With the twentieth century arrived the first electric tramcars in London. Thirty years later the first trolley buses arrived - along with a fleet of new trams that were the most modern of their day. This era was one of rapid change, rich in achievement adn personalities. Among the more colourful of the undertakings involved was London United, which introduced the first public service of electric tramcars in 1901 adn became one of the predecessors of the present London Transport.This is a study of this eventful period, relating the development of the tramway and trolleybus system to the changing social background. It contains a wealth of hitherto unpublished material, both factual and anecdotal, taken from contemporary newspaper and other accounts, and a remarkable collection of illustrations - 48 pages in all. It should be of interest not only to the transport enthusiast but also to the general reader interested in social history.This book was first published in 1971.

1. Enter Robinson 2. The opening shots 3. Battle grounds 4. Electrics at last 5. Junkets - and hard bargains 6. New ground - and 'underground' 7. Mainly Robinson 8. Hampton Court and Uxbridge 9. Into Surrey 10. Rounding off 11. Chill winds - and new brooms 12. A 'Tramway King' pass 13. LUT, MET and BET 14. Wartime readjustment 15. Spencer makes his mark 16. Mild revival 17. Modernization 18. Finale