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The Path to Unification

3. Renumbering within the Passenger Car Fleet.

The first renumbering took place within days of the LPTB's formation. By 3rd July, ME/3 class 1446 appeared in its rebuilt state numbered 1370 and classified E/1; 1446 being blank. The next occasion was on 26th July, 1935 following the review of the single truck fleet operating the local East London services. A memo was issued instructing as to which ex-West Ham Type A cars were to be withdrawn. Included was authorisation for the exchange between the following cars of fleet and Metropolitan Stage Carriage licence numbers. It is assumed that on four of these cars the LPTB had very recently paid the annual renewal of the licences. The exchanges were 218 & 224, 225 & 239, 228 & 253 and 234 & 257. Therefore the photo Bill Haynes took of the body of 234 in a field was in fact that of the first 257!

Also during 1935 an assessment of the number of cars required south of the Thames was made to determine the number of cars to have windscreens fitted. In the process it was decided to exchange fleet and licence plate numbers between certain low numbered Class E/1 southside cars for 'not-so-good' northside cars numbered above 1000. Some cars were 'rehabilitated' (shown suffixed *) whilst the others just received windscreens.

The cars concerned were as follows:-

783 & 1676*	784 & 1619*	786 & 1184	789 & 1208	790 & 1649	791 & 1638
793 & 1649	794 & 1641	795 & 1606*	797 & 1586	799 & 1626	800 & 1587*
802 & 1614*	803 & 1608*	805 & 1291	808 & 1310*	809 & 1613	814 & 1645*
815 & 1646	816 & 1650*	817 & 1640	818 & 1618	819 & 1624	820 & 1605
821 & 1610*	824 & 1042*	825 & 1620	830 & 1639	831 & 1612	833 & 1648*
834 & 1218	837 & 1636*	838 & 1621	840 & 1585	841 & 1642*	843 & 1643*
844 & 1617	845 & 1623	846 & 1282	847 & 1204	848 & 1326	850 & 1190*
851 & 1647*	883 & 1195	967 & 1625	983 & 1195*

An interesting renumber was in 1938 to E class 420, which following an accident, the LCC had replaced the damaged original upper deck by one of the 1929 design. Its better bodywork replaced that of E/1 class 1597 being mounted on that car's running gear and equipment.

Of the above Class E/1 cars that exchanged numbers, three were to be further renumbered (shown suffixed (II) during the 1939-1945 hostilities. The staff at Charlton CRD were superb in keeping the tramcar fleet going in those terrible conditions. They proved to be experts in cannibalising often combining parts from three cars to make one.

To understand more about the following Class E/1 cars, their history will shortly be given under "Car Histories".

1201 & 1624(II)

1245 & 1516 & 1800

1305 & 1350 & 1519

1528 & 1611

1535 & 1638(II)

1550 & 1605(II)

The final exchange of numbers came in 1947 with Class E/1 cars 986 & 1389. There are no recorded changes in fleet numbers during the LTE period.

By Colin Withey - Ed. J. Wills.

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