Edinburgh Transport

Joppa

Joining the tramway tracks

Joppa  -  Joining the tramway tracks

During the decades of Edinburgh's cable cars, a journey to the east from Edinburgh towards Musselburgh and beyond involved a change of tram from Edinburgh's cable cars to Musselburgh's electric trams at Joppa.

© Trams at Joppa

© Trams at Joppa

The two tramway tracks were joined when the Edinburgh system was converted to electric in 1923.  This allowed through travel by tram for the 10-mile journey from Edinburgh GPO at Port Seton.

This photograph by EO Catford shows work on joining the two tracks at Seaview Terrace, Joppa, in 1923.

Recollections

1.

George Renton

Thank you to George Renton who wrote:

Conversion to Electric Trams

"I came across this photo of the bottom of my street from around the 1920’s where the cable system of Edinburgh ended and the overhead tram system of Musselburgh began."

©

Café

"Behind the workers there is a doorway and that was the café at the Joppa end of the promenade. My Mom used to serve tea therein the summertime.  The café was owned by a Mrs. Ramage."

B & B

"A mate of mine at the time was Tommy Moyse (spelling?). His Folks owned a B&B next door to the café.  One fateful night we came careening around the corner on our guiders and  Tommy took the legs out from under an elderly woman who stepped out from the doorway. What a tragic event."

George Renton, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada:  March 27, 2006

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