Tram Depot and Omnibus Garage. Eccles New Road, Weaste Salford
The foundation stone of the new car depot and omnibus garage being built at Weaste for the Salford tramways department was yesterday laid by Alderman W Greenwood, chairman of the Tramways and Motor Omnibus Committee. During the proceedings it was stated that when completed the building, of which Mr Charles Swain is the architect, will be the largest of the kind in the country. The site covers two acres, and the cost of the depot will be approximately £70,000 [Manchester Guardian 21 February 1929 page 14]
CITY OF SALFORD NEW TRANSPORT DEPOT - The Salford Tramways Department are continuing their policy of providing efficient transport services. At Weaste the latest expression this policy is now visible in a building where trams and buses are to be housed. This depot, which is to be formally opened to-day, extends to nearly two acres. has a frontage on Eccles New Road of 803 feet, and will accommodate from 50 to 60 'buses and a similar number of trams, besides having offices, waiting- rooms, mess-rooms, etc. Hessel Street is at the back. and Weaste Road South and Humber Street are at the sides. One of the few vacant spaces in Salford before the Tramways Committee set about making it a new depot, the site is in a very convenient position on the system. and its use as a dormitory for trams and' buses should help to ease the traffic problems of the district.
The electrification by the Corporation of the Salford tramways system took place in 1901, following the termination of leases granted by the Corporation to the Manchester Carriage and Tramways Company, and the opening ceremony of both the system and the Frederick Road depot was held on 20 November 1901—about one month after the first electric tramcar was seen in the streets of Salford. After the passing of the Salford Corporation Act, 1920, in which powers were obtained to operate motor-omnibuses within the borough area, the omnibus branch of the undertaking was established and it then became imperative that the Tramways Committee should look around for a. suitable site on which to provide housing facilities for the omnibuses that the Corporation contemplated purchasing. On the recommendation oi the Tramways Committee, the Council decided, in October 1920, to purchase the site at Weaste fronting Eccles New Road and to erect there a garage and running-shed accommodation. The cost of the land was £4,753. At that time, however. the cost of building was so excessively high that the Committee did not deem it expedient to proceed with the erection of a depot at Weaste, but the position was temporarily relieved at Frederick Road by the erection, in 1925, of a steel-framed shed at the rear of the depot there. and again later by the covering in of a portion of the depot yard with the rapid development of the Corporation's omnibus services and the increasing number of omnibuses operated by the Department, together with the additional accommodation required for repair and maintenance of the fleet, however, the question of garaging soon came to a climax, and the Tramways Committee, having in view the early purchase of additional buses, decided to recommend the Council to appoint Mr C Swain. as architect and quantity surveyor in connection with the erection of a new depot and garage at Weaste. The cost of the depot is estimated at £79,500, but the provision of additional plant and machinery will probably bring this figure into the region of £100,000. An Interesting feature in connection with the construction of the new depot is a steel-work span of I95 feet, which is one of the widest in the country. the large unobstructed area permitting the free movement of vehicles.
At present the Department operates tramways over a route length of 43 miles or 76.5 miles of single track, 35.5 miles of which are within the boundaries of the city. Omnibus routes operated under the Acts of 1920 and 1927 cover approximately 150 miles of route in all, 46 miles of which are within the Corporation area and the remainder on joint services or running extensions which link up with the services of the Lancashire United Transport and Power Company and the Leigh, Wigan, and Bolton Corporations on the western boundary of the city and with the Bury, Manchester, and Stockport services on the northern and eastern boundaries. Ali these services have since the 1927 bill received the royal assent—i.e. about two years ago, - and they provide a striking example of street passenger transport co-ordination. More omnibuses are required to cope with the traffic system which has been built up, and the present fleet of tramcars and 72 motor- omnibuses is to be supplemented shortly by 18 buses of the most up- to-date type, tenders for which are at present being invited. The number of employees engaged on the tramways undertaking Is 1,663. [Manchester Guardian 29 October 1929 page 8]
The new depot occupies an island site in Eccles New Road, 400 feet by 250 feet with adequate street widths on each side to take the necessary heavy traffic. The elevations are treated very simply, the effects being obtained by masses of plain brickwork, relieved on the main elevation by Portland stone dressings to form a scheme of classical severity. An interesting clock-tower, fifty feet high, marks the main entrance. There are seven entrances for the vehicles, each twenty-seven feet wide, and fitted with steel roller shutters operated electrically. ... Ample office accommodation and this is arranged in a block at the centre of the Eccles new Road frontage. The block is two storeys high and includes a large receiving and inquiry office, an entrance hall and public waiting room, staff canteen accommodation, foremen's offices, and sanitary accommodation. The offices are floored in maple blocks, except for the sanitary section which is in terrazzo. The entrance hall is tiled in blue and white, and the premises are tiled throughout. The foremen of the tram and bus sections each have a glass-fronted corner office on the second floor with a balcony projection from which they have a complete view of the depot. ...Special roof girders had to be designed to carry the large roof spans. Ten huge lattice girders were used for this purpose, and some of the girders weighed almost eighty tons each, the largest being two hundred feet in length and fifteen feet deep. Over 1,000 tons of constructional steelwork was used in the construction of the building. Steelwork sub-contractor: Edward Wood and Co. Ltd., of Ocean Ironworks, Manchester. ... No secret is made of the fact that the depot is so designed that the tram section can be easily converted into further bus accommodation. This is instructive in view of the fact that when the depot was originally projected, some four years ago, it was to be wholly a tram depot. Salford's authorities seem to be completely convinced that the future rests largely with the buses, though it is admitted that the trams will be needed for some years to cope with the heavy traffic in the central districts. [Manchester City News 2 November 1929 page 8]
The extension of the Metrolink to Eccles, opened in 2000, means that once again trams pass in front of the building.
Reference Builder 7 October 1927 Page 561
Reference Architects Journal Vol. 66 12 October 1927 Page 487
Reference Builder 23 March 1928 Page 512
Reference Builder 25 May 1928 Page 915 - contracts. Tender return 4 June 1928
Reference Builder 22 June 1928 Page 1091- tenders
Reference Salford City Reporter 14 July 1928 Page 4
Reference Manchester Guardian 21 February 1929 page 14 - foundation stone
Reference Salford City Reporter 1 November 1929 page 9
Reference Manchester City News 2 November 1929 Page 8
