Tram Tuesday - Belfast, Northern Ireland

Belfast, Northern Ireland had horse-drawn trams in 1872, but by 1905 (about the time this photo was taken), they had changed to electric power. These trams did have overhead wires, but you can't see them because the people who colored the cards often erased whatever they could of the wires for aesthetic reasons. I don't think anyone ever thought to erase horses from the earlier photos.

Here's a closer view of the trams.

The card was sent to Master Alexander Seavey of Eugene, Oregon in 1910. Little Alexander would have been just over two years old at the time. He was born into an Oregon family with pioneer roots. His father, James Walter, was a hops farmer who married Bessie Kelly. Bessie's father John came from Dublin, Ireland, so the aunt who wrote this card may have been a relative of his.

The message is very sweet:

Belfast Ireland

April 5 -1910

My Dear little Boy -

Tell Mamma that Aunt Trey (Tray?) got her letter yesterday and will write her next Sunday. I was so glad to hear  all the nice things about you and so happy to hear in her other letter that you could say my name -  Don't forget it, please - It is just four months today since I saw you last. I stole upstairs and you were asleep in your little bed. How do you like the looks of these two-story cars? Not so much as your own new "chu-chu" car I know. Wish you bring it over to take me riding. Kiss Mamma, Papa, Aunt Kate, Elizabeth, W___, Aunt Ida for me, and tell everyone to compliment you.

Lots of love from Aunt Trey

Streetcar Sundays - Portstewart, Ireland

Once again, it's streetcar Sunday, and I'm excited about today's picture of this tram in Portstewart, on the northern coast of Ireland.  You may be asking, what's the difference between a streetcar and a tram? People in the United States call it a streetcar and people in the U.K. call it a tram. That's pretty simple. They are the same, but then again not all streetcars are alike. Take this one for example, no wires are visible because it was steam powered. In fact, the Portstewart tram was the first steam tramway in Ireland. The fact that it's steam powered is one of the things I love about this particular picture, and the fact that each car is different.  I'm not sure why all those people are crowded on top of the third car and the second car is entirely empty. The last car looks as if it is used for luggage.

The Portstewart tram was a 3-foot guage tramway that connected the seaside town of Portstewart with the mainline railway, which ran from Belfast to the neighboring town of Portrush, but which by-passed Portstewart by a couple of miles. The tramway started service in 1882. The Portstewart tram closed down in 1926, unable to compete with bus service.


Here's a close-up:

During the era of steam trains, steam tram engines were governed by specific rules. For one thing, the steam could not be visible, so they had to use coke rather than coal as a fuel.  They were also required to conceal all machinery from view at all points above 4 inches from the rails, which is why this engine has such an odd profile. Finally, they also had to be quiet, and they couldn't exceed 8 miles per hour.  Most steam-powered trams were phased out in favor of electric trams in about 1900.

The picture above is not actually a postcard; it's from a little folder of real photo snapshots.  You would write the address on the outside of the packet and send the whole thing.

If you're interested in Irish steam trains, check out the website for the Railway Preservation Society of Ireland.  There are also two restored cars from the Portstewart tramway available to view in two separate museums, the Streetlife Museum of Transport in Kingston upon Hull, England (admission is free!) and the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum in Cultra, Northern Ireland.


Come back next week for another Streetcar Sunday!