Might Have Been Trams and Tramways

Tramways have had a long but intermittent history in Britain. There have been two main eras, the first generation tramways from the 1880s to the 1960s and the second generation from the 1990s to the present day. The modern form of tramway is termed light rail or light rail transit although the terms tram and tramways have enjoyed a renaissance. Throughout both eras, while many schemes have been built, there has been an array of proposals and projects that have not reached fruition. What are they and would our transport systems have been different had they been carried out? Why were they not carried out? In this book examples are given of many different 'Might have been' trams and tramways. They range from very minor projects that had no hope of realisation to major metropolitan schemes that were desperately needed and should have been built. This is not a comprehensive history, rather it is to give a flavour of what might have been, in places ranging from major cities to tiny villages.