Sydney C-Class Tram
| C-class | |
|---|---|
|
| |
| Manufacturer |
Bignall & Morrison Hudson Brothers Clyde Engineering |
| Constructed | 1896-1900 |
| Fleet numbers | 4-17, 20-97, 289-291 |
| Capacity | 20-26 (Seated) |
| Specifications | |
| Train length | 22 ft 0 in (6.71 m) to 26 ft 0 in (7.92 m) |
| Width | 7 ft 3.5 in (2.22 m) |
| Height | 12 ft 1.5 in (3.70 m) |
| Maximum speed | 60 km/h |
| Weight | 8.41 long tons (8.5 t) |
| Power output | 4 x 36 hp (later 50) |
| Electric system(s) | 600 V DC catenary |
| Current collection method | Trolley pole |
| Track gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) |
The C-class trams were a class of single bogie end loading trams operated on the Sydney tram network.
History
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Between 1896 and 1900, 97 C-class trams were built by three Sydney firms; Bignall & Morrison, Hudson Brothers and Clyde Engineering with bogies supplied by the Peckham Motor Truck & Wheel Co, Kingston, New York. There were four different body types with variations in width, length, number of windows, and seating capacity (20-26). Three (289-291) were built as trailer cars, later being fitted with power equipment.[1]
A typical tram features a single saloon passenger area comprising two longitudinal timber benches facing inwards for 22 seated passengers with standing room in the centre aisle. An interior of varnished timberwork with a clerestory roof with sidelights of coloured glass. Sliding doors at each end lead to outside platforms where the driver controlled the tram. The driver protection was an overhanging canopy where passengers entered and left the car.
C-class trams towed steam and cable trailers, and many ran coupled together. There were also examples of C and D classes being coupled. Some of these C/C and C/D combinations became permanent, with inner end driving controls being removed. They mainly operated from Ridge Street Tram Depot and to a lesser extent from Rushcutters Bay, Ultimo and Waverley.[1]
In 1905, three (14-16) were sold to Ballarat. In 1907, four (23, 25, 38 and 39) were sold to the Victorian Railways as replacements for trams destroyed at Elwood depot. Mass withdrawals began in 1917 with all out of service by 1926. One (37) saw service in Byron Bay as a locomotive hauled on the jetty from 1924 until 1963.[1]
Numbers
- Bignall & Morrison: (1896/97) 4-8, 289-291
- Hudson Brothers: (1898) 9-17, 29, 33, 59 (1899) 19, 22-28, 30-32, 34-51, 53-58, 60-66, 76, 77 (1900) 18, 20, 21, 52, 67-75
- Clyde Engineering: (1899) 78-91, 94-97 (1900) 92, 93
Preservation
Seven have been preserved:
- 11 by the Powerhouse Museum restored in 1961 to original livery at Randwick Tramway Workshops[2]
- 29 and 290 in operational condition at the Sydney Tramway Museum[3]
- 12, 33 and 37 under restoration at the Sydney Tramway Museum[3]
- 95, at the Illawarra Light Railway Museum, Albion Park as a carriage[4]
References
- 1 2 3 MacCowan, Ian (1990). The Tramways of New South Wales. Oakleigh: Ian MacCowan. p. 115. ISBN 0 949600 25 3.
- ↑ "No. 11 electric C-class tram, 1898". Powerhouse Museum.
- 1 2 "Sydney Tramway Museum Fleet Register" (PDF). Sydney Tramway Museum. Retrieved 4 September 2013.
- ↑ "Car 95 Year Built: 1899". Illawarra Light Railway Museum Society.
Further reading
- Chinn, N (1975). New South Wales Tramcar Handbook 1861-1961. Vol. 1. South Pacific Electric Railway Cooperative Society. ISBN 9780959865967.
- McCarthy, Ken (1976). New South Wales Tramcar Handbook 1861-1961. Vol. 2. South Pacific Electric Railway Cooperative Society. ISBN 9780959865974.
External links
Media related to Sydney C-Class Tram at Wikimedia Commons