B-class Melbourne tram (first)

Last updated

B-class
ManufacturerJames Moore & Sons
Assembly South Melbourne
Constructed1917/18
Number built12
Fleet numbers21-24, 84-91
Capacity36
Specifications
Car length9.43 m (30 ft 11 in)
Height3.25 m (10 ft 8 in)
Wheel diameter838 mm (33.0 in)
Wheelbase 1.98 m (6 ft 6 in)
Current collector(s) Trolley pole
Bogies JG Brill Company 21E
Track gauge 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+12 in)

The B-class was a class of 12 trams built by James & Moore & Sons for the Prahran & Malvern Tramways Trust (PMTT). Numbered 21-24 and 84-91, the former four taking numbers vacated when O class trams were sold to the Hawthorn Tramways Trust in 1916. [1] [2]

All passed to the Melbourne & Metropolitan Tramways Board on 2 February 1920 when it took over the PMTT becoming the B-class retaining their running numbers. Four were sold for further use in 1931 on the Bendigo network. [1] [3]

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E-class Melbourne tram (first)

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The F-class was a class of two trams built by Duncan & Fraser, Adelaide for the Prahran & Malvern Tramways Trust (PMTT). Both passed to the Melbourne & Metropolitan Tramways Board on 2 February 1920 when it took over the PMTT becoming the F-class retaining their running numbers. They were built as summer cars with five doors on each side, being rebuilt in 1923 with some of the doors filled in and longitudinal seating.

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J-class Melbourne tram

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The K-class was a class of nine trams built by James Moore & Sons for the Prahran & Malvern Tramways Trust (PMTT). All passed to the Melbourne & Metropolitan Tramways Board on 2 February 1920 when it took over the PMTT becoming the K-class retaining their running numbers.

M-class Melbourne tram

The M-class was a class of 17 trams built by Duncan & Fraser, Adelaide for the Hawthorn Tramways Trust (HTT) as numbers 1 to 10, and 33 to 39. All passed to the Melbourne & Metropolitan Tramways Board on 2 February 1920 when it took over the Municipal Tramway Trusts, becoming the M-class and being renumbered 107 to 116, and 183 to 189.

The N-class was a class of 10 trams built by Duncan & Fraser, Adelaide for the Hawthorn Tramways Trust (HTT) as numbers 11 to 20, all passed to the Melbourne & Metropolitan Tramways Board (M&MTB) on 2 February 1920 when it took over the HTT, becoming the N-class and being renumbered 117 to 126.

The O-class Melbourne tram were a group of four trams built in 1912 by Duncan & Fraser (Adelaide) for the Prahran & Malvern Tramways Trust (P&MTT) upon the recommendation of W. G. T. Goodman, Chief Engineer and General manager of the Adelaide tramways. They were allocated P&MTT fleet numbers 21 to 24. At the time of their introduction, they were by far the largest street-vehicles in Melbourne, and earned the nicknames Zeppelins and Dreadnoughts. Proving to be less than satisfactory in service, they were later sold to the Hawthorn Tramways Trust (HTT) in August 1916 as "surplus to requirements", however P&MTT soon ordered replacement tramcars. Coincidentally they retained their fleet numbers whilst at Hawthorn.

P-class Melbourne tram

The P-class was a class of eight trams built by Duncan & Fraser, Adelaide for the Hawthorn Tramway Trust (HTT) as numbers 25 to 32. All passed to the Melbourne & Metropolitan Tramways Board on 2 February 1920 when it took over the HTT becoming the P-class and being renumbered 131 to 138.

The Adelaide D type tram was a class of trams operated by the Municipal Tramways Trust on the Adelaide tram network from 1910 until 1958.

The Melbourne tram network began in 1884 with the construction of the Fairfield Horse Tramway. However, the purpose of the line was to increase land prices in the area, and it soon closed during the depression in 1890. The first genuine attempt to construct a tramway network was the construction of the Richmond cable tram line by the Melbourne Tramway & Omnibus Company in 1885. Over the next few years, 16 more cable tram lines were constructed, as well as numerous other horse tramways. The depression of the early 1890s slowed further expansion of the cable network. The first electric tram line was the Box Hill and Doncaster tramway which opened in 1889. This was a pioneering line in what was then the countryside and thus didn't receive much patronage. It closed in 1896. The next attempt at an electric tramway was Victorian Railways' St Kilda to Brighton line, which opened in 1906. Later that year, the North Melbourne Electric Tramway & Lighting Company opened lines to Essendon and Maribyrnong. Many local councils formed their own tramway trusts and built tramways within their own constituency. The most successful of these was the Prahran & Malvern Tramways Trust.

References

  1. 1 2 Cross, Norman; Budd, Dale; Wilson, Randall (1993). Destination City Melbourne's Electric Trams (5 ed.). Sydney: Transit Publishing Australia. p. 50. ISBN   0 909459 18 5.
  2. PMTT tramcar fleet Melbourne Tram Museum
  3. B Class Vicsig