A Lift to Town

 

This is a true story. The Halifax tramway system was setup in 1898. It had been approved by an Act of Parliament, which granted powers to Halifax Corporation to extend the tramway beyond the borough boundaries should trams prove a popular mode of transport. Indeed only Halifax, Leeds, Dover and Blackpool ran electric tramway systems in 1898.

Well as we know trams were a great success and before long Elland, West Vale and Greetland were clamouring for the routes to continue into our district. The officials from Halifax rubbed their hands with glee at the thought of extra fares flowing into council coffers until...they baulked at the idea of trams travelling up and down Salterhebble. ‘Far too steep’. ‘A tragedy waiting to happen’. And then they had a rather novel idea. ‘Halifax trams will not be beaten by hills we will build a lift to carry our trams’. After all Cincinnati and Pittsburgh in America had built ‘tram lifts’ and Halifax could do the same.

 
The proposed lift would run from the junction of Stainland Road and Wakefield Road and rise up to All Saints Church, Dudwell Lane. It would include two cradles, each 48 feet long by 12 feet wide running on a 10 foot gauge railway, inclined at a gradient of just over 1 in 3. The journey would take about 15 minutes to ‘ascend’ into Halifax or ‘descend’. The cost to erect the lift was estimated at £10,500 plus land would have to be purchased. Let’s say about £1million in today’s money at the very least. Naturally Halifax ratepayers were distinctly cool. The council pressed on.
A distinguished civil engineer from London, Sir Douglas Fox, advised the council. He arrived at 2pm on Wednesday 24th September 1902 and inspected the proposed route. He promptly left at 4.45pm! It is unclear how much he charged for his services but his report recommended that the lift was feasible and that Salterhebble was hazardous especially as heavy traffic zigzagged up the hill. Sir Douglas even proposed that the lift should be steam powered and not electric (against the wishes of the Borough Engineer, who envisaged the refuse destructor at North Dean generating current for the lift).

The report was discussed at the next council meeting. Councillor J.H. Whitley (Liberal MP for Halifax and later Speaker of the House of Commons) moved acceptance but Councillor James Parker (Halifax’s first Labour MP) suggested that a public meeting should be held and this was agreed.
The public meeting was held on 13th January 1903. Too many people attended to be accommodated. The lift idea was derided from the start especially when it was pointed out that a tram covered the Boothtown gradient of 1 in 9.70 and the Salterhebble incline was 1 in 9.69 (difference 3/4 inch every 220 yards).

The vote was lost. The idea of the tram lift was consigned to history. Elland and Greetland Councils seethed with rage...to be continued.

David J. Glanfield
Greater Elland Historical Society