Dudley, Sedgley & Wolverhampton
Tramways Co. Ltd.

Horse Trams ran every hour and a quarter, starting with a workmen's car from Wolverhampton at 6 am. Travel times from Wolverhampton were 35 minutes to Sedgley, 45 minutes to the depot, 50 minutes to Gornal and 60 minutes through to Dudley.

The Company had wanted to operate by steam because Sedgley being situated on a hill was difficult for horses to negoiate. Permission was granted in 1884 for the horses to be replaced by steam traction. This change took place on 16th January 1886 and from that date a 40 minute through service was operated.

The steam trams were manufactured by Kitson & Company and they weighed 82 tons and were built with a maximum width of 5 ft 6 in, as were the passenger trailers.

The trailer cars were double-deck canopy-covered vehicles built by Starbuck & Company. The paintwork was maroon, picked out in gold, with yellow window frames. The staircases were steep and exposed to the elements. In the early 1890s, windows were fitted to the upper decks.

Later engines were fitted with steam brakes to slow the engine when speeds exceeded eight miles per hour. In bad weather on the uphill stretch to Sedgley drivers often had to resort to walking in front of the engine sanding the track to get enough traction to climb the hill.

The original Company went into liquidation in early 1888 and was purchased by Messrs. Oppert and Fell, who subsequently resold it to the newly formed Midland Tramways Co. Ltd. in late 1889.

The new operators also reduced the frequency of the service to hourly. This company was placed in receivership in 1893 and reconstituted as the Dudley and Wolverhampton Tramways Co. Ltd. later in that year.

By the early summer of 1899, the Dudley and Wolverhampton Company, having gone into voluntary liquidation, had been totally acquired by the British Electric Traction Co. Ltd.