The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
Tower wagon
A Monikie reader writes: “The photograph in Wednesday’s column of the tram at Kingsway Circus (as it was sometimes known) reminds me of the times that my father, a senior inspector with Dundee Corporation Transport, was called to do duty there.
“This tram stop had twin tracks to allow for city-bound trams to cross with those heading for the Downfield terminus on Strathmartine Road.
“Passengers had to cross the Kingsway to gain access to this stop, something that would be very dangerous indeed to do nowadays. The trams sometimes had a few minutes to wait until the ‘opposing’ tram arrived from the other direction.
“Every so often there was a major task to be overseen. Boilers for ships being built at the Caledon shipbuilding yard at Dundee docks were made in Glasgow and transported by low-loader lorry. When they reached this circle, the overhead supply wires for the tramway were just too low for the boiler to pass under.
It was arranged for a ‘tower wagon’ (see photograph below) to be present and placed under the wires to raise them just high enough for the boiler to safely pass under. Needless to say, this could cause quite a delay.
“I would not think that this exercise was carried out very often but I suppose some ships would have had more than one boiler.
“Also near this site can still be seen a particularly wide border to the north side of the Kingsway. This was originally a siding used by trams awaiting the egress of crowds from Dundee Ice Rink.”