Edinburgh, this is what a tram looks like!

The Great North or Scotland Railway built a luxurious hotel at Cruden Bay in Aberdeeenshire back in 1898. Guests were transported between the train station and the hotel on a 3ft 6in gauge tram line. Initially horsedrawn, the line was electrified with an overhead 500v wire., powered by a dedicated generator. Two tram cars, single deck, four wheeled, were built by the Kittybrewster works and brought into service in 1890. Unfortunately after 1921 the hotel started to fall on hard times. During 1932 the GNSR line through Cruden Bay closed, leaving the trams to haul baggage and laundry instead of guests until the hotel was requisitioned by the army in 1941. Afterwards, the hote;l never recovered and was sadly demolished without ceremony. Both trams were dismantled, the metal going to the war effort and the bodies used as summer houses. Much later, one was bought for conservation and restored to display in the Grampian Transport Museum at Alford; where this picture was taken. The other was converted into a carriage to use on the Alford Valley Railway, a short narrow gauge line running from the site of the old branchline station in Alford (we rode in it after going to the museum). A fun day, David enjoyed racing round the museum and climbing into all the accessible vehicles. Mrs. Legodude didn't have so much fun as she got stung by a bee in the Co-op. Fortunately she's not allergic and the swelling's gone down. We're back to Edinburgh tomorrow.