Trafford Park

At the end of the 19th century there were no public transport routes in, and few running close to, Trafford Park. The Estates Company commissioned a gas-powered tramway, intended to carry both people and freight. The first tram ran on 23 July 1897; a few days later, a tramcar derailed and the service was suspended until the following year. The network was connected to the Manchester, South Junction and Altrincham Railway near Cornbrook. At its peak, the estate's railway network covered 26 route miles (42 km), handling 2.5 million tons of cargo in 1940. It fell into decline during the 1960s, exacerbated by the increasing use of road transport, and closed in 1998. Much of the railway's…