Sydney C-Class Tram

NSWGT 'C' Class (Sydney)
'C' Class Tram at terminus of Ocean Street to Rose Bay Line
Manufacturer	Bignall and Morrison Hudson Brothers Clyde Engineering
Designer	Government Railways and Tramways of New South Wales
Constructed	1896 - 1900
Number built	97
Specifications
Length	22 ft 0 in (6.706 m) to 26 ft 0 in (7.925 m)
Width	7 ft 3.5 in (2.223 m)
Height	12 ft 1.5 in (3.696 m)
Weight	8.41 long tons (8.5 t)
Passenger capacity seats	20-26
Maximum speed	60–km/h
Engine power	4 × 36 hp (later 50)
Power supply	600VDC
Electric system(s)	Overhead catenary
Current collection method	Trolley pole
Gauge	4 ft 8 ¹⁄₂ in (1,435 mm)

C-class Trams at Spit Junction tram line opening 1900

C-class trams were small single truck (bogie) end loading trams used on more systems than any other New South Wales Government electric tram, they replaced cable and steam trams.^[1]

History

These were single truck saloon cars, built between 1896 and 1900 by three Sydney firms, Bignall and Morrison, Hudson Brothers 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).

Allocated Numbers:

Bignall & Morrison, (1896-7) 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 Co. (1899) 78-91, 94-97 (1900) 92, 93

Design

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.

Service

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

Demise and Preservation

Several cars were disposed between 1905-07 to the Electric Supply Company of Victoria and went into service at Ballarat. All were removed from the Sydney tramway system by 1958. Preserved trams are:

No 11, owned by Powerhouse Museum restored in 1961 to original livery at Randwick Workshops.^[2]
Nos 29 and 290 in operational conditional at the Sydney Tramway Museum.^[3]
Nos 12, 33 and 37 under restoration at the Sydney Tramway Museum.^[3]
No 95, at the Illawarra Light Railway Museum at Albion Park as a carriage.^[4]

Gallery

ex-NSWT Tram 11
ex-NSWT Tram 29
ex-NSWT 29 Side View
ex-NSWT 29 Controller
Tram 290 Destination Board
Tram 290 Side View
Tram 290 Number

References

↑ MacCowan, Ian. The Tramways of New South Wales.
↑ "No. 11 electric C-class tram, 1898". Powerhouse Museum.
↑ 3.0 3.1 "Sydney Tramway Museum Fleet Register" (PDF). Sydney Tramway Museum. Retrieved 4 September 2013.
↑ "Car 95 Year Built: 1899". Illawarra Light Railway Museum Society.

Trams and light rail in Sydney

Current network

Lines	Dulwich Hill Line CBD and South East Light Rail (proposed)

Fleet	Urbos Variotram

Former network

Depots	Randwick Workshops Dowling Street Depot Fort Macquarie Depot Leichhardt Depot Manly Depot Newtown Depot Ridge Street Depot Rozelle Depot Rushcutters Bay Depot Tempe Depot Ultimo Depot Waverley Depot

Fleet	Classification System Steam Motors C class D class E class F class G class H class J class K class L class L/P class M class N class O class O/P class P class P/R1 class R class R1 class

Other

Sydney Tramway Museum