page_title: Metropolitan Electric Tramways
section_title: History
hierarchical_section_title: Metropolitan Electric Tramways / History
caption_attribution_description: English: Identifier: streetrailwayjo301907newy (find matches) Title: The Street railway journal Year: 1884 (1880s) Authors: Subjects: Street-railroads Electric railroads Transportation Publisher: New York&#160;: McGraw Pub. Co. Contributing Library: Smithsonian Libraries Digitizing Sponsor: Smithsonian Libraries View Book Page: Book Viewer About This Book: Catalog Entry View All Images: All Images From Book Click here to view book online to see this illustration in context in a browseable online version of this book. Text Appearing Before Image: The accompanying illustration shows a car of the Metro-politan Electric Tramways, of London, equipped with anovel type of radial axles termed a steering control, Text Appearing After Image: RADIAL GEAR journal boxes to the main irame of the truck. The linksshown on either side of the journal boxes swing at an angleto the main frame, passing through radial slots in the yokebridge, which is the bar passing under the axle boxes, andconnect to knuckle joints concealed inside the journal-boxsprings. The pins passing through the lower ends of theselinks are set radially to the king-pin in the center of the car. To produce a movement which is the mechanical equiva-lent of this at the upper end of the links, where the spacedoes not permit of the pins being set radially to the king-pin, pins parallel to the axle are employed, passing througha bridge piece which rocks transversely on the axle box,while at the same time the axle box itself tilts or rotatesto and fro upon its journal. When the car is standing still it can be swayed hori-zontally several inches by hand, whenthe peculiar tilting action of theseboxes can be distinctly seen. A NEW AUTOMATIC STOKER CAR OF MIDDLESEX TRAMW Note About Images Please note that these images are extracted from scanned page images that may have been digitally enhanced for readability - coloration and appearance of these illustrations may not perfectly resemble the original work.
context_page_description: Metropolitan Electric Tramways Limited operated electric tram services in suburban areas of Middlesex and Hertfordshire from 1904 to 1933, when its services passed to the London Passenger Transport Board.
context_section_description: The company originated in 1894 as the Metropolitan Tramways and Omnibus Company Limited. The company hoped to construct horse tramways in the northern suburbs of London. The proposed tramways were not built, but an agreement was entered into with Middlesex County Council to operate the tramway network it was constructing under the Light Railways Act 1896. The company was acquired by British Electric Traction (BET) in 1901, and its name changed to Metropolitan Electric Tramways Ltd. (MET).
  The first section of line was opened on 22 July 1904, with services from Finsbury Park to Manor House (where a connection with the London County Council Tramways was made) and Wood Green. On 3 December a separate section from Cricklewood to Edgware via Hendon opened.
  The network was rapidly expanded between 1905 and 1911, MET having gained powers to build its own lines as well as operating those constructed by the county council, and by the acquisition and electrification of the North Metropolitan Tramways Company's steam-operated line from Wood Green to Ponders End.
  The MET operated London's only regular single-deck electric tram services, on two tram lines serving Alexandra Palace. The first line ran from Turnpike Lane, approaching the Palace from the West via Muswell Hill, and was opened in late 1905; the second line opened a few months later in 1906, and started from Wood Green, entering the Palace grounds from the East.
  On 1 January 1913, MET became a subsidiary of the London and Suburban Traction Company (LSTC), jointly owned by BET and the Underground Group. LSTC also owned the two other company-operated tramways in London, London United Tramways (LUT) and South Metropolitan Electric Tramways (SouthMET).
  When MET was taken over by the London Passenger Transport Board on 1 July 1933, it was operating 53.51 miles (86.12 km) of route. At that time, company owned 316 tramcars, and 9.38 miles (15.10 km) of track, with the remainder being leased from Middlesex or Hertfordshire County Councils.
  The outer termini of the MET network were Acton (where it connected with the LUT system), Sudbury, Canons Park, Barnet, Enfield and Waltham Cross. Joint-running with the LUT and London County Council systems brought MET trams into Central and West London.
caption: MET E class single-deck tram at Alexandra Palace
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