Crowds line the streets (including here at corner of Hope Street and St Vincent Street) for the commemorative parade of trams on the evening of 4 September 1962. The heavy rain was regarded by many as the heavens weeping for the passing of the trams.
An estimated 250,000 spectators turned out to watch the procession of twenty trams, led by horse-drawn tram No 543 dating from 1894. The parade left Dalmarnock Depot at 6.30pm and proceeded through the city by way of Argyle Street, Hope Street, St Vincent Street and Renfield Street to Coplawhill, where a huge crowd watched the trams enter the Car Works for the last time.
Several of the trams which took part in the commemorative parade can still be seen in 2003 at the Museum of Transport at the Kelvin Hall. Glasgow was the last major city in Britain to withdraw trams from service, although they have made a limited comeback elsewhere and their possible reintroduction in Glasgow remains a topic of debate at the beginning of the 21st century.
Reference: Glasgow Collection Illustrations vol.33, p.19
Reproduced with the permission of Glasgow City Council, Libraries Information and Learning
Keywords:
Coronation trams, crowds, Kelvin Hall, last trams, Museum of Transport, Norwich Union