page_title: City of Birmingham Tramways Company Ltd
section_title: The City of Birmingham Tramways Company Ltd
hierarchical_section_title: City of Birmingham Tramways Company Ltd / Detailed history / The City of Birmingham Tramways Company Ltd
caption_attribution_description: English: Postcard with a poem about end of the use of Steam Trams in Birmingham, England. The Lover's Lament AT THE LOSS OF THE Old Steam Trams, Electrocuted Dec. 31st. 1906. TWAS NOT SWEET OF OLD. as our love we told On the top of the Old Steam Car, When a wand'ring breeze, made us cough and sneeze, With a smell, like rotten eggs and Tar! But the lights were low, and the pace was slow, And the corner seats were cosy, And many a Miss has received a kiss On the top of the Car From Perry Barr Or the Tram that came from Moseley! Yes, the Electric Car, can go very far, In a very short space of time But that dazzling light, is FAR-too bright So each loving pair, have a stony air Of not being aware, that each other is there And gone are their joys sublime! No, the fact that these Cars are painted blue And are awfully, terribly, painfully new, And the fact there is plenty of elbow room, Will never make up for that friendly gloom And the joys so sweet, Of the corner seat ON THE OF THE OLD STEAM CAR. F.S. R SCOTT RUSSELL &amp; Co., B'HAM. SCOTT SERIES
context_page_description: The City of Birmingham Tramways Company Ltd operated trams in Birmingham, England, from 1896 until 1911.
  The company was formed on 29 September 1896 by James Ross and Sir William Mackenzie to take over the business of the Birmingham Central Tramways Company Ltd.
  The last routes in Birmingham closed on 31 December 1911. Most of its services were taken over by Birmingham Corporation Tramways.
context_section_description: The CBTC operated trams in Birmingham from 1896 until 1911.
  The company was formed on 29 September 1896 by James Ross and William Mackenzie to take over the business of the BCTC.
  From 14 May 1901 the route from the city to Bournbrook via Bristol Road (later extended to Selly Oak) was operated by electric cars using overhead current supply. Other routes were soon electrified and the company became a British Electric Traction subsidiary in 1902.
  On 30 June 1902 the company took over the routes of the Birmingham and Aston Tramways Company which were now owned by Aston Manor Urban District Council. By this date the CBTC were operating 21 overhead electric trams, 54 cable trams, 89 steam engines, 76 Double Decker steam trams, 10 horse cars, 45 horse buses and 608 horses on tracks mostly constructed and owned by Birmingham Corporation.
  The last routes in Birmingham closed on 31 December 1911. Most of its services were taken over by Birmingham Corporation Tramways.
caption: Postcard commemorating the ending of steam tram operations, on the last day of 1906
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