Trams
There had been for some time a move to get the trams which, by 1898, had reached Hanwell. Before this, in 1870-71, a Bill before Parliament had authorised a tramway from the Red Lion (Northcote) to Shepherds Bush, to the Southall, Ealing, Acton, Shepherds Bush Tram Company; but this Company was in liquidation in 1875. The first ground to bring trams to Southall was broken on the 3rd January, 1900. Reed Brothers contracted for the work at a cost of £5,500 per mile. Southall Council stipulated that the London United Tram Company lay wood blocks for a specific distance each side of the rails, and that they have the use of the tram standards for street lighting. The Brent Bridge had to be widened and strengthened. The first trams came to Southall in 1901. Lord Rothschild started the first through tram from Ealing. They turned at Haddrells Corner, Herbert Road. Costing £1,000 each, they had knifeboard wooden seats inside and up open-air stairs, slatted two seats with middle gangway. At the end of the journey it was the conductor’s job to reverse all the upstairs seats and, with a long pole with a hook, take the power arm from the overhead wire and put it on the wire again at the other end of the tram. The driver was at the mercy of the weather, with only a cover over his head. The next section to Uxbridge began in 1903 and, eventually, reached Uxbridge in the middle of 1904.
Fares, Shepherds Bush to Uxbridge — 8d (3’/2p); Southall to Uxbridge -3d (1½p); Southall to Shepherds Bush 5d (2p). Workmans Return to Shepherds Bush or Uxbridge 4d (1½p); ticket to be obtained by 8.00 a.m. These the conductor dispensed from a board and had a punch (bell punch) which stamped a hole at the appropriate place in the ticket.
In 1906-7 it was proposed that a tram route be made to connect Southall to Hounslow, via South Road, Norwood Road, Norwood Green, Heston, Lampton Road. But mostly due to the very many conditions specified by the Southall Urban District Council, it was decided that it would not be a viable proposition and the scheme abandoned. The fares would have been — Southall to Hounslow 3d, Southall to Norwood Green, 1d and Norwood Green to Hounslow, 2d.
Progress 1900-1910
By 1900, with a population of 8,500, we now have a railway and tram service. Also a Head Post Office and Sorting Rooms was built at the corner of South Road and Beaconsfield Road. Head Post Master Mr H. C. Hanson whose house was in Beaconsfield Road. Also there were sub-Post Offices in the High Street, Uxbridge Road, Denmark Road. A great many houses were being built and several industries came.
On the Glebe Estate a large tract of land on the south-west corner of the district had natural facilities for industrial purposes with rail and canal access. Messrs Gosney and Baxter were responsible for the development Early firms included Electric Traction Co. Ltd., Scotts Emulsion (1900), Phonopore Telephone Co. Ltd., Rhubastic Ltd., Sanders Tube Works moved from Notting Hill to Gordon Road in 1901 and Avery and Vincent opened a joinery works at Hartington Road in 1902.