Transport and Industry: Brinore Tram Road

Limestone and coal were in great demand but were 8 and 13 miles south respectively from the canal. The answer was to build a horse and gravity operated railway to allow an efficient connection that was completed in 1815. Trains of four trucks called trams, each carrying one and a half to two tonnes, were drawn by a pair of horses attended by two hauliers. The trams ran on cast iron L shaped rails held apart by tie bars buried in gravel ballast to create an even surface for the horses. Passing places called turnouts were established every half mile. Gravity allowed some freewheeling down the long slope approaching the canal. Being a toll system trams were weighed and an appropriate charge made dependant on the material being carried. The coming of the railway in 1863 led to the end of the line.