Transport

Mr Gillott is looking proud and dapper on his Douglas motorcycle. Possibly a 1913 2¾HP Model V.

The latest in cooking technology, brand new electric cookers, but being delivered by an old method which would soon become replaced by other forms of transport.

A shiny new Hupmobile car with chauffeur outside Barrow Town Hall. We know the registration is EO 691 and it was registered to Hughes Brothers Limited of Church Street, Barrow.

The previous photo in this collection shows a Loxhams’ horse drawn delivery van. In this image, time and technology have moved on and now the business has invested in the latest motorised delivery van. Again proudly displayed outside the business.

Two men pose on a Matchless motorcycle at the Electric Tram Depot with trams numbered 24 and 25 in the background. Barrow’s electric tram service ran from 1904 to 1932. The men on the motorbike and the three to the left are probably mechanics who maintained the trams,The man to the right is probably the foreman; note the young lad in the uniform, he has only one leg. Was his injury caused by an industrial accident?

Dressed for any weather and looking very proud on their state-of-the-art motorbike and sidecar. The bike is a 1913 6hp Rex V Twin. Founded in 1901, Rex was one of the first and foremost British motorcycle manufacturers.

The brand new Furness Railway Parcels Van Number 3 on show at St. George's Square, Barrow-in-Furness.

Demonstration of Buoyant Seat Life raft, the type fitted on many ships at the time. Note: none of the passengers are wearing life-jackets; was this to show they trusted the life-raft they were sitting in?

A new motor bus service between Barrow and Ulverston. As well as covering routes where there were no trams or trains available, motor buses would eventually replace trams all together and provide stiff competition to the railways.

The advent of motorised transport and its increasing popularity meant that services such as petrol stations, repair garages and dealerships were required. Here the members of the Furness Motor Sporting Club have ridden from Barrow-in-Furness to Tinkler's Garage in Penrith.

By using this and other images we were able to determine the plane’s registration letters as G-EAVR allowing it to be identified as a De Havilland DH6.It had three owners before being withdrawn from service – Humphreys Film Productions, W.P. Taylor of Southport and H.B. Elwell of Aintree. The man with the beret and cigarette is the pilot. He may be one of those owners, but we just don’t know.

An electric tram decorated to promote the Mayor's Christmas Fund, with a sign encouraging pedestrians to “Throw Your Money Through The Windows”.

Four men stand in front of tram number 45 which has been decorated with a garland on the front and the destination sign set to “Special Car”. This shows a small ceremony being held for the last tram journey made on the Barrow-in-Furness tram system. This last journey took place on April 5th 1932. The driver was Mr. William Parsons.

The 1904 Furness Railway tug Walney had a small saloon forward of the bridge and would be used occasionally for VIPs. She is seen here arriving at Fleetwood overcrowded with football supporters. She is listing, as the passengers have gravitated to the side closest to Fleetwood for the view. She served in Barrow until the 1930s and was finally scrapped in 1952.

The arrival of trams on Biggar Bank on 4th August 1911 must have been a cause for great celebration, as local people would then be able to travel to the seaside more easily. The trams were decorated for the occasion and appear to be full of local dignitaries. Advertisements adorn the tram – ‘Green-Leaf’ margarine was only 10d for 1lb. Local children are enjoying the spectacle including a little girl with a hoop.

A very early motorbus which seems to have attracted some attention judging by the crowd on the pavement. Note the solid tyres; it must have been a bumpy ride. The man in uniform standing at the front is probably the driver. There are other forms of transport evident in this picture. They can’t be seen, but you know they are there by the tram lines in the road and the piles of horse manure all around.

The driver of this home-made single-seater sports car looks very proud of his vehicle. However, we’re not too sure whether his friend is very impressed. What do you think?

We know this car well, it’s a Morris Cowley Bull Nose four seat Tourer, it belonged to the Sankeys and it appears in quite a few of their pictures. They are very confident of their car if they are going to cross this river ford in it, or have they just posed it there for a good photo?

Two motorcyclists zoom past the photographer and he manages to capture the action as they head down Kirkstone pass towards Brotherswater.

Around 1925, the Sankeys purchased their first car which allowed them much greater access to the Lake District. The Morris Cowley car features in many of their images, often in treacherous or remote locations. The output of their work from 1925 became more focused on the Lakes and included their ‘Tour of the Lakeland’ series, sold to the growing numbers of Lake District visitors.

It’s that car again, the Sankey’s Morris Cowley this time attempting a very rough track near Ullswater.

Loxham's Garage, Rawlinson Street, Barrow-in-Furness is holding a British car promotion day. This garage had a very modern architectural design and also six different brands of petrol.