Remembering the Wisbech to Upwell Tramway – fourth memento to be installed
Local historian, Bill Smith of Outwell, has announced the next stage of his project to ensure the Wisbech to Upwell Tramway, once a vital transport system for the region, is not forgotten.
A fourth memento will be unveiled at Bird’s Corner by Norman Paget, a retired local forage merchant, at the former Boyce’s Bridge Depot – on Saturday, November 4 at 11am.
Other attendees at the event will be the head teacher, other school staff, pupils and parents of Emneth Academy, parish councillors, and members of the Well Creek Trust – the project’s sponsors.
Bill has rallied his team of willing volunteers to assist with achieving the necessary permissions, raising funds, designing and installing the memento that was built and donated by the well-known local family-run, agricultural engineering business, Cousins of Emneth.
“In the last six months I have been in and out of hospitals like a fiddler’s elbow,” said Bill,
“I could not have got to this point without support from so many local people and businesses and I must say a huge thank you to them all. It is a clear indication that this generation is proud of its heritage and wishes to ensure it is preserved for future generations.”
Bill continued: “We have on our doorstep a feature that is internationally famous but very little of it remains. We are working hard to redress that and encourage interest from visitors.”
This is the fourth memento in the project leaving just two remaining. Phase five is scheduled to be located adjacent to B&Q, Elm High Road and the final one is on the old Elm Road where the tram crossed to enter the Wisbech East Station and goods yard. There was also a depot called Elm Bridge Depot near the Emneth junction from the A1101, but for safety reasons, a memento cannot be located there.”
Everyone is welcome to come along and for more information about this event and the Wisbech to Upwell Tramway project go to Well Creek Trust Tramway or Welle Film Productions.
The Wisbech to Outwell Tramway opened as an experiment in 1883 and was extended to Upwell in 1884. At its peak, six trams a day in each direction provided passenger and, most importantly, freight services for local produce to Wisbech and then via the main railway link to larger towns and cities. Competition from the Outwell Omnibus Company started by Charles Robb in 1920 eventually ended passenger services in 1927.
Freight continued until 1966 when it was cut as part of the “Beeching Axe”. The final tram journey took place May 20, 1966 Remembering the Tramway is of importance for all living in the area but also for those much further afield – for rail aficionados and enthusiasts, for local history lovers and tourists and also for millions of fans of Thomas the Tank Engine the creation of the Reverend Wilbert Awdry who was vicar of the village of Emneth (1953 -1965).
The Railway Series was written by Rev Awdry with later editions by his son Christopher and was published from 1945. The enormously popular TV series “Thomas and Friends” is a spin-off from the books. Toby the Tram Engine and his coach, Henrietta and later, Mavis, the Drury diesel tram were all based on rolling stock used on the Tramway.
