On Tuesday, 18th November 2025, the Tramway Museum Society marked 70th years since it was founded by the Museum Committee of the Light Railway Transport League (LRTL).

The LRTL (now the Light Rail Transit Association was formed in 1937 to campaign for the retention and modernisation of Britain’s tramways. Among the activities organised by the LRTL were bespoke tours on the UK’s tramway systems.

Following a tour to Southampton in 1948, LRTL members decided to raise funds towards purchasing Southampton 45 for preservation. The following year, a Museum Committee was created with the aim of creating a working tramway museum run by enthusiasts, which in 1955 became the forerunner of the Tramway Museum Society.

When the LRTL held c Convention at Blackpool in 1955, members visited Marton Depot and discovered Southampton tram No. 45 hidden among Blackpool’s trams. As the Tramway Museum Society was well on the way to becoming established, a ceremony was held where an LRTL representative drove tram No. 45 out of the depot, handed the controller key to a representative from the embryonic TMS, who drove it back in again.

Later in 1955, on 18th November, the first meeting of the TMS was held at the Bakers’ Institute in Swan Street, Manchester. Sixteen people and two press representatives attended the meeting, where a constitution was adopted to establish and maintain a working tramway museum.

At the inaugural meeting of the Tramway Museum Society in 1955, it was reported that other than the acquisition of Southampton No. 45, which was paid for by donations, subsequent acquisitions had been financed mostly by loans from individual members of the LRTL Museum Committee.

Besides Southampton No. 45, other vehicles owned by the society include Newcastle bogie car No. 102, Cardiff water car No. 131, Douglas Head Marine Drive open-top car No. 1, Leeds No. 446 totally-enclosed ex-Hull car, Liverpool single deck trailer car No. 429, the remains of Liverpool Bellamy car No. 558, a Peckham Cantilever truck, a Brill 21E swing-link truck, towing lorry EN4501 and two road trailers.

In 1959, the site for a working tramway museum was found at Crich in Derbyshire.

The oldest tram in the museum is thought to be a 150-year-old tram from Oporto in Portugal.

RailAdvent Plus Gold members currently enjoy a 15% discount on the entrance price to the museum.