Trams in George Street, Croydon

Click on picture [JK8] for an enlarged version

Click on picture [GST3] for an enlarged version

From: "John King" <JKing77189@aol.com>

On the back of the picture is written in ink 'Croydon Corpn. No 6 in George Street.' It was within a collection of pictures that was given to me by someone who inherited them from someone who died around 30 years ago. Quite a good part of the collection is of trams, buses etc from Croydon and the nearby districts [Bromley/Crystal Palace etc], so I would imagine that it was written by someone who knew the area well, before the Town Planners arrived.

From: "S.J.Parascandolo"

I looked at my books this morning and confirmed that the traction poles were on the south side of George Street. The pictures also show that the loop at the George Street terminus was Tramlink style with a Straight track and loop off of it. Your image clearly shows both tracks turning away from each other at the point. This coupled with the gradient makes George Street West by Alders almost impossible.

So, I went out with a print of your image and confirmed that the buildings in George Street West have different window designs and have not been altered. The buildings were dated 1897 which would be the same ones as in the picture which I assume is 1900-1910?

I then walked back towards East Croydon and am almost certain that your picture shows a loop just west of Dingwall Road and the gradient in the background is the Railway Bridge. Where the trees once were now stands the NLA tower, and all the buildings on the right have long gone with the widening of George Street. However, the first building on the left matches the one occupied today by Boots and Klick. Careful inspection also reveals an arch in the extreme left of the older picture which is there today. The brick work and moulding's around the windows is a perfect match. This building is all that survives today - the rest of the buildings have either been demolished or rebuilt.

One thing in common is that you can still catch a tram to Addiscombe from this point. Picture GST3 tries to match the historical picture but really, you have to stand between the tracks to get an exact match. I thought that a little foolish with the speed of today's trams racing around Croydon!

From: "Terry Russell" <terry@terryrusselltrams.wanadoo.co.uk>

Rather a long way round David but it generated interest. I could have located that shot with one bad eye. I was very fond of the Addiscombe route because of all the things that made it non-workable I suppose. My very first tram model made when I was about 16 was of one of these cars. I made it from a superb coloured postcard found in my Grandmothers sideboard drawer and it showed a similar car outside Addiscombe Station. I still have the card and I have never seen it reproduced anywhere. Similarly I found another one of Penge High Street but rather creased, again never seen in print. My layout has aspects of the Addiscombe route in it.