Sydney P-Class Tram

NSWGT 'P' Class Tram (Sydney)
New 'P' Class Tram 1480 at Randwick Racecourse
Manufacturer	Randwick Workshops Meadowbank Manufacturing Company Walsh Island Dockyard, Newcastle
Designer	Government Railways and Tramways of New South Wales
Constructed	1921- 1929
Number built	258
Specifications
Length	13,850 mm
Width	2,740 mm
Height	3,260 mm
Weight	16.9 t
Passenger capacity seats	80
Passenger capacity standing	48
Maximum speed	60–km/h
Engine power	4 × 40 hp
Power supply	600VDC
Electric system(s)	Overhead catenary
Current collection method	Trolley Pole
Gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8 ¹⁄₂ in)

An improvement over the O-class trams with all compartments offered protection.^[1]

History

Introduced between 1921 and 1929, there were several manufacturers. They were Randwick Workshops, Meadowbank Manufacturing Co, and Walsh Island Dockyard, Newcastle. Allocated Numbers 1480-1737.

Design

As with the proceeding O-class, the P's were cross bench cars with 80 seat capacity. They were a big improvement over the O-class's in that all compartments offered protection from bad weather on both sides of the bodies when running. Fitted with folding canvas doors in each compartment, Conductors only had to push open one half of a door.

Service

P-class trams were based at all depots on the main system except Rushcutters Bay, but worked to the Stadium, just past Rushcutters Bay Depot between 1947 and 1959 out of Waverley and Dowling Street Depot for special events, plus out to Watsons Bay for picnic specials ^[1]

Demise and Preservation

The two non-coupling cars were the first withdrawn, 1481 going in 1951, followed by class leader 1480 in 1953. Slow withdrawal of collision damaged cars followed, with most remaining in service until mid-1959, when Waverley Depot closed for rebuilding to a bus depot. For the next eight months P's were generally restricted to peak hours operation, being withdrawn when the Bondi and Bronte lines were converted to buses in February 1960. Most P class were destroyed by burning, with a few seeing any further use as farm sheds, etc.

Preserved trams are:

No. 1497 at the Sydney Tramway Museum ^[2]
No. 1729 (first tram to North Bondi) under restoration at the Sydney Tramway Museum ^[2]
No. 1501 previously sleeping quarters at a ‘Tram-O-Tel’ in Lightning Ridge
now under restoration for Sydney Tramway Museum at Bendigo Tramways^[2]
No. 1700 at the Seashore Trolley Museum, Maine, Connecticut

Gallery

1729 Under Restoration
1729 Side View
Tram 1497
1497 Side View

References

↑ 1.0 1.1 MacCowan, Ian. The Tramways of New South Wales.
↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 "Sydney Tramway Museum Fleet Register" (PDF). Sydney Tramway Museum. Retrieved 4 September 2013.

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