Electric Tramway Systems in South West Region[1]
| Years Operating | Route Miles | Max no. of Cars | |
| Bath Co. | 1904-1939 | 14.8 | 40 |
| Bristol Co. | 1895-1941 | 31.1 | 238 |
| Camborne & Redruth Co. | 1902-1927 | 3.4 | 8 |
| Devonport & District Co. | 1901-1915[2] | 9.2 | 33 |
| Exeter Corporation | 1904-1931 | 5.0 | 37 |
| Plymouth, Stonehouse & Devonport Co. | 1901-1922[3] | 2.9 | 15 |
| Plymouth Corporation | 1899-1945 | 17.6 | 171 |
| Taunton Co. | 1901-1921 | 1.7 | 12 |
| Torquay Co. | 1907-1934 | 9.2 | 42 |
| Weston-Super-Mare Co. | 1902-1937 | 2.9 | 18 |
Ten electric tramway systems were opened between 1895 and 1917. Only the Exeter and Plymouth systems were owned and operated by local authorities. Two companies—Camborne & Redruth and Weston-super-Mare combined public electricity with the tramway operation.
The Bristol and Bath companies built generating stations, a loss of potential load for the municipal electricity systems. Bristol Tramways’ power station at Counterslip was substantial and even as late as 1927/28 was generating more power (15.9 m kWh) than the public supply system of Torquay (14.6 m kWh).[4] The new Princes Rock power station of Plymouth Corporation, opened in 1899, was one of the earliest to combine generating for lighting and traction.[5] The Exeter tramway system accounted for 42 percent of the electricity sales in 1908-9. Tramway supply in 1925-26 as a proportion of total electricity sales varied from 42 percent in Plymouth to 21.5 percent in Exeter, 16.4 percent in Torquay and 10.2 percent in Weston-super-Mare.
[1] Compiled from Keith Turner, Directory of British Tramways, Vol 1 (Stroud: Tempus Publishing, 2007).
[2] Acquired by the Plymouth Corporation following the amalgamation of local authorities In the Plymouth area 1914.
[3] As in note 2 above.
[4] Electricity Commissioners, Generation of Electricity in Great Britain. Year ending 31st March 1928. (London: HMSO, 1928)
[5] Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Proceedings, 1899, p.449.
