Tramcar 71 - Interior
Tramcar 71 has not carried a single passenger for over sixty years, and
the elements are taking their toll on the structure. However, interior details
that remain recall it's golden age.
Tramcar 71 was built by the Brush Electrical Engineering Co at their Falcon
Works at Loughborough. The first two illustrations show this connection.
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The lower passenger saloon was protected from the worst of the weather by a
sliding door at each end. The manufacturer took the opportunity to include
their name in the door runner which reads 'The Brush Electrical Engineering
Co, Loughborough'.
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Inside tramcar 71, the 'Brush' makers transfer can still be seen. The Falcon
was a trademark of the company, whose workshop in Loughborough was known as
the Falcon Works.
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Although the roof has been felted, it is inevitable that a structure that has
served as a garden shed for sixty years will have suffered...particularly if it
wasn't originally designed as a shed!
The roof in particular is showing considerable signs of weather damage.
Despite the deterioration, an original mirror remains on the bulkhead at one end
of the body.
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Fresh air for lower deck passengers was provided by opening quarterlight windows
and sliding ventilators in the bulkheads at each end of the tram. The upper photograph
shows the simple arrangement of one of the opening windows, whilst the two below
illustrate the sliding wooden ventilators.
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The interior finish was typically to a high standard in most tramcars of this period. This
is illustrated by the inclusion of a mirror on one bulkhead.
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Although the paintwork is deteriorating, the ornate design of this bracket - one of several
- and various other mouldings is apparent.
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Surprisingly, some of the electrical equipment still remains inside the body. These
switches and fuses were once essential to the operation of tramcar 71. One of the fuse
holders clearly reads '500 volts'. The Coventry system was electrified at 500 volts DC.
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