·有軌電車行駛在老城西南城角

光緒二十八年(1902),世昌洋行獲得了在天津設立電車電燈公司的專利權(quán)。但是，世昌洋行本身沒有投資能力，便將專利轉(zhuǎn)讓給比國通用銀行財團。比利時人梅雅德與德璀琳，首先在“都統(tǒng)衙門”備案。
“都統(tǒng)衙門”撤銷后，袁世凱要重新談判，否則不允許施工。光緒三十年三月十一日(1904年4月26日),袁世凱委派天津知府凌福彭、天津海關道唐紹儀、候補道蔡紹基、天津道王仁寶等，與比利時駐津領事嘎得斯、比國工程師沙特、世昌洋行經(jīng)理海禮，進行談判，重新簽訂了《天津電車電燈公司合同》。
合同共有27個條款，是一份典型的掠奪殖民地的契約。合同規(guī)定，該公司經(jīng)營范圍是以鼓樓為中心，其半徑線不得超過6公里區(qū)域，經(jīng)營期限為50年。1927年11月15日，又經(jīng)直隸督辦褚玉璞批準，補簽合同6款，以及直隸省政府與天津比商電車電燈公司解決辦法10條。
比商通用銀行財團獲得承辦專利后，立即著手籌備，建立組織。并撥出25萬英鎊(折合當時中國銀元250萬),電車廠址設在南開三馬路(西南角南開中學旁)。
該公司董事由6人組成，外國董事和華人董事各3人。洋人董事由公司股東選出，華人董事則由直隸總督委派。天津海關稅務司德璀琳出任董事長。
光緒三十一年(1905),開始鋪設電車軌道工程； 轉(zhuǎn)年春，建成了環(huán)天津老城的第一條電車路線； 并于正月二十三日，舉行環(huán)城有軌電車(俗稱白牌電車)通車典禮。這是全國最早的有軌電車。
到光緒三十四年(1908),又陸續(xù)開辟紅牌、藍牌、黃牌、綠牌、花牌電車，各路均由北大關起，分別以老龍頭車站、海關為終點。各路電車都以顏色來區(qū)分： 白牌電車，由北大關起，沿北馬路-西馬路-南馬路-東馬路-北大關環(huán)行。黃牌電車，由北大關起，沿東馬路-和平路-海關(赤峰道與大沽路交口)。藍牌電車，由北大關起，沿東馬路-和平路-勸業(yè)場東行-濱江道-解放路北行-經(jīng)解放橋-火車站。紅牌電車，由北大關起，經(jīng)東北角-沿河馬路-過金湯橋-沿建國道-火車站。在全市形成了電車網(wǎng)路，成為當時天津市的主要交通工具。
電車票價以銅元為單位，每日可收七八十萬枚，占全市流通銅元的50%～60%,因此銀元和銅元的兌換比率被電車公司操縱。由于電車的經(jīng)營狀況良好，所以，在1912年左右，投資全部收回。
天津淪陷時期，1943年8月，日軍正式接收電車電燈公司，改名為“軍管理天津電車電燈公司” 。1944年4月，將該公司的電燈部分劃歸“華北電業(yè)公司天津支店” ; 電車部分由滿鐵株式會社接管。同年12月，將其與日本人經(jīng)營的天津交通株式會社合并，稱為天津交通公司。
抗日戰(zhàn)爭勝利后，天津電車被中國政府收回，改稱天津市政府公用局電車臨時管理處。期間，比商曾以和清政府所定50年期限未到為由，要求收回電車電燈廠繼續(xù)經(jīng)營。但是，由于電車職工發(fā)動了 “抗交運動” ,才未得逞。1947年，又增鋪了紫牌單線電車，通往北站。截至1948年底，天津共有有軌電車線路8條，線路長度25.31公里，日均乘客14.23萬人次。
天津解放后，人民政府接管了電車，改名天津市人民政府公用局電車管理處，同年9月17日，改名為天津市電車公司。截至1957年，有運營車輛165輛，線路5條，總長36公里，客運量1.4萬多人次。20世紀60年代，逐步拆毀。
In 1902 (the 28th year of Emperor Guangxu),ShichangBank obtained the exclusive right to set up electric lightand electric car company in Tianjin. However,ShichangBank itself could not invest in that large sum of money.Therefore,it transferred its exclusive right to BelgiumGeneral Bank Consortium,and first registered in DutongYamen.
In August 15,1902 (the 28th year of EmperorGuangxu),Dutong Yamen was cancelled and YuanShikai asked to renegotiate with Belgium General BankConsortium for the matter.In April 26,1904 (the 30thyear of Emperor Guangxu),Yuan Shikai entrusted LingFupeng and other officials Tang Shaoyi,Cai Shaoji andWang Renbao to renegotiate electric light and car matterswith Belgium consulate in Tianjin Gedesi,Belgiumengineer Shate and manager of Shichang Bank Haili.After negotiation they signed the Contract for TianjinElectric Car and Electric Light Company.
There were 27 clauses in the contract. It was atypical agreement plundering colonies. The contract saidthat the company dealt with services in areas centeredaround Gulou with radius no more than six kilometersand the operation term was fifty years. In November15,1927,approved by Zhili inspector Chu Yupu,sixmore clauses and ten more articles regarding settlementbetween Zhili government and the company were added.
After obtaining the exclusive right,BelgiumGeneral Bank Consortium immediately assigned 250thousands pounds (amounting to 2.5 million Chinesesilver yuan) to set up a trolleybus company that waslocated in San Road in Nankai District (beside NankaiMiddle School in the south- west of the district).
The board of the company consisted of six people,three foreign and three Chinese members. The threeforeign board members were elected by share holders ofthe company and the three Chinese board members wereappointed by the chief governor of Zhili. Detring Cuilin,manager of taxcotion department of Tianjin customwas appointed the director of the company. Both thecompany and its car ports were located in San Road inNankai District.
In 1905 (the 31st year of Emperor Guangxu),railroads for th trolleybus were started to put up. In thespring of 1906 (the 32nd year of Emperor Guangxu),the first railroad for the trolleybus around Tianjin oldcity was finished. Open-to-traffic ceremony was heldin January 23. Ta Kung Pao newspaper reported theceremony. This was the earliest railroad tolleybus(alsocalled white trolleybus) at that time in the whole countryof China.
By 1908 (the 34th year of Emperor Guangxu),therehad been red,blue,yellow,green and pied trolleybuses.All trolleybuses started from Beidaguan and ended atLaolongtou Station or Custom. Colors of trolleybusesrepresented different lines. White trolleybus wentfrom Beidaguan,passing through East Road,HepingRoad and Quanye Bazaar,and then it went eastwardto Beijiang Road and Jiefang Road,and then passedthrough Jiefang Bridge,and finally reached the railwaystation. Red trolleybus also started from Beidaguan,passing through Northeast Corner,Yanhe Road,JintangBridge,Jianguo Road and finally reached the railwaystation. A trolleybus network was formed in the city.Therefore,trolleybus became the major transportationtool for Tianjn people.

·北門外、北大關一帶的有軌電車

People used cooper coins to buy tickets fortrolleybuses. Trolleybus company could receive 700-800thousands copper coins every day,50-60% of currentcopper coins in Tianjin. Therefore,the exchange ratiobetween copper coins and silver coins were manipulatedby the trolleybus company. Because trolleybus companyran very well,all investment returned by around 1912.
During the period when Tianjin was occupied bythe Japanese,the Japanese army took over the ElectricCar and Light Company in August 1943. They renamedit as Army-Administered Tianjin Electric Car and LightCompany. In April 1944,business of electric light wastransferred to Tianjin branch of North China ElectricityCompany and business of trolleybus was taken over bythe Japanese. In December 1944,Mantie Company Ltdwas combined with Tianjin Transportation CompanyLtd. and was then called Tianjin TransportationCompany.
After the victory of the anti-Japanese war,Tianjintrolleybus business was taken back by the governmentand was administered by Trolleybus TemporaryManagement Section of Tianjin Public Affairs Bureau.In this period,the Belgium tradesmen had asked to takeback the trolleybus and electronic light company fortheir operation because it had not reached the term offifty years the Qing government had been granting themfor exclusive operation rights. However,they failedbecause of the protest movement of trolleybus workers.In 1947,a single-way trolleybus line was completed. Itsrepresenting color was purple and it reached the NorthStation. By the end of 1948,there had been altogethereight lines of railroad trolleybus in Tianjin,coveringa mileage of 25.31 kilometers,transporting 142.3thousands of passengers each day.
After Tianjin was liberated,the people`s governmenttook over the management of trolleybus lines underTrolley Car Management Section of Tianjin PublicAffairs Bureau. In September 17 in the same year,it wasrenamed as Tianjin Trolleybuses Company. By 1957,it had 165 operating trolleybus and 5 lines,coveringa mileage of 36 kilometers and transporting 14.311thousands of passengers each day. In 1960s trolleybusgradually fell into disuse and railroads were removedaccordingly.

·白牌電車圍城繞(油畫 作者 楊明)