Dearne District Light Railways

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The Dearne and District was a tramway linking Barnsley with the towns of Wombwell, Wath , Bolton on Dearne and Thurnscoe. It was the last street tramway to be built in the UK and one of the first to shut.

A "car barn" was built at Wombwell and single deck vehicles were used throughout its nine year life span. Because of mining in the area the track was laid on wooden sleepers and covered over and was all single track with passing loops, which was the reason for its downfall. When the motorbus started to compete on the same route as the D&D it was found that because the trams had to wait to pass each other, the bus could complete the journey much quicker and so the electric vehicles had to go.

Very few traces of the former D&D remain now and as it closed in the 1930s not many people in the area can even remember it. The body of a former D&D car is still in use as a summer house in a garden on the outskirts of Sheffield.

Side view of former D&D car

End view of former D&D car

There is the odd passing reference in tram books but that is it...gone and it seems for the most part forgotten.

Tramways in South Yorkshire and Humberside (Closed systems)
Barnsley and District | Dearne District | Doncaster | Grimsby | Grimsby & Immingham Hull | Mexborough & Swinton | Rotherham | Sheffield
Tram transport in the UK		edit