DARLINGTON pioneered the tram, with the Darlington Street Railroad Company opening in 1862 when it was only the third street tram system in the country - only Birkenhead and Bayswater already had them. However, a Darlington horsedrawn tram ran over a prize greyhound in Northgate, breaking its front legs. As the company couldn't afford the compensation, it went bust.

In 1880, the Stockton & Darlington Steam Tramways Company began operating. Despite its name, its vehicles were also horsedrawn. In Darlington, it had two routes: North Road to Victoria Road and the Market Place to Cockerton.

In 1890, it joined the Teesside network in being taken over by the Imperial Tramways Company, but, just like on Teesside, it didn't prosper.

In 1902, Darlington council bought the network and converted it to electricity, generated by the council's own power station on Haughton Road. The new electric tram system was opened on June 1, 1904, by the mayoress, Mrs Arthur Henderson - whose husband is a truly legendary Labour figure and the only man with a Darlington connection to win a Nobel Peace Prize.

However, it was shortlived. The last tram ran on April 10, 1926, as trolleybuses were introduced. They drew power from the wires, but didn't rely on tracks.

The last of the trolleybuses ran on July 31, 1957, as petrol buses took over. Has anyone got any trolleybus memories or tram-related stories or information?