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Edinburgh Says Farewell to its Trams

The last day of the Edinburgh trams

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Description

An amateur film capturing shots of the last few days of the Edinburgh tram service. The clip features various shots of trams, buses and other traffic in Edinburgh city centre, particularly in Dundas Street and Forest Road. It includes a decorated tram circulating over its last route and Morningside Station. The last Edinburgh tram ran on 16 November 1956.

Questions & Activities

Questions

  • During what period did the trams last run in Edinburgh?
  • How many miles did they cover?
  • How do trams function - how are they different from buses or trains?
  • Are there transport services in your area that have now gone? Have you been on a tram in the UK?

Activities

Geography / History: Plot the routes that the Edinburgh trams took. Identify what transport services these areas now?

Geography / Technologies: Find three other cities in the world which currently have trams?

Technologies / Modern Studies: Research why there is a move back to having trams back into cities today?

History: Find out why the trams were taken away?

Technologies / Media Studies / Social Studies: Research the problems encountered by the reintroduction of the trams?

Technologies / Social Studies: What will public transport look like in 50 years?

Technologies / History: Using the roads in this clip, identify the different types of vehicles you can see and their purpose.

Media Studies / Art and Design: Why do public transport vehicles have advertising on the sides. List the different types of adverts on public transport. What are they advertising?

Geography: Plan a new route for the trams. Take into account where people work and where they live and the facilities they would need access to.

Clip Details

Record Id 007-000-002-107-C
Resource Rights Holder National Library of Scotland
Project Ref 0702
Date 1956
Genre Documentary
School Subject Media Studies, Technologies, History, Social Studies, Geography
Subject Matter Transport
Who Brian P Winpenny (filmmaker), David Hunt (captions)
Where Edinburgh
Event Last day of Edinburgh trams
Attributes Colour, Silent
Clip Length 4:43
Film Length 04:43