SHMD Joint Board
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Stalybridge, Hyde, Mossley & Dukinfield Tramways & Electricity Board (SHMD) was a public transport and electricity supply company formed by Act of Parliament in August 1901. It was a joint venture between the borough councils of Stalybridge, Hyde, Mossley and Dukinfield. The system was officially opened on 21 May 1904.
The tramway network
At its inception the scheme included 21 route miles of tramway and a fleet of forty tramcars. The network was later extended to 27 route miles with a fleet of sixty tramcars. The rails were rolled by Bolckow, Vaughan & Co, Middlesbrough. The points and crossings were made by Hadfield's Steel Foundry Co, Sheffield. The main tram shed was on Park Road, Stalybridge adjacent to the Tame Valley generating station. Smaller tram sheds were also built in Hyde and Mossley.
The rolling stock
The British Westinghouse Co was the lead contractor for the first forty tram cars, supplying much of their electrical and mechanical equipment. The car bodies were sub contracted to the British Electric Car Co, Trafford Park, with bogies from the McGuire Manufacturing Co, Bury and wheel sets from the British Griffin Chilled Iron Co, Barrow in Furness.
Generating and distribution network
The Tame Valley generating station consisted of three Yates and Thom, 815hp, vertical triple expansion steam engines. Each engine driving a Dick, Kerr & Co. 500kW, 60 pole alternator at 80rpm, giving a three-phase output of 6,000V at 40Hz. The station's six Lancashire boilers were supplied by Tinker, Shenton & Co, of Hyde. Most of the electrical switchgear was supplied by Witting, Eborall & Co. Power from the station was distributed at 6,000V via specially made three core cables drawn through glazed earthenware underground conduits. Each of the four SHMD towns had its own substation consisting of two sychronous motor generators, each rated at 200kW, converting the 6,000V three-phase input into an output of 525V dc to feed the overhead tram wires and 460V (±230V) three-wire dc for lighting circuits. The Tame Valley generating station remained in use until 1932, after which the building was used as a workshop and stores. In 1926, the new Hartshead Power Station was opened by the SHMD board.
Later history
In 1936, the company name was changed to the Stalybridge, Hyde, Mossley & Dukinfield Transport & Electricity Board due to most of its tramways being replaced by motor buses. The last SHMD tram ran in 1945.
In 1948, the SHMD electricity interests were nationalised, with the board's electricity distribution assets being incorporated into Norweb. The Hartshead Power Station became part of the British Electricity Authority, the predecessor of the Central Electricity Generating Board and remained in use until 1979. Norweb continued to use the former Tame Valley generating station building as a maintenance depot until 1984 after which it was sold to Beck & Politzer who continue to use it as a workshop. The Grade II listed Thorn House, the former SHMD head office near to Stalybridge bus station was used for many years by Norweb as an area office and showroom before being sold and converted into flats.
Following the nationalisation of its electricity interests and the scrapping of its tram network, SHMD became a bus company only, which was later absorbed into SELNEC in 1969.
References
- Frost, Roy. Electricity in Manchester 1893 - 1993. ISBN 1852160756.[page needed]