Trams in Adelaide

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Trams in Adelaide are represented by a single tram line connecting the central business district of Adelaide to the seaside suburb of Glenelg, and two classes of electric trams built in 1929 and 2006. Until 1958 this line was part of a network spanning most of suburban Adelaide, with origins dating back to 1878. Adelaide operated with horse trams from 1878 to 1914, electric trams from 1909 to 1958 and has primarily relied on buses for public transport since. Electric trams and trolleybuses were Adelaide's main public transport throughout the life of the electric tram network^[1] and are enjoying a resurgence with the expansion of the remaining line and the first new tram purchases for over 50 years.

Early use of trams was for recreation rather than solely daily travel, with entire families and tourists being transported. Until the 1950s trams were used for family outings so much that the Municipal Tramways Trust (MTT) constructed Kensington Gardens and extended the Kensington line to attract customers.^[2] By 1945, with an Adelaide population of 350,000, the MTT was collecting fares for 95 million trips annually, representing 295 trips per head of population.^[3]

After the great depression maintenance of the tramway system and the purchase of new trams suffered. Competition by private buses, the MTT's own bus fleet and the growth of private car ownership all took patrons from the tram network. By the 1950s, the tram network was losing money and being replaced by an electric and petrol bus fleet.^[4] Adelaide's tram history is preserved by a volunteer run museum and tramway at St Kilda, and the continuing use of 1929 H Class trams on the remaining Glenelg tram line.

Contents 1 Horse trams 1.1 Horse tram network 2 Electric trams 2.1 Municipal tramways trust 2.2 Electric tram types 2.3 Electric tram network 3 Trolleybuses 3.1 Trolleybus types 4 Decline of the network 4.1 Remaining line 5 Adelaide trams in museums 6 Timeline 7 Notes 8 References 9 External link

[edit] Horse trams

In early 1855, less than 20 years after the colony was founded, South Australia's first horse tram began operating between Goolwa and Port Elliot on the Fleurieu Peninsula.^[5] Just over 20 years later Adelaide became the first city in Australia to introduce horse trams and eventually the last to discard them for more modern public transport.^[6] Although street level trains were considered, and two trials run, the state of Adelaide's streets, with mud in winter and dust in summer, lead to the decision that they would not be reliable.^[7] With a growing population and spreading boundaries, the Government of South Australia passed an 1876 act authorising construction of Adelaide's first horse tram network.^[5] The track, scheduled for completion within two years, was to be 10 miles, 65 chains (17.4 km) in total length with lines from Adelaide's city-centre to the suburbs of Kensington and North Adelaide.^[8] It was completed in May 1878,^[9] and services began in June from Adelaide to Kensington Park, with trams imported from John Stephenson Co. of New York^[10]

Until purchased by the government, all horse tram operations were by private companies with the only government involvement the passing of legislation enabling line construction. On the opening day, the newly founded Adelaide and Suburban Tramway Co. (A&ST) began with six trams, expanding to 90 trams and 650 horses by 1907 with its own tram manufacturing facility at Kensington.^[11][12] A Private act, passed in September 1881, allowed the construction of more private horse tramways and additional acts were passed authorising more line construction and services by more companies.^[6]

Most of the companies operated double decker trams, although some were single level cabs with many built by John Stephenson Co. of New York U.S.A., Duncan and Fraser of Adelaide, and from 1897 by the A&ST at Kensington.^[11]

[edit] Horse tram network

Various companies expanded the network from its initial line to Kensington, with eleven companies operating within six years, three more having already failed before constructing tracks.^[13] The Adelaide to North Adelaide line opened in December 1878, a separate one from Port Adelaide to Albert Park in 1879, Adelaide to Mitcham and Hindmarsh in 1881, Walkerville 1882, Burnside, Prospect, Nailsworth and Enfield in 1883, and Maylands in 1892.^[14] Various streets were widened especially for the tram lines including Brougham place, North Adelaide by 10 feet and Prospect road to a total width of 60 feet.^[15][16]

All but one line was built in 4 foot 8½ inch (1.435 m) standard gauge with the exception from Port Adelaide to Albert Park. This line was built in 5 foot 3 inch (1.6 m) broad gauge to accommodate steam engines, also requiring some of the line to be raised on embankments to avoid swampy ground and flooding.^[17] There were 74 miles (119 km) of tramlines with 1062 horses and 162 cars by 1901^[18] and isolated lines from Port Adelaide to Albert Park and Glenelg to Brighton, as well as a network joining many suburbs to Adelaide's CBD by 1907. The network had termini in Henley Beach, Hindmarsh, Prospect, Nailsworth, Paradise, Magill, Burnside, Glen Osmond, Mitcham, Clarence Park, Hyde Park and Walkerville.^[19]

[edit] Electric trams

Adelaide's first experiment with electric powered trams was a demonstration run on the Adelaide and Hindmarsh Tramway companies line. A tram fitted with "Julien's Patent Electric Traction" powered by batteries was trialled in 1889 to Henley Beach. The trial was unsuccessful due to the batteries poor capacity, and the deaths of the promoters in a level crossing accident shortly after precluded further experiments.^[20] From 1900 various schemes had been proposed, and The Snow bill passed, to enable electrifying and uniting the tramway system with little result. Six years later a March 28, 1906 newspaper notice announced that the government had purchased all of the city tramways for £280,000.^[18] Bill No.913, passed December 22, 1906, created the Municipal Tramways Trust (MTT) with the authority to build new and purchase existing tramways^[21]

Not all tramway companies were purchased, with the Glenelg to Marino company continuing to operate until its failure in 1914.^[22] The government purchased the properties, plant and equipment of existing tramways but did not purchase the companies themselves.^[21] At the time the equipment of the horse tram companies included 162 trams, 22 other vehicles and 1056 horses. By 1909 at the launch of Adelaide's electric tram services, there remained 163 horse trams and 650 horses under the control of the MTT^[23] Due to the time required to electrify the network the MTT continued to run horse trams, finally ceasing the last service in 1914. The cost of purchasing the tramways was funded by treasury bills^[21] and the act capped total construction costs at £12,000 per mile of track.^[24] £457,000 was let in contracts to March 1908, for construction of the tramways, trams, strengthening the Adelaide bridge over the River Torrens and associated works.^[25] The official turning of the sod occurred in May 1908 with tracks originally laid on Jarrah sleepers.^[26]

On Monday November 30, 1908 there were two trial runs, from the MTT's depot on Hackney Road to the nearby Adelaide Botanic Garden and back, with the evening trial carrying the Premier and Governor.^[26] The official opening ceremony on March 9, 1909 had Electric Tram number 1 driven by Mrs. Price, wife of Premier Thomas Price. Mrs Price opened the tramway and drove the tram from the Hackney Depot to Kensington and back, assisted by the MTT's chief engineer.^[27]

[edit] Municipal tramways trust

Main article: Municipal Tramways Trust

The MTT was created with as a tax exempt body with 8 members, mostly by appointed local councils but with some government appointees.^[28] They established a 9 acre (3.6 ha) tram depot site near the corner of Hackney Road and North Terrace with a depot building, 24 incoming tracks and a large administration office^[29] William George Toop Goodman was appointed as its first engineer,^[30] was knighted in 1932 and retired as general manager in 1950.

After the 1958 closure of the tram network , except for the Glenelg line, the MTT continued operating most of the local bus routes in the inner metropolitan area. The services of the MTT became the Bus and Tram division of the State Transport Authority in 1975, with the MTT ceasing to exist.^[23]

[edit] Electric tram types

From 1908 to 1909, 100 electric trams were manufactured by Duncan and Fraser of Adelaide^[31] at a cost of approximately £100 each.^[32] Up to the last new tram purchase in 1953, the MTT commissioned over 300 electric trams, some of which have been kept in service for almost 80 years.

Electric tram types used in Adelaide^{[23][32][33][34]}

Designation	Known as	Tram numbers	First used	Last used	Seating/crush load[35]
Type A	California combination	1-30,61-100	1909	1952	40/101
Type B	Open crossbench (toastrack)	31-60	1909	1930s	50/102
Type E	Bogie open combination	101-120	1910	1936	54/152
Type D	Bogie closed combination	121-170, 191-194	1911	1954	50[36]/152
Type A1	California combination	44-60	1917	1950	40/101
Type A2	Tank cars	41-43	1917	1935	40/101
Type C	Desert gold	171-190	1918	1954	40/102
Type F	Dropcentre	201-250	1922	1958	60/170
Type F1	Dropcentre	251-284	1925	1958	60/170
Type G	Birney safety car	301-304	1925	1935	32/80
Type H	Glenelg tram	351-380	1929	5 still in service	64/170
Type E1	Bogie saloon	101-120	1936	1958	49/152
Type H1	(prototype)	381	1953	1957	52/184
	Flexity Classic	101-111	2006	still in service	64/115[37] [38]

Type A

Type A trams were the most common on the newly opened lines with 70 of the initial 100 trams made in this single truck combination style. They incorporated both a closed central saloon and open crossbenches on the same tram. Capable of up to 22 miles per hour (35 km/h) they had a seating capacity of 20 in the saloons with an additional 20 in the open benches.^[39] The bodies were made by Duncan and Fraser who had built horse tram cars for the AS&T as well as bodies of electric trams for Melbourne service.^[40]

On March 9, 1909 the first type A was the lead car in the procession at the tramway systems official opening. Most were removed from the lines and stored in the 1930s but then returned to service in 1941 as a result of petrol rationing increasing passenger numbers, with fifty eight permanently joined in "Bib and Bub" pairs to conserve manpower (after comic characters by May Gibbs) and used this way until late 1950. Although the bib and bub pairs still required one conductor per tram to collect fares, they needed only one driver per pair resulting in a 25% reduction in labour.^[41] All type As were withdrawn from service in 1952 with many being sold for use as shacks, although trams 10, 69 and 92 had been sold in 1936 to the State Electricity Commission of Victoria.^[42]

Type B

Thirty of the initial trams became known as Toast rack trams due to their open structure. Open cross-bench trams with no weather protection on the side of the cars^[40] they became unpopular during inclement weather. Duncan and Fraser built them with summer excursions in mind but they had limited utility and 20 of the cars were converted to combination trams in 1917, being redesignated as types A1 and A2.^[43] All type B, A1 or A2 cars were withdrawn from service in 1936 and, except for tram 42, scrapped in 1946.^[42]

Type E

Due to public antipathy to imported trams, type E trams were built by J.G. Brill & Co in Philadelphia United States, then imported in parts and assembled by Pengilly & Co of Adelaide from 1910 to 1912.^[44] They are partially open trams with passengers sitting on cross bench seats and a closed saloon at one end. They were mainly used on the Glen Osmond and St Peters routes but also to take picnic parties to Burnside and Magill, before being rebuilt into type E1 in 1936.^[45]

Type E1

When converted from Type E trams, the crossbenches were removed and the saloon extended the entire car length. As before conversion, these trams were used mainly on the Glen Osmond and St Peters routes. Tram number 101 was temporarily renumbered 100, painted in ivory and gold, and used in the 1936 South Australian centenary celebrations.^[45]

Type D

Similar to Type E with crossbenches and a saloon, type D trams also had sliding doors at the end of the benches giving weather protection. Four similar cars were built in 1912 for the Prahan & Malvern Tramways Trust, Melbourne, on sold to the Hawthorn Tramways Trust then purchased by the MTT in 1925 becoming trams 191-194.^[46] In 1934 a centre isle was cut through the centre bulkhead and 4 of the 6 crossbench seats of the trams, after injuries to conductors who formerly had to collect fares while standing on the footboards. Trams 192-194 had been similarly modified in Melbourne prior to the MTT's purchase.^[43]

Type C

Type C trams were built in 1918-1919 as an interim measure until larger cars could be afforded. Due to new motors they were regarded as fast trams, becoming known as Desert Gold trams after a New Zealand racehorse that had won races in Australia at the same time. Their speed became useful in competition against unlicensed buses in the 1920s, and they were used in peak service until 1952 with the last use for the royal visit of 1954.^[43]

Types F and F1

Type F and F1 trams, built from 1921 to 1929 by Pengilly & Co, became commonly known as dropcentre trams, as the centre of the tram was lowered for easy boarding and alighting. They had the first tram airbrakes in Adelaide and were designed so that six streams of passengers could board or alight at the same time, with a large capacity and reportedly comfortable ride.^[45] F series trams were the most common trams used in Adelaide from their introduction to the closure of the main tram network.^[43]

Type G

Designed by Charles Birney and imported complete from J.G. Brill & Co these trams seated 32 passengers. They entered service as one man cars on the Port Adelaide line in 1925, were sold for use in Geelong in 1935 then transferred to Bendigo in 1947.^[47]

Type H

Known as Gleneg trams, Type H are a long rigid body tram that is end loading with a full length saloon, power operated doors and reversible leather seats. Built by Pengilly and Co in 1929 specifically for the Glenelg line, they commenced operations on December 14 1929. They also saw service on the Henley North, Kensington Gardens and Cheltenham routes.^[47] As of 2007 there are five still in service for weekend, public holiday and charter trips.^[43]

Type H1

A prototype tram was built in 1952 based on a 1939 plan to build 40 new trams. Tram 381 was just completed by JA Lawton & Sons of Adelaide when the reconstitution of the MTT caused cancellation of the remaining 39 cars.^[47] It was a modern design with all steel construction and power operated doors, commencing service on the Henley North-Kensington Gardens in 1953 and withdrawn in 1957.^[43]

[edit] Electric tram network

At the 1909 opening, 35 miles (56 kilometres) of track had been completed with electricity supplied by the Electric Lighting and Supply Co.^[48] The electric tram system ran on 600 Volts DC supplied at first from two converter stations,^[49] No.1 converter station on East terrace, Adelaide with 2,500 kW of AC to DC capacity and No.2 station at Thebarton with a capacity of 900 kW.^[50] To cope with variable loads on the system, very large storage lead-acid batteries were installed, the initial one at East terrace comprising 293 cells and a 50 ton tank of sulphuric acid.^[51]

The Adelaide-Glenelg line was, from 1873, a broad gauge steam railway that ran at street level into Victoria square.^[52] Originally privately owned it was taken over by the South Australian Railways then transferred to the MTT in 1927. The line was closed to be rebuilt to standard gauge, electrified at 600 Volts DC and converted to tramway operation, reopening in late 1929.

The Port Adelaide line, which until that time had still used horse trams, began to be converted to electric operation in 1914 and opened April 3, 1917^[23] A line from Magill to Morialta opened in 1915 for weekend tourist traffic with only a single return service on weekdays. The line ran in the valley of 4^th creek, a tributary of the River Torrens, across farmland and along unmade and ungazetted roads^[53]. All services on the Morialta line were replaced by buses in 1956. The very last tram line built in Adelaide was the Erindale line which opened in early 1944.^[54] At maximum extent the lines connected Adelaide with the sea at Henley Beach, Grange and Glenelg, reached the base of the Adelaide Hills at Morialta and Mitcham and had Northern and Southern limits of Kilburn and Colonel Light Gardens.^[55]

[edit] Trolleybuses

During the great depression the MTT needed to expand services but finances prohibited the laying of more track. A decision was made to trial trolleybuses, and a petrol bus converted to begin an experimental run on the Payneham and Paradise lines. Apart from the trial bus, the MTT eventually operated four models of trolleybuses.^[56] By 1937 there was a fleet of double-decker trolleybuses running to Tusmore with extensions to Port Adelaide, Semaphore and Largs Bay in 1938. Trolley buses continued running until July 1963 when the last run was converted to motorbuses.^[43]

[edit] Trolleybus types

Green Goddess

A conversion of petrol bus 216 that ran from May 1932 to August 1934, it was the first trolleybus in Australia and become known as "The Green Goddess" by its distinctive livery. It seated 23 with room for 20 standing passengers.^[56]

A.E.C. double decker

Imported English trolleybus chassis were completed with bodywork by Lawtons of Adelaide in 1937, then numbered as buses 401 to 430. The A.E.C. trolleybuses seated 57 with a crush load of 84 and were withdrawn in mid 1957, with a brief return to service in August 1958.^[56]

Leyland double decker

With chassis brought in from England prior to World War II, the MTT constructed buses 431 to 435. When put into service in 1942 the Leyland buses were the largest in the MTT fleet and remained so until withdrawn in 1958.^[56]

Leyland canton trolleybus

As part of the World War II supply effort, English bus chassis, with a final intended destination of the Guangdong province in China, were brought to Adelaide where they remained. The MTT built bodies for them from 1942 to 1944, as buses 501 to 530, with a seating capacity of 30 and a crush load of 60. The became popularly known as cantons or wombats and remained in service until 1963.^[56]

Sunbeam trolleybus

Buses 501 to 530 were built by Lawtons of Adelaide on a Sunbeam chassis in late 1951. They seated 40 passengers, had a crush load of 77 and were used in services until mid 1963.^[56]

[edit] Decline of the network

From 1915 onwards the MTT had to compete against unregulated private buses, often preceding the trams on the same route to steal fares, which the MTT countered by opening their own motor bus routes from 1925.^[57] The South Australian government began regulating buses within the state in 1927, although some private operators used a provision in the Australian constitution to their advantage. By notionally marking each ticket as a fare from the pickup point to Murrayville, Victoria (but allowing passengers to board or alight sooner) companies avoided having to abide by the regulation for some time.^[58] Up until the end of World War I, most Adelaideans were dependant on public transport for daily journeys. The introduction of private automobiles decreased passenger numbers until petrol rationing during World War II lead to a resurgence in patronage; patronage remained higher than before the war, until rationing was discontinued in 1951.^[59]

From the start of the great depression until the closure of the network only one lot of trams was purchased by the MTT. Due to shortages there was minimal maintenance of the network during World War II and post-war shortages prevented the purchase of new trams.^[60] In 1951-1952 the MTT lost £313,320 and made the decision to convert the Erindale, Burnside and Linden park lines to electric trolleybuses. The last trams on these lines ran on May 24, 1952 with the lines lifted from April 18, 1953.^[4] A 1953 royal commission was held to inquire into the financial affairs of the MTT resulting in a completely reconstituted board.^[4] Late the same year, with driver safety concerns about the conflict with increasing traffic on the road, the Glen Osmond line was temporarily converted to motor buses. The line was never converted back to trams and much comment was made about the continuing maintenance of unused overhead lines.^[61]

Trolley buses gradually made way for motor buses until the last electric tram or bus service ran on July 12, 1963 leaving only the Glenelg tramline as a remnant of a once extensive light rail network.^[62] Except for the Glenelg H class, the trams were sold off or scrapped, variously ending up being used as shacks, playrooms and preserved by museums.^[32]

[edit] Remaining line

Main article: Glenelg Tram

The Glenelg line is 6.7 mile (10.8 km) route from the centre of Adelaide, South Australia to the beachside suburb of Glenelg. It is Adelaide's only remaining tramway, running at approximately 20 minute intervals, and is part of the integrated Adelaide Metro public transport network.^[63]

Until January 2006, H class cars provided all services on the Glenelg line. Eleven 30 metre long articulated low-floor Flexity Classic Light Rail vehicles, built by Bombardier in Germany, have been ordered to replace the H-class trams in regular day-to-day service, with eight in service as of December 2006.^[64] Five refurbished H-class trams have been retained and operate a restricted 'heritage service' timetable on Saturdays, Sundays and Public Holidays. They have been fitted with safety measures similar to those of the new trams, including vigilance control and electro-magnetic track brakes.

A 1.2 km (1300 yd) extension from Victoria Square, along King William St is scheduled to start in June 2007,^[65] with further extensions the subject of public debate. Tourism minister, Jane Lomax-Smith has, in 2007, expressed support for the line to be extended to North Adelaide and Prospect although the Transport minister has stated that this is not a practical option,^[66] with his preferred option the creation of a fare free city loop.^[64]

[edit] Adelaide trams in museums

Tram Type	Trams in Museums[67][43]
Horse Trams	Horse trams 15 and 18 are at the St Kilda museum with car 15 in very poor condition and car 18 restored to operational condition but not used in service.
Type A	Trams 1,10,14,15,17 are at the St Kilda Museum. Cars 14&15 are also at the museum to be restored as a "bib and bub" set and trams 1 and 10 are operational.
Type B	Tram 42 was converted into a type A2 (straight sided saloon car) and used on the Port Adelaide until its closure in 1935. It was stored then moved to the St Kilda museum where, by 1994, it had been returned to original condition and service.
Type C	Tram 186 was recovered from use as a junior school playroom at Woodlands school and has been rebuilt at the St Kilda museum.
Type E	Tram 118 is being restored at the St Kilda museum.
Type E1	Tram 111 is at the St Kilda museum and is operational.
Type D	Tram 192 ( formerly M&MTB tram 130) is at the St Kilda museum and was refurbished in 1979. Tram 156 can be seen at The Old Canberra Tram Company.
Types F and F1	Trams 244,264,282 are at the St Kilda museum with 264 and 282 having been restored.
Type G	Tram 303 is on show at the St Kilda museum. Trams 301,302 and 304 are preserved at the Bendigo tramway museum.
Type H	Trams 360 and 362 are at the St Kilda museum with 362 in 1952 livery and 360 in close to original 1929 style. Tram 360 was used in 1999 for the 70th anniversary of the Glenelg line and H cars. Tram 356 is on display at the The Old Canberra Tram Company.
Type H1	The only tram in this class is on display at the St Kilda museum
Trolleybuses	The green godess and one of each of the other Adelaide trolleybus models, excluding a Leyland double decker, are on display at the St Kilda museum.

[edit] Timeline

• 1855, The first horse tramway begins operating at Goolwa, South of Adelaide.
• 1876, A Government act enabling horse tramways to be constructed is passed.
• 1878, Horse trams begin operation on the Adelaide to Kensington line.
• 1901, The horse tram network reaches 74 miles (119 km) in length.
• 1907, The State government purchases the remaining 7 horse tram companies and forms the MTT.
• 1909, The MTT begins electric tram operations.
• 1917, Port Adelaide line sees the last horse tram service in Adelaide.^[23]
• 1929, Glenelg tramline begins operations with new type H trams.
• 1932, Paradise line sees the first trolley bus operations in Adelaide.^[23]
• 1936, The last class of trams launched, except for a single prototype 17 years later.
• 1944, The last tramline built in Adelaide is constructed.
• 1945, Tram patronage reaches 95 million trips annually.
• 1952, Erindale, Burnside and Linden park lines are converted to trolleybuses.
• 1958, The MTT closes the second to last line leaving only the Glenelg line open.^[23]
• 1963, Trolley buses cease operations in Adelaide.
• 1967, Tramway museum opens at St Kilda in Adelaide's north.^[68]
• 2006, The Glenelg line receives the first new trams in Adelaide since 1953.
• 2007, Proposed extension of the Glenelg line to North Terrace, Adelaide.

[edit] Notes

[edit] References

[edit] External link

• Adelaide's Tram History