X1-class Melbourne tram

Last updated

X1-class
Manufacturer Melbourne & Metropolitan Tramways Board
Constructed1926–1928
Number built10
Fleet numbers459–468
Capacity32
Specifications
Car length9.45 m (31 ft 0 in)
Width2.56 m (8 ft 5 in)
Height3.05 m (10 ft 0 in)
Wheel diameter673 mm (26.5 in)
Wheelbase 3.05 m (10 ft 0 in)
Weight10.4 t (23,000 lb)
Current collector(s) Trolley pole
Bogies JG Brill Company 21E
Track gauge 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+12 in)

The X1-class was a class of ten trams built by the Melbourne & Metropolitan Tramways Board. Developed from the X-class, they differed in having four doors. They were initially allocated to Glenhuntly and Hawthorn depots. Six were transferred to the isolated Footscray network In June 1928 with the other four following in June 1929. [1] [2]

Originally they were overhauled at Footscray depot, but from 1949 they were transferred by road to Preston Workshops. Between 1954 and 1957 they operated all night services on the main system. [2] [3]

Preservation

Four have been preserved:

The two examples at the Walhalla Goldfields Railway are to be rebuilt and converted to narrow-gauge (760 mm (2 ft 5+1516 in)). 461 will form the basis for a new railmotor for tourist traffic, with 463 (which is in worse condition) potentially to be rebuilt as a trailer carriage. [4]

Related Research Articles

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">M-class Melbourne tram</span>

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 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.

The Q-class was a class of 24 trams built by the Melbourne & Metropolitan Tramways Board (MMTB). They were built as part of the MMTB's plan to quickly increase the size of its fleet at its Holden Street Workshops. Twenty were rebuilt for use on all night services and in this role they travelled across the network.

The S-class was a class of 18 trams built by Duncan & Fraser, Adelaide for the Melbourne, Brunswick & Coburg Tramway Trust (MBCTT). The first 12 entered service numbered 1-12. All passed to the Melbourne & Metropolitan Tramways Board (MMTB) on 2 February 1920 when it took over the MBCTT becoming the S-class and renumbered 154-165. The other six were delivered directly to the MMTB as 166-171.

The T-class was a class of six trams built by Duncan & Fraser, Adelaide for the Melbourne, Brunswick & Coburg Tramway Trust (MBCTT) as numbers 13-18. All passed to the Melbourne & Metropolitan Tramways Board on 2 February 1920 when it took over the MBCTT. They were then designated T-class and renumbered 177-182.

The X-class was a class of two Birney trams imported from United States manufacturers JG Brill Company and St Louis Car Company by the Melbourne & Metropolitan Tramways Board. In June 1924 both entered service from Hawthorn depot on the Power Street to Hawthorn Bridge service. In 1928 both were transferred to Glenhuntly depot to operate the Point Ormond route.

The X2-class was a class of six trams built by the Melbourne & Metropolitan Tramways Board. Developed from the X1-class, they differed in having larger wheels, angled windshields and only two doors.

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The Melbourne, Brunswick & Coburg Tramway Trust was a tram operator in Melbourne, Australia

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.

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References

  1. "60 Years of the M&MTB" Trolley Wire issue 186 February 1980 page 14
  2. 1 2 Cross, Norman; Budd, Dale; Wilson, Randall (1993). Destination City Melbourne's Electric Trams (5 ed.). Sydney: Transit Publishing Australia. pp. 28, 115. ISBN   0-909459-18-5.
  3. X1 Class Vicsig
  4. 1 2 3 A rail-motor for Walhalla Archived 13 March 2018 at the Wayback Machine Walhalla Goldfields Railway April 2016
  5. "Auckland Dockline Tram - the Fleet | Auckland Trams & Streetcars". Archived from the original on 25 July 2018. Retrieved 25 July 2018.
  6. M&MTB X1 No 467 Tramway Museum Society of Victoria