THE Glasgow trams – the "caurs’ – were often maligned in their day, but when one was withdrawn from service and sold off, it could be an occasion for regret.
Such was the case 58 years ago, when tram no. 1055 - the last "Green Goddess" to be taken off the road – left the Coplawhill tramcar works for the last time. Glasgow Corporation had bought it for £500 in 1954 from Liverpool and had now sold it for £50 to the Merseyside Tramway Preservation Society. The tram, after renovation, would run on the society’s private line outside Leeds.
The Evening Times said though the trams had been mocked by cartoonists, comedians and the public, there was an unmistakable air of sentiment as this one departed. Employees said it was a pity to see the "caurs" go. They were so good in the fog and ice. With a bus, you could land up in a close in the fog, but the trams would never let you down. One coachbuilder said: “After working with tramcars for 21 years they begin to be a part of you.” A former tram-driver who was now a shunting-gear worker admitted to a twinge of sentiment.
Martin Jenkins, chairman of the Merseyside society (and described as a “bearded art student”) said: “A tramcar has got much more character than a motorbus. It is not a personal vehicle – it is far more friendly.”
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