notes and References

  1. The Golden Age of Tramways. Published by Taylor and Francis.