j
The Story of the TMS
The story of the TMS is the story of the tramway museum and those who created it at of Crich. Take a browse down the timeline and you will see how the fascinating story of the Society and the preservation of our tramway heritage unfolds.
The Start of Preservation
One such tour took place in Southampton in 1948. The group learned that the tramcar they were riding on was unlikely to be used again before being sent to the scrapyard. On the train back to London, the enthusiasts decided they would club together and buy the tram so it could be saved.
This tram, Southampton 45 was the first tram to be saved for preservation. It is worth noting that no heritage railways had come into being at that time.
At The League's Annual general Meeting in 1949, it was reported that a much-desired scheme for setting up of a Tramway Museum was to go ahead, and a committee was set up to co-ordinate it. Over the next few years, a number of candidate tramcars for preservation were obtained and the search for a home for a museum continued.
The Society is Born
By early 1955, it was clear that the desire to set up a working museum did not sit right with The League's main objective of promoting the expansion of tramways. The agreed solution was to set up a separate body to create a museum, and The Tramway Museum Society was born. All of the tramcars in ownership of The League were transferred to the ownership of the new body with a ceremonious handing over of Southampton 45 at Manton depot in Blackpool.
A Home is Found
A suitable site was finally identified at a disused quarry at Crich in Derbyshire. It had no drainage, electricity, gas, or telephone facilities, but it had a single water tap.....and loads of potential! It was also a location that was central in the country. With the muscle and will power of the founding members, trams were moved onto site and a start was made in laying track.
The first tram to arrive at Crich was Cardiff 131.
The first few years were hard. The top priority was protecting the trams from the elements, then work could begin on building the infrastructure, track, overhead wire and power supply.
The need to get the tramcars under cover was so great that some were moved in before tram sheds were finished.
Leeds 180 and a tarpaulin covered tram inside a far from completed tram shed.
In 1962, the first Museum Guide was published and the Tramway Museum Society was incorporated as a company and registered as a charity.
A Decisive Year
On the 2nd June, less than 4 years after choosing Crich as the location for the museum, Sheffield horse tram No 15 pulled by "Bonnie" operated a passenger service for visitors. 
The TMS started taking responsibility for the future of its tram fleet by producing the first Trams Report, which defined the Museum's collecting policy and the historical provenance of our collection.
More progress in 1964 with the launch of the first electric powered tram service.
On the 5th July, Blackpool & Fleetwood 2 had the honour to be the first electric tram to carry members of the public at Crich
Within ten years of the founding of the TMS, 1965 was the first complete year of tram services at the museum.
Not content with horse and electric power, the range of motive power for trams was expanded in 1966 with the first steaming of the John Bull steam tram. 
Going Places...
On the 9th April, the first track extension alongside the quarry to Cabin Crossing was opened by our President.
This year also saw the production of a Development Report to build a tramway period street in which to run our tram fleet.
A permanent book shop with toilets for visitors was opened., and a further extension of the tramline was opened to a new terminus at Wakebridge.
The August Bank Holiday saw the first Grand Transport Extravaganza event which attracted over 16,000 visitors. The TMS was centre stage in a national news story when Prague 180 arrived from Czechoslovakia ahead of the Soviet invasion.
To allow work to be carried out on restoring and maintaining our tramcars, a dedicated workshop was built, complete with access pits . The photograph here shows volunteers working on one of the pits. 
The first track pit was pressed into use immediately it was connected, even whilst the second pit was still being built.
The Street Plans come alive...
A team of volunteers dismantled a bandstand at Longford Park, Stretford and rebuilt it on its new site opposite the current public entrance.
1972 saw the Assembly Rooms façade reassembled after its move from Derby.
We also had our first royal visitor, HRH Prince Henry of Gloucester who paid a visit to Crich.
Our Royal Patron
HRH Prince Richard Duke of Gloucester became patron of the Tramway Museum Society.
The following year, the Duke made his first visit to the museum.
Trackwork continued at a pace extending up to the current terminus at Glory Mine, The cost of this final stretch being part funded by The Job Creation Scheme.
Visitors could now enjoy a tram ride of around a mile.
The museum received its 2 millionth visitor during 1979.
A new name, a new beginning
In 1980, the museum changed its name from Crich Tramway Museum to National Tramway Museum to reflect the increasing importance of the site was enjoying.
The Library building, built onto the back of the Assembly Rooms frontage, was completed and made ready for occupation.
In 1983, a full time librarian and photographic archivist were appointed, and the library was opened for research work. 
In 1985, Blackpool celebrated 100 years of electric tram operation, and the TMS provided several tramcars from its collection to help with the celebrations.
This occasion included the operation of steam tram 'John Bull' on the promenade; the first time Blackpool hosted steam power.
Expansion to the depots had not been forgotten. A fan of tracks was laid in the Depot Yard for trams to access into and out of the tram sheds.
Items of street furniture were starting to be collected. The Metropolitan Police Box and GPO telephone box at Town End both received listed building status
A busy year
One of the Museum's landmarks, the Bowes-Lyon Bridge was completed, and on an area previously cleared and levelled opposite the Depots, the framework for a new Exhibition Hall was erected.
1988 also saw the Glasgow Garden Festival, a major event that involved celebrating Glasgow's transport heritage. The museum loaned three Glasgow tramcars to assist with the festival, which was opened by the Prince and Princess of Wales.
The Museum's visitor experience was enhanced by introducing penny fares on the trams using old pre-decimal penny ( 1d ) and half penny ( 1/2d ) coins.
Exhibition Hall Opens
After several years of work to create a covered exhibition area, the first completed exhibition, an Edwardian tramcar "trade fair" was formally opened.
By 1991, all tramcar restoration was funded from external sources such as the Tramcar Sponsorship Organisation and the London County Council Tramways Trust.
To commemorate 30 years of electric tram operation, driving courses for the public were first offered.
The museum welcomed its 4 millionth visitor this year, and also made its mark on the world wide web by launching the www.tramway.co.uk website.
Our Access Tram, Berlin 22 3006 was officially launched. Popularly known as 'Erich', this car made it possible for wheelchair and less-physically-able visitors to have a tram ride.
Another beginning
In 2001, the museum was re-branded as Crich Tramway Village in an attempt to attract more visitors.
Work began on expanding our library and conservation workshop facilities. This workshop was built on the site of the museum's first tram depot. Both projects were part funded by donations and the Heritage Lotterty Fund.
And another year of expansion of the museum facilities. The library building was extended to accommodate the ever-expanding collection of archive material, and the Red Lion public house, which had been moved brick by brick from Stoke-on-Trent to Crich, was opened as a feature in the tramway street.
Our patron, HRH Prince Richard Duke of Gloucester, paid a visit to the museum to officially open the new extension to the John Price Memorial Library.
With funding from the Countryside Agency, the woodland walk and sculpture trail were developed.
The trail was opened by the Dowager Duchess of Devonshire.
The Society celebrated its 50th anniversary this year with a special event.
This year was the 50th anniversary of the musem at Crich. To celebrate the occasion, members had decided to fund the restoration of the first tram to arrive at the museum, Cardiff 131.
| To top the year off, the museum was the first museum to be awarded the Transport Trust Red Wheel. |
All Change
A new exhibition 'A Century of Trams' was opened to showcase the development of British trams from 1860 to 1960, and during track work in the tramway street, a number of stone sleepers and cast rail sections dating back to George Stephenson's quarry workings in the 1850s were discovered.
One of the original buildings that first attracted the Society to Crich was restored using funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund. It is now the museum's learning centre and George Stephenson Discovery Centre
With funding from one of the Society's funds, Subscriber Plus, the area around the bandstand was transformed into a park, Victoria Park.
The museum's Crich Tramway Village website was revamped with a fresh and modern look.
The annual Tram Event day for 2015 was reserved to celebrate TMS 60, the 60th anniversary of the Society.
Proceedings for the day were led by Southampton 45, the first tram the TMS acquired.
After a successful fund raising, the museum was able to secure the purchase of a 1913 Barnsley and District tram replacement bus.
The museum celebrated its 60th anniversery over a glorious Autumn weekend with processions and photographic opportunities. The occasion was also used for the museum to officially receive the Barnsley bus.
The museum, along with all leisure sites in the UK, was forced to close its doors for most of the season as a result of the government's emergency measures to combat the Covid-19 pandemic. As a consequence, the Society had to embrace 21st century technology and hold a virtual "on-line" AGM which enabled members living as far away as Australia and New Zealand to attend.
The Society launched its own website, this site, to enhance the Society's online presence and to create an online resource for members.