Trams in Australia
Encyclopedia
Tram
s in Australia
are now used extensively as public transport
only in Melbourne
, and to a lesser extent, Adelaide
and Bendigo while Sydney
operates a modern light rail
system. Several other major cities had tram networks however these networks were largely dismantled during the 1950s and some as late as the 1970s. However some of these cities have retained tram museums or replica tourist routes.
and Brisbane
establishing reasonably large systems (for their day) and retaining their horse drawn trams when other systems had adopted steam or cable traction. Victor Harbor and Gawler in South Australia are examples of small, single-line horse-drawn systems which survived until 1953 and 1931 respectively; the Victor Harbor line reopened in 1985.
Following a short lived experiment with a privately run horse tram line in Pitt Street in the 1860s, Sydney
adopted steam trams, which were operated by the state government. By comparison, Melbourne
adopted cable trams, which were owned by the local government, but operated initially by a private company. The Melbourne cable tramway system
became the largest in the world in the late 19th century, with some cable lines retained until 1940. Sydney operated only two cable tram lines (in North Sydney and along South Head Road) and eschewed the high capital outlay required for cable traction, preferring instead to retain their steam trams, until most of the system was converted to electric operation between 1898 and 1910.
Smaller provincial towns in New South Wales
, such as Maitland
, Broken Hill and Newcastle
had steam tram systems operated by the New South Wales Government. Rockhampton
, Queensland
, also had a steam tram system, which was operated by the City of Rockhampton
. With the exception of Newcastle, these systems had closed by the 1930s.
Gold mining towns, with their rapid growth and wealth soon adopted trams, with Bendigo
and Ballarat
in Victoria
and Kalgoorlie
and Leonora
in Western Australia
all adopting electric tram systems. Bendigo held trials of a battery-operated tram, but this was unsuccessful. The Victorian systems survived until 1972 following their takeover by the state government, whereas the West Australian examples ceased operations in the 1950s as a result of the economic decline of those towns at the time.
Electrification was quickly adopted in Australian systems, with Hobart
and Brisbane
the first systems to be electrified in 1893 and 1897 respectively. Hobart thus was the first city in the Southern Hemisphere to operate a successful electric tramway system. It was also the only Australian city to use the European-style 'bow collector', instead of Frank Sprague's trolley pole system. Hobart was also the first city outside Europe to employ electric double-decker trams. The Hobart system retained a distinctly "English" appearance throughout its existence.
Perth
had an electric tram system in operation between 1898 and 1958.
Adelaide
was the last major city to convert its trams to electric operation, in 1908, with the system closing (except for the Glenelg line) in 1958.
A distinctive feature of many Australasian trams was the drop-centre, a lowered central section between bogies (wheel-sets), to make passenger access easier by reducing the number of steps required to get inside of the vehicle. The trams made by Boon & Co in 1906-07 for the Christchurch
system may have been the first with this feature; they were referred to as drop-centres or Boon cars. Trams for Christchurch and Wellington
built in the 1920s with an enclosed section at each end and an open-sided middle section were also known as Boon cars, but did not have the drop-centre. Similar trams were known in America as the Hedley-Doyle stepless car, named for two employees of the New York Railways Company, e.g. the "Big Lizzie" of Brisbane supplied by J. G. Brill in 1913.
A steam tram line connected East and West Maitland between 1909 and 1926. The line ran from Victoria Street Station in East Maitland through East Maitland. It passed along High Street West Maitland crossing the 'Long Bridge' and terminated in the suburb of Campbells Hill. There was single track branch from High Street, West Maitland running along Church Street to West Maitland railway station. This branch line closed in 1915.
There were proposals to extend the line westwards from Campbells Hill to Rutherford but these never eventuated. There were proposals to elctrify the service in 1921 but instead it was decided to withdraw the service. The tramway closed on 31 December 1926.
from 1887, with a branch to West Wallsend. It was electrified in 1923-26. The last line closed in 1950.
Sydney
, the largest city in Australia
and New South Wales capital, once had the largest tram
system in Australia, the second largest in the British Empire
, after London
, and one of the largest in the world. It was also extremely intensively worked, with about 1,600 cars in service at any one time at its peak during the 1930s (cf. about 500 much larger trams in Melbourne
today). Throughout the first half of the twentieth century, there was an average of more than one tram journey per day made by every man and woman, infant and child in the city. Patronage peaked in 1945 at the extraordinary level of 405 million passenger journeys. The system was in place from 1861, until its winding down in the 1950s and eventual closure in 1961. It had a maximum street mileage of 181 miles (291 km) in 1923.
In 1997, more than 30 years after trams disappeared from Sydney streets, the Metro Light Rail
, a privately owned single line system opened. There have been various proposals to extend this system into the CBD
and inner suburbs
but none has come to fruition.
The Brisbane Tram System
was operational from 1885 to 1969.
Brisbane's tram system ran on standard gauge
track. The electric system was originally energised to 500 volts, this was subsequently increased to 600 volts.
Most trams operated with a two person crew - a driver (or motorman
) and a conductor, who moved about the tram collecting fares and issuing tickets. The exceptions to this arrangement were on the Gardens line (Lower Edward Street) where the short duration of the trip meant it was more effective for passengers to simply drop their fare into a fare box as the entered the tram; and the "one man cars" which operated in the early 1930s (see below).
The system route kilometrage reached its maximum extent of 109 kilometres in 1952. The total track kilometrage was 199 kilometres, owing to many routes ending in single, rather than double, track. Single track segments of the track were protected by signalling which operated off the trolley wire. By 1959 more than 140 kilometres of track were laid in concrete, a method of track construction pioneered in Brisbane.
The last track opened was in O'Keefe Street Woolloongabba
, in May 1961. However, this track was not used in normal passenger service and was merely used to reduce dead running from Logan Road back to Ipswich Road Depot.
The peak year for patronage was in 1944-45 when almost 160 million passengers were carried.
Rockhampton
operated steam trams from 1909 to 1939. There is a Steam Tram Museum at Archer Park Station, with a toastrack style French Purrey steam tram operating in weekends.
Trams in Adelaide
are represented by a single tram
line connecting the inner suburb of Hindmarsh, through the central business district
of Adelaide
and on to the seaside suburb of Glenelg
, and currently uses two classes of electric
trams built in 2006. Until 1958 this line was part of a large network spanning most of suburban Adelaide, with origins dating back to 1878. Adelaide operated with a horse tram
network from 1878 to 1909, an electric tram network till 1958 and has primarily relied on bus
es for public transport
since. Electric trams and trolleybus
es were the main public transport from the opening of the electric tram network to its closing and are enjoying a resurgence with the expansion of the remaining line and the first new tram purchases for over 50 years.
, and the museum was opened in 1967 as a static display. The museum houses over 30 electric trams, horse trams
and electric trolley buses many of which are restored and operational. Visitors can ride the electric trams along 2 km of purpose built track that runs between the museum and an adventure playground.
The Victor Harbor Horse Drawn Tram
line from Victor Harbor to Granite Island
in South Australia which had closed in 1931 re-opened in 1985 using replicas of the original cars as a tourist attraction.
had a municipal tram system from 1893 to 1960 with a network of 8 routes throughout the city, the tram network was scaled down and by 1960 was virtually defunct and replaced by a short lived trolleybus system until 1968. Hobart has investigated restoring the tram network, as it has a proud heritage of them, being one of the first Australian cities to implement a tram system but no such development has occurred. However recent investigation and transport studies have led to plans to instigate a Light Rail system along old existing rail lines.
had a municipal tram system from 1911 to 1952 with 29 trams.
At Launceston, Tasmania
the Launceston Tramway Museum Society runs a tramway museum in the Inveresk Precinct. The long term plan is to have a line from the city centre to the museum and if successful to expand further along the original network.
Ballarat once operated an extensive tramway network which began in 1887, however it was closed in 1972 and replaced by buses. A small section of track remains used as a tourist and museum tramway. There have been proposals to extend the network, particularly to connect it to the railways and return it as a viable component of the Ballarat public transport system
Bendigo
in regional Victoria has retained sections of its once extensive network.
The famous heritage "talking tram" and "cafe tram" run as tourist attractions in conjunction with a tramway museum.
A public transport trial of trams began in 2009 and in 2010 full funding was committed to restore the Bendigo network for public transport with the development of a raised platform tram stop
and yearly ticket costing just A$30 with future extensions to the network in the planning stages.
maintained an electric tram service from 1912 until 1956.
The large network included 4 main routes:
Melbourne, the most populous city in and capital of Victoria, is home to the largest tram
network in the world, and its trams have become part of the city's culture and identity due to their long history. Currently around 500 trams are in service in the city.
In addition to newer types of trams in use such as the Citadis
, the Combino
and the middle-aged A, B and Z class trams, older W-class trams (of the dropcentre design referred to above) remain in service across the Melbourne tram system as a major form of public transport as well as a popular tourist attraction. W-class trams are used on the free City Circle
tram route in addition to several other routes and also operate as the world's first restaurant tram. A total of 53 W-class trams remain in regular service, with the oldest in-service tram dating from 1939.
A replica tourist route in Portland
was created using old vintage Melbourne cable trams. The single line route runs along the beach and harbourfront to the historic lighthouse on the hill. The popular tourist route ran into financial trouble in 2005.
, Fremantle
, Kalgoorlie
and Leonora
. The early northern port of Cossack
was linked by tram with the town of Roebourne
during the gold boom of the 1890s. The biggest of these networks was centred upon the growing state capital, Perth.
and West Perth
along Hay Street
. The electric tram network expanded as far west as Claremont
, as far north as Osborne Park
, and across the Swan River
causeway to Victoria Park
, Como
and Welshpool
. The government took over the running of trams in 1914.
The last tram was built in 1934; No 130. The trams ceased running on 20 July 1958. Since the start of 2007, there have been four proposals for the reintroduction of trams to the Perth metropolitan area, in the form of light rail. However, as at the start of 2011 none of the proposed new light rail lines had been approved for construction.
At Whiteman Park
22 km north of Perth, there is an operating heritage tram system run by the Perth Electric Tramway Society, with 4 km of track. The trams operating on this system do not presently include any former Perth trams.
had a small but comprehensive tramway network of its own. The Fremantle network was owned and operated by a consortium of local municipalities, and was never linked into the Perth network. Throughout its existence, the Fremantle network covered both the Fremantle
municipality and the adjacent municipality of East Fremantle. Its tram lines also extended for part of that period into North Fremantle
and Melville.
Tram museums operate in many cities following the closure of their networks. Major museums include the Brisbane Tramway Museum
, the Sydney Tramway Museum
, Whiteman Park
, Perth, and the Melbourne Tramway Museum, Victoria run by the TMSV
. There are also museums at St Kilda and Victor Harbor, South Australia and Launceston, Tasmania.
s but each time they have been postponed. Most of the effort in Brisbane is currently on busway
s which have been designed to accommodate future light rail routes.
currently comprises one line from the Central Railway Station
, 7.2 km
to the inner western suburb of Lilyfield
. The Sydney City Council favours extension of the line to Circular Quay through the Central Business District, but the proposal does not yet have state government approval.
and Semaphore
and Westlakes as part of an urban renewal of the inner western suburbs.
to return trams to the inner suburbs and extend the line to Ballarat railway station however these plans have been put on hold indefinitely.
to extend the route around Lake Weeroona was rejected.
ABB signed the contract, but the merger with Daimler Benz to form Adtranz happened during delivery.
Clyde Engineering, Sydney
Manufactured trams for:
Comeng/ABB
Manufactured trams for:
Fremantle Municipal Tramways
Manufactured trams for:
Waddingtons/Commonwealth Engineering, Sydney
Manufactured trams for: Sydney
Western Australian Government Railways
Manufactured trams for:
Alstom
Manufactured trams for:
Beyer, Peacock
Manufactured trams for:
Brown, Marshalls (Birmingham, England)
Tram
A tram is a passenger rail vehicle which runs on tracks along public urban streets and also sometimes on separate rights of way. It may also run between cities and/or towns , and/or partially grade separated even in the cities...
s in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
are now used extensively as public transport
Public transport
Public transport is a shared passenger transportation service which is available for use by the general public, as distinct from modes such as taxicab, car pooling or hired buses which are not shared by strangers without private arrangement.Public transport modes include buses, trolleybuses, trams...
only in Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, and to a lesser extent, Adelaide
Adelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
and Bendigo while Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
operates a modern light rail
Light rail
Light rail or light rail transit is a form of urban rail public transportation that generally has a lower capacity and lower speed than heavy rail and metro systems, but higher capacity and higher speed than traditional street-running tram systems...
system. Several other major cities had tram networks however these networks were largely dismantled during the 1950s and some as late as the 1970s. However some of these cities have retained tram museums or replica tourist routes.
History
In the 19th century numerous horse drawn systems were established, with AdelaideAdelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
and Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
establishing reasonably large systems (for their day) and retaining their horse drawn trams when other systems had adopted steam or cable traction. Victor Harbor and Gawler in South Australia are examples of small, single-line horse-drawn systems which survived until 1953 and 1931 respectively; the Victor Harbor line reopened in 1985.
Following a short lived experiment with a privately run horse tram line in Pitt Street in the 1860s, Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
adopted steam trams, which were operated by the state government. By comparison, Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
adopted cable trams, which were owned by the local government, but operated initially by a private company. The Melbourne cable tramway system
Melbourne cable tramway system
The Melbourne cable tramway system was a cable car public transportation system operated from 1885 to 1940 in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia....
became the largest in the world in the late 19th century, with some cable lines retained until 1940. Sydney operated only two cable tram lines (in North Sydney and along South Head Road) and eschewed the high capital outlay required for cable traction, preferring instead to retain their steam trams, until most of the system was converted to electric operation between 1898 and 1910.
Smaller provincial towns in New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, such as Maitland
Maitland, New South Wales
Maitland is a city in the Lower Hunter Valley of New South Wales, Australia and the seat of Maitland City Council, situated on the Hunter River approximately by road north of Sydney and north-west of Newcastle...
, Broken Hill and Newcastle
Newcastle, New South Wales
The Newcastle metropolitan area is the second most populated area in the Australian state of New South Wales and includes most of the Newcastle and Lake Macquarie Local Government Areas...
had steam tram systems operated by the New South Wales Government. Rockhampton
Rockhampton, Queensland
Rockhampton is a city and local government area in Queensland, Australia. The city lies on the Fitzroy River, approximately from the river mouth, and some north of the state capital, Brisbane....
, Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
, also had a steam tram system, which was operated by the City of Rockhampton
City of Rockhampton
The City of Rockhampton was a Local Government Area located in the Central Queensland region of Queensland, Australia, encompassing most of the suburban area of the regional city of Rockhampton...
. With the exception of Newcastle, these systems had closed by the 1930s.
Gold mining towns, with their rapid growth and wealth soon adopted trams, with Bendigo
Bendigo, Victoria
Bendigo is a major regional city in the state of Victoria, Australia, located very close to the geographical centre of the state and approximately north west of the state capital Melbourne. It is the second largest inland city and fourth most populous city in the state. The estimated urban...
and Ballarat
Ballarat, Victoria
Ballarat is a city in the state of Victoria, Australia, approximately west-north-west of the state capital Melbourne situated on the lower plains of the Great Dividing Range and the Yarrowee River catchment. It is the largest inland centre and third most populous city in the state and the fifth...
in Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
and Kalgoorlie
Kalgoorlie, Western Australia
Kalgoorlie, known as Kalgoorlie-Boulder, is a town in the Goldfields-Esperance region of Western Australia, and is located east-northeast of state capital Perth at the end of the Great Eastern Highway...
and Leonora
Leonora, Western Australia
Leonora is a town in the Goldfields-Esperance region of Western Australia, located northeast of the state capital, Perth, and north of the city of Kalgoorlie. At the 2006 census, Leonora had a population of 401, about a third of whom are of Aboriginal descent. The area is extremely arid, with a...
in Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
all adopting electric tram systems. Bendigo held trials of a battery-operated tram, but this was unsuccessful. The Victorian systems survived until 1972 following their takeover by the state government, whereas the West Australian examples ceased operations in the 1950s as a result of the economic decline of those towns at the time.
Electrification was quickly adopted in Australian systems, with Hobart
Hobart
Hobart is the state capital and most populous city of the Australian island state of Tasmania. Founded in 1804 as a penal colony,Hobart is Australia's second oldest capital city after Sydney. In 2009, the city had a greater area population of approximately 212,019. A resident of Hobart is known as...
and Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
the first systems to be electrified in 1893 and 1897 respectively. Hobart thus was the first city in the Southern Hemisphere to operate a successful electric tramway system. It was also the only Australian city to use the European-style 'bow collector', instead of Frank Sprague's trolley pole system. Hobart was also the first city outside Europe to employ electric double-decker trams. The Hobart system retained a distinctly "English" appearance throughout its existence.
Perth
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
had an electric tram system in operation between 1898 and 1958.
Adelaide
Adelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
was the last major city to convert its trams to electric operation, in 1908, with the system closing (except for the Glenelg line) in 1958.
A distinctive feature of many Australasian trams was the drop-centre, a lowered central section between bogies (wheel-sets), to make passenger access easier by reducing the number of steps required to get inside of the vehicle. The trams made by Boon & Co in 1906-07 for the Christchurch
Christchurch tramway system
The Christchurch tramway system was an extensive network in Christchurch, New Zealand, with steam and horse trams from 1882. Electric trams ran from 1905 to 1954, when the last line to Papanui was replaced by buses...
system may have been the first with this feature; they were referred to as drop-centres or Boon cars. Trams for Christchurch and Wellington
Wellington tramway system
The Wellington tramway system operated in Wellington, the capital of New Zealand. The tramways were originally owned by a private company, but were purchased by the city and formed a major part of the city's transport system.-Trams:...
built in the 1920s with an enclosed section at each end and an open-sided middle section were also known as Boon cars, but did not have the drop-centre. Similar trams were known in America as the Hedley-Doyle stepless car, named for two employees of the New York Railways Company, e.g. the "Big Lizzie" of Brisbane supplied by J. G. Brill in 1913.
Timeline
Legend- Green means extensive network (more than one line)
- Blue means single line or tourist railway
- Orange means modern light rail line or network
- Red means mixed use (freight/passenger)
- Width indicates extensiveness of network (relative to size of town/city)
Maitland
There were proposals to extend the line westwards from Campbells Hill to Rutherford but these never eventuated. There were proposals to elctrify the service in 1921 but instead it was decided to withdraw the service. The tramway closed on 31 December 1926.
Newcastle
A steam tram system operated in Newcastle, New South WalesNewcastle, New South Wales
The Newcastle metropolitan area is the second most populated area in the Australian state of New South Wales and includes most of the Newcastle and Lake Macquarie Local Government Areas...
from 1887, with a branch to West Wallsend. It was electrified in 1923-26. The last line closed in 1950.
Broken Hill
A steam tramway service operated in Broken Hill from 1902 until its closure in December 1926.Sydney
Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, the largest city in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and New South Wales capital, once had the largest tram
Tram
A tram is a passenger rail vehicle which runs on tracks along public urban streets and also sometimes on separate rights of way. It may also run between cities and/or towns , and/or partially grade separated even in the cities...
system in Australia, the second largest in the British Empire
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
, after London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, and one of the largest in the world. It was also extremely intensively worked, with about 1,600 cars in service at any one time at its peak during the 1930s (cf. about 500 much larger trams in Melbourne
Trams in Melbourne
The Melbourne tramway network is a major form of public transport in Melbourne, the capital city of the state of Victoria, Australia. , the network consisted of of track, 487 trams, 28 routes, and 1,773 tram stops. It was therefore the largest urban tramway network in the world, ahead of the...
today). Throughout the first half of the twentieth century, there was an average of more than one tram journey per day made by every man and woman, infant and child in the city. Patronage peaked in 1945 at the extraordinary level of 405 million passenger journeys. The system was in place from 1861, until its winding down in the 1950s and eventual closure in 1961. It had a maximum street mileage of 181 miles (291 km) in 1923.
In 1997, more than 30 years after trams disappeared from Sydney streets, the Metro Light Rail
Metro Light Rail
The Metro Light Rail is the only currently operating light rail line in Sydney. The line opened on 31 August 1997, mostly along the route of an unused goods railway line, to serve the redeveloped inner-city areas of Darling Harbour, Ultimo and Pyrmont, and was extended in 2000 to serve some of...
, a privately owned single line system opened. There have been various proposals to extend this system into the CBD
Sydney central business district
The Sydney central business district is the main commercial centre of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It extends southwards for about 3 kilometres from Sydney Cove, the point of first European settlement. Its north–south axis runs from Circular Quay in the north to Central railway station in...
and inner suburbs
Inner West (Sydney)
The Inner West is a general term which is used to describe the metropolitan area directly to the west of the Sydney central business district, New South Wales, Australia...
but none has come to fruition.
Brisbane
Trams in Brisbane
The Brisbane tramway network once served Brisbane, the capital city of Queensland, Australia. It operated between 1885 and 1969 and ran on standard gauge track. The electric system was originally energised to 500 volts, and subsequently increased to 600 volts. All tramcars built in Brisbane up to...
was operational from 1885 to 1969.
Brisbane's tram system ran on standard gauge
Standard gauge
The standard gauge is a widely-used track gauge . Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...
track. The electric system was originally energised to 500 volts, this was subsequently increased to 600 volts.
Most trams operated with a two person crew - a driver (or motorman
Motorman
A motorman is the person who operates an electrified trolley car, tram, light rail, or rapid transit train.The term refers to the person who is in charge of the motor in the same sense as a railroad engineer is in charge of the engine. The term was gender-neutral...
) and a conductor, who moved about the tram collecting fares and issuing tickets. The exceptions to this arrangement were on the Gardens line (Lower Edward Street) where the short duration of the trip meant it was more effective for passengers to simply drop their fare into a fare box as the entered the tram; and the "one man cars" which operated in the early 1930s (see below).
The system route kilometrage reached its maximum extent of 109 kilometres in 1952. The total track kilometrage was 199 kilometres, owing to many routes ending in single, rather than double, track. Single track segments of the track were protected by signalling which operated off the trolley wire. By 1959 more than 140 kilometres of track were laid in concrete, a method of track construction pioneered in Brisbane.
The last track opened was in O'Keefe Street Woolloongabba
Woolloongabba, Queensland
Woolloongabba is an inner suburb of Brisbane, Australia located 4 km south of the Brisbane CBD.Experts are divided regarding the Aboriginal meaning of the name, preferring either 'whirling waters' or 'fight talk place'...
, in May 1961. However, this track was not used in normal passenger service and was merely used to reduce dead running from Logan Road back to Ipswich Road Depot.
The peak year for patronage was in 1944-45 when almost 160 million passengers were carried.
Rockhampton
Rockhampton, Queensland
Rockhampton is a city and local government area in Queensland, Australia. The city lies on the Fitzroy River, approximately from the river mouth, and some north of the state capital, Brisbane....
operated steam trams from 1909 to 1939. There is a Steam Tram Museum at Archer Park Station, with a toastrack style French Purrey steam tram operating in weekends.
Adelaide
Adelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
are represented by a single tram
Tram
A tram is a passenger rail vehicle which runs on tracks along public urban streets and also sometimes on separate rights of way. It may also run between cities and/or towns , and/or partially grade separated even in the cities...
line connecting the inner suburb of Hindmarsh, through the central business district
Central business district
A central business district is the commercial and often geographic heart of a city. In North America this part of a city is commonly referred to as "downtown" or "city center"...
of Adelaide
Adelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
and on to the seaside suburb of Glenelg
Glenelg, South Australia
Glenelg is a popular beach-side suburb of the South Australian capital of Adelaide. Located on the shore of Holdfast Bay in Gulf St Vincent, it has become a popular tourist destination due to its beach and many attractions, home to several hotels and dozens of restaurants.Established in 1836, it is...
, and currently uses two classes of electric
Electricity
Electricity is a general term encompassing a variety of phenomena resulting from the presence and flow of electric charge. These include many easily recognizable phenomena, such as lightning, static electricity, and the flow of electrical current in an electrical wire...
trams built in 2006. Until 1958 this line was part of a large network spanning most of suburban Adelaide, with origins dating back to 1878. Adelaide operated with a horse tram
Horsecar
A horsecar or horse-drawn tram is an animal-powered streetcar or tram.These early forms of public transport developed out of industrial haulage routes that had long been in existence, and from the omnibus routes that first ran on public streets in the 1820s, using the newly improved iron or steel...
network from 1878 to 1909, an electric tram network till 1958 and has primarily relied on bus
Bus
A bus is a road vehicle designed to carry passengers. Buses can have a capacity as high as 300 passengers. The most common type of bus is the single-decker bus, with larger loads carried by double-decker buses and articulated buses, and smaller loads carried by midibuses and minibuses; coaches are...
es for public transport
Public transport
Public transport is a shared passenger transportation service which is available for use by the general public, as distinct from modes such as taxicab, car pooling or hired buses which are not shared by strangers without private arrangement.Public transport modes include buses, trolleybuses, trams...
since. Electric trams and trolleybus
Trolleybus
A trolleybus is an electric bus that draws its electricity from overhead wires using spring-loaded trolley poles. Two wires and poles are required to complete the electrical circuit...
es were the main public transport from the opening of the electric tram network to its closing and are enjoying a resurgence with the expansion of the remaining line and the first new tram purchases for over 50 years.
St Kilda
The St Kilda tram museum operates an extensive fleet of historic South Australian and interstate tram cars and trolley buses. Work began in 1958 with the arrival of donated vehicles, the first of which was an old trolley bus from the Municipal Tramways TrustMunicipal Tramways Trust
The Municipal Tramways Trust was established in 1907 to operate Adelaide's street tram network. The MTT ceased to exist in 1975 upon the establishment of the State Transport Authority Bus and Tram Division.-History:...
, and the museum was opened in 1967 as a static display. The museum houses over 30 electric trams, horse trams
Horsecar
A horsecar or horse-drawn tram is an animal-powered streetcar or tram.These early forms of public transport developed out of industrial haulage routes that had long been in existence, and from the omnibus routes that first ran on public streets in the 1820s, using the newly improved iron or steel...
and electric trolley buses many of which are restored and operational. Visitors can ride the electric trams along 2 km of purpose built track that runs between the museum and an adventure playground.
Victor Harbor
Victor Harbor Horse Drawn Tram
The Victor Harbor Horse Drawn Tram is located in the city of Victor Harbor, South Australia, Australia. The tramway links the visitor information centre in downtown Victor Harbor with the nearby Granite Island, running for half of its route over a 630 metre wooden viaduct or pier, locally described...
line from Victor Harbor to Granite Island
Granite Island (Australia)
Granite Island is a small island next to Victor Harbor, South Australia, not far from South Australia's capital city, Adelaide.It is unpopulated, however there are buildings and shelters on the island, including a cafe...
in South Australia which had closed in 1931 re-opened in 1985 using replicas of the original cars as a tourist attraction.
Hobart
HobartHobart
Hobart is the state capital and most populous city of the Australian island state of Tasmania. Founded in 1804 as a penal colony,Hobart is Australia's second oldest capital city after Sydney. In 2009, the city had a greater area population of approximately 212,019. A resident of Hobart is known as...
had a municipal tram system from 1893 to 1960 with a network of 8 routes throughout the city, the tram network was scaled down and by 1960 was virtually defunct and replaced by a short lived trolleybus system until 1968. Hobart has investigated restoring the tram network, as it has a proud heritage of them, being one of the first Australian cities to implement a tram system but no such development has occurred. However recent investigation and transport studies have led to plans to instigate a Light Rail system along old existing rail lines.
Launceston
LauncestonLaunceston, Tasmania
Launceston is a city in the north of the state of Tasmania, Australia at the junction of the North Esk and South Esk rivers where they become the Tamar River. Launceston is the second largest city in Tasmania after the state capital Hobart...
had a municipal tram system from 1911 to 1952 with 29 trams.
At Launceston, Tasmania
Launceston, Tasmania
Launceston is a city in the north of the state of Tasmania, Australia at the junction of the North Esk and South Esk rivers where they become the Tamar River. Launceston is the second largest city in Tasmania after the state capital Hobart...
the Launceston Tramway Museum Society runs a tramway museum in the Inveresk Precinct. The long term plan is to have a line from the city centre to the museum and if successful to expand further along the original network.
Victoria
Victoria is home to the most extensive tram networks in Australia and currently the only state in Australia to be running electric trams in multiple cities.Ballarat
Bendigo
Bendigo
Bendigo, Victoria
Bendigo is a major regional city in the state of Victoria, Australia, located very close to the geographical centre of the state and approximately north west of the state capital Melbourne. It is the second largest inland city and fourth most populous city in the state. The estimated urban...
in regional Victoria has retained sections of its once extensive network.
The famous heritage "talking tram" and "cafe tram" run as tourist attractions in conjunction with a tramway museum.
A public transport trial of trams began in 2009 and in 2010 full funding was committed to restore the Bendigo network for public transport with the development of a raised platform tram stop
Tram stop
A tram stop is a place designated for a tram to stop so passengers can board or alight it. Tram stops share most characteristics of bus stops, but because trams operate on rails, they often include railway platforms, especially if stepless entries are provided for accessibility...
and yearly ticket costing just A$30 with future extensions to the network in the planning stages.
Geelong
GeelongGeelong, Victoria
Geelong is a port city located on Corio Bay and the Barwon River, in the state of Victoria, Australia, south-west of the state capital; Melbourne. It is the second most populated city in Victoria and the fifth most populated non-capital city in Australia...
maintained an electric tram service from 1912 until 1956.
The large network included 4 main routes:
- North Geelong - BelmontBelmont, VictoriaBelmont is a southern suburb of Geelong, Victoria, Australia. The name means "beautiful hill". Belmont is geographically separated from the Geelong central business district by the Barwon River. The suburb is primarily residential, with some light industry along Barwon Heads Road...
- NewtownNewtown, VictoriaNewtown is an inner western suburb of Geelong, Victoria, Australia. It is a primarily residential area occupying one of the highest points of urban Geelong, has always been a desirable place of residence and it is the location of many of Geelong's oldest and most valuable properties.The locality of...
- Eastern ParkSt Albans Park, VictoriaSt. Albans Park is a residential eastern suburb of Geelong, Victoria. It is bounded by Boundary Road Coppards Road Townsend Road and the Barwon River . The suburbs that surround it are Whittington, Breakwater, Moolap and Marshall. The suburb extends around the St... - West Geelong - East Geelong
- Chilwell - Eastern Beach
Melbourne
Melbourne, the most populous city in and capital of Victoria, is home to the largest tram
Tram
A tram is a passenger rail vehicle which runs on tracks along public urban streets and also sometimes on separate rights of way. It may also run between cities and/or towns , and/or partially grade separated even in the cities...
network in the world, and its trams have become part of the city's culture and identity due to their long history. Currently around 500 trams are in service in the city.
In addition to newer types of trams in use such as the Citadis
Citadis
The Citadis is a low-floor tram built by Alstom in La Rochelle, France, and Barcelona, Spain. 1,140 Citadis are currently in use in 28 cities, among others: Bordeaux, Grenoble, Lyon, Montpellier, Orléans, the Paris area, and Barcelona, Dublin, Gdańsk, Katowice, Adelaide, Melbourne, Jerusalem and...
, the Combino
Combino
The Combino is a low floor tram produced by Siemens Transportation Systems . The first prototype was produced in 1996 at the Duewag works in Düsseldorf; the trams are currently made in Krefeld-Uerdingen. Because of its modular design using standardised components, and the resulting reduced costs,...
and the middle-aged A, B and Z class trams, older W-class trams (of the dropcentre design referred to above) remain in service across the Melbourne tram system as a major form of public transport as well as a popular tourist attraction. W-class trams are used on the free City Circle
City Circle (tram route)
The City Circle is a zero-fare tram running around the central business district of Melbourne, Australia. Aimed towards tourists the route passes many Melbourne attractions while running along the CBD's outermost thoroughfares, as well as the developing Docklands waterfront precinct.- History :The...
tram route in addition to several other routes and also operate as the world's first restaurant tram. A total of 53 W-class trams remain in regular service, with the oldest in-service tram dating from 1939.
Portland
Portland, Victoria
The city of Portland is the oldest European settlement in what is now the state of Victoria, Australia. It is the main urban centre of the Shire of Glenelg. It is located on Portland Bay.-History:...
was created using old vintage Melbourne cable trams. The single line route runs along the beach and harbourfront to the historic lighthouse on the hill. The popular tourist route ran into financial trouble in 2005.
Western Australia
Tram lines and companies operated in several towns of Western Australia. These were sometimes public services, while others were primarily for industries like mining or timber. Trams operated in the cities and towns of PerthPerth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
, Fremantle
Fremantle, Western Australia
Fremantle is a city in Western Australia, located at the mouth of the Swan River. Fremantle Harbour serves as the port of Perth, the state capital. Fremantle was the first area settled by the Swan River colonists in 1829...
, Kalgoorlie
Kalgoorlie, Western Australia
Kalgoorlie, known as Kalgoorlie-Boulder, is a town in the Goldfields-Esperance region of Western Australia, and is located east-northeast of state capital Perth at the end of the Great Eastern Highway...
and Leonora
Leonora, Western Australia
Leonora is a town in the Goldfields-Esperance region of Western Australia, located northeast of the state capital, Perth, and north of the city of Kalgoorlie. At the 2006 census, Leonora had a population of 401, about a third of whom are of Aboriginal descent. The area is extremely arid, with a...
. The early northern port of Cossack
Cossack, Western Australia
Cossack is an historic ghost town located 1,480 km north of Perth and 15 km from Roebourne in the Pilbara region of Western Australia. The nearest town to Cossack is Wickham. At the 2006 census, Cossack had a population of 236....
was linked by tram with the town of Roebourne
Roebourne, Western Australia
Roebourne is an old gold rush town in Western Australia's Pilbara region. It is 202 km from Port Hedland and 1,563 km from Perth, the state's capital. It prospered during its gold boom of the late 19th century and was once the biggest settlement between Darwin and Perth...
during the gold boom of the 1890s. The biggest of these networks was centred upon the growing state capital, Perth.
Perth
Trams ran in Perth from the late nineteenth century. There is believed to have been at least one horse car line, but it probably did not carry passengers. The first electric trams ran in 1899 between East PerthEast Perth, Western Australia
East Perth is an inner suburb of Perth, Western Australia, located next to the Perth CBD.Primarily an industrial area in the early twentieth century, it was the location of the East Perth gas works, East Perth Power Station , the East Perth railway yard, and East Perth engine sheds.A considerable...
and West Perth
West Perth, Western Australia
West Perth is an inner suburb of Perth, the capital city of Western Australia. It is part of the inner mixed zone, and has predominantly office blocks which have displaced residential buildings. There is a high proportion of miners and consultants, and particularly medical specialists, compared to...
along Hay Street
Hay Street, Perth
Hay Street is a major road through the CBD of Perth, Western Australia. The street was named after Robert William Hay, the Permanent Under Secretary for Colonies. Sections of the road were called Howick Street and Twiss Street until 1897...
. The electric tram network expanded as far west as Claremont
Claremont, Western Australia
Claremont is a western suburb of Perth, Western Australia on the north bank of the Swan River.-History:Prior to European settlement, the Noongar people used the area as a source of water, for fishing and for catching waterfowl. In 1830, John Butler, a settler, set up an inn at Freshwater Bay to...
, as far north as Osborne Park
Osborne Park, Western Australia
Osborne Park is a suburb of Perth, Western Australia. Its Local Government Area is the City of Stirling.Osborne Park was named after William Osborne, a butcher who owned an abattoir on Wanneroo Road and was elected to the Perth Road Board , in 1875.The suburb was originally full of market gardens,...
, and across the Swan River
Swan River (Western Australia)
The Swan River estuary flows through the city of Perth, in the south west of Western Australia. Its lower reaches are relatively wide and deep, with few constrictions, while the upper reaches are usually quite narrow and shallow....
causeway to Victoria Park
Victoria Park, Western Australia
The Town of Victoria Park is a Local Government Area of Western Australia. It covers an area of 17.62 km² in metropolitan Perth, the capital of Western Australia. The Town of Victoria Park maintains 154.55 km of roads, a little over 1 km² of parks and gardens and has a...
, Como
Como, Western Australia
Como is a suburb of Perth, Western Australia. Its Local Government Area is the City of South Perth. The suburb has a population of 12,423. Canning Highway divides the suburb.-History:...
and Welshpool
Welshpool, Western Australia
Welshpool is an inner southeastern suburb of Perth, located mostly within the City of Canning. The area is considered to be one of the main industrial areas of Perth, along with Kewdale, Kwinana, Henderson, Malaga, O'Connor, Canning Vale and Osborne Park....
. The government took over the running of trams in 1914.
The last tram was built in 1934; No 130. The trams ceased running on 20 July 1958. Since the start of 2007, there have been four proposals for the reintroduction of trams to the Perth metropolitan area, in the form of light rail. However, as at the start of 2011 none of the proposed new light rail lines had been approved for construction.
At Whiteman Park
Whiteman Park
Whiteman Park is a 4000-hectare/40-square-kilometre bushland area located 22 km north of Perth, Western Australia...
22 km north of Perth, there is an operating heritage tram system run by the Perth Electric Tramway Society, with 4 km of track. The trams operating on this system do not presently include any former Perth trams.
Fremantle
Between 1905 and 1952, FremantleFremantle, Western Australia
Fremantle is a city in Western Australia, located at the mouth of the Swan River. Fremantle Harbour serves as the port of Perth, the state capital. Fremantle was the first area settled by the Swan River colonists in 1829...
had a small but comprehensive tramway network of its own. The Fremantle network was owned and operated by a consortium of local municipalities, and was never linked into the Perth network. Throughout its existence, the Fremantle network covered both the Fremantle
City of Fremantle
The City of Fremantle is a Local Government Area in South Metropolitan Perth. The City covers an area of , and lies about southwest of the Perth central business district.-History:...
municipality and the adjacent municipality of East Fremantle. Its tram lines also extended for part of that period into North Fremantle
Town of North Fremantle
The Town of North Fremantle was a Local Government Area in metropolitan Perth, located across the Swan River from Fremantle.-History:On 13 September 1895, the North Fremantle Municipality was declared. On 1 July 1961, it became a Town following enactment of the Local Government Act 1960...
and Melville.
Tramway Museums
Brisbane Tramway Museum
Brisbane Tramway Museum is a transport museum which preserves and displays trams and trolley-buses, most of which operated in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. The museum also has a collection of vehicles and other equipment used in maintaining Brisbane's electric street transport system which...
, the Sydney Tramway Museum
Sydney Tramway Museum
The Sydney Tramway Museum is an operating tramway museum, located in Loftus in the southern suburbs of Sydney, Australia. Sydney Tramway Museum is the trading name of the South Pacific Electric Railway ....
, Whiteman Park
Whiteman Park
Whiteman Park is a 4000-hectare/40-square-kilometre bushland area located 22 km north of Perth, Western Australia...
, Perth, and the Melbourne Tramway Museum, Victoria run by the TMSV
Tramway Museum Society Of Victoria
The Tramway Museum Society of Victoria was founded in 1963 in Victoria, Australia. Its aim is the preservation, restoration and operation of trams...
. There are also museums at St Kilda and Victor Harbor, South Australia and Launceston, Tasmania.
Proposals
There are currently a number of proposals for both extensions to existing systems and new light rail systems in cities that either had not previously had trams or had past tram systems that no longer operate.Gold Coast
The Gold Coast Rapid Transit project is a proposed light rail system in Gold Coast, Australia. Stage 1 of the project will link Griffith University (Southport campus) with Broadbeach, passing through the key activity centres of Southport and Surfers Paradise. The Queensland Government and the Gold Coast City Council are working together to build a light rail system between Helensvale and Coolangatta.Canberra, Queanbeyan and Palerang Council
Lightrail was one of proposed infrastructure developments submitted by the ACT to Infrastructure Australia, but it wasn't successful.Reinstatement
The following are proposed projects in cities that once abandoned trams. There is often a significant nostalgia and sentimental motivation for these proposals which sometimes counts against them in a practical sense.Brisbane
In recent times Brisbane has had several proposals for light rail in the CBDCentral business district
A central business district is the commercial and often geographic heart of a city. In North America this part of a city is commonly referred to as "downtown" or "city center"...
s but each time they have been postponed. Most of the effort in Brisbane is currently on busway
Busway
Busway may refer to several things:Transport technology* Bus rapid transit, bus systems including some elements of trams or metro systems* Guided busway, concrete tracks exclusively for modified busesTransport systems...
s which have been designed to accommodate future light rail routes.
Hobart
There is currently a detailed analysis and study into proposals of the introduction of a light rail service in Hobart's Northern Suburbs along with political backing from all 3 major parties.Perth
The includes a proposed light railway network between Perth and Mirrabooka, Stirling, UWA, Curtin University and Oats Street railway stations.Extension of Existing Systems
The following are proposals for extension to existing tram networks.Melbourne
There are several ongoing proposals to extend Melbourne's network. Recent extensions into Box Hill in 2003 and Vermont South and Melbourne Docklands in 2005 have added many kilometres of new track to existing routes.Sydney
The Metro Light RailMetro Light Rail
The Metro Light Rail is the only currently operating light rail line in Sydney. The line opened on 31 August 1997, mostly along the route of an unused goods railway line, to serve the redeveloped inner-city areas of Darling Harbour, Ultimo and Pyrmont, and was extended in 2000 to serve some of...
currently comprises one line from the Central Railway Station
Central railway station, Sydney
Central Railway Station, the largest railway station in Australia, is at the southern end of the Sydney CBD. It services almost all the lines on the CityRail network, and is the major terminus for interurban and interstate rail services...
, 7.2 km
Kilometre
The kilometre is a unit of length in the metric system, equal to one thousand metres and is therefore exactly equal to the distance travelled by light in free space in of a second...
to the inner western suburb of Lilyfield
Lilyfield, New South Wales
Lilyfield is a small suburb in the Inner West of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Lilyfield is located 6 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the Municipality of Leichhardt....
. The Sydney City Council favours extension of the line to Circular Quay through the Central Business District, but the proposal does not yet have state government approval.
Adelaide
The Adelaide tram system currently comprises a single line from Hindmarsh, through the CBD to Glenelg. However there are plans to extend the system from Hindmarsh to Port AdelaidePort Adelaide
Port Adelaide is a suburb of Adelaide lying about 14 kilometres northwest of the City of Adelaide. It lies within the City of Port Adelaide Enfield and is the main port for the city of Adelaide...
and Semaphore
Semaphore, South Australia
Semaphore is a north-western seaside suburb of Adelaide of the LeFevre Peninsula 14km from the CBD, in the state of South Australia, Australia and falls under the City of Port Adelaide Enfield. It is adjacent to Semaphore South, Glanville, Exeter and Largs Bay. The postcode for Semaphore is 5019...
and Westlakes as part of an urban renewal of the inner western suburbs.
Ballarat
There have been several proposals put to the City of BallaratCity of Ballarat
The City of Ballarat is a Local Government Area in Victoria, Australia around Ballarat. It is located in the western part of the state. It has an area of 740 square kilometres. In 2001 it had a population of 81,000...
to return trams to the inner suburbs and extend the line to Ballarat railway station however these plans have been put on hold indefinitely.
Bendigo
A recent proposal by the City of Greater BendigoCity of Greater Bendigo
The City of Greater Bendigo is a Local Government Area in Victoria, Australia. It is located in the central-western part of the state. It has an area of 3,048 square kilometres...
to extend the route around Lake Weeroona was rejected.
ABB/Adtranz, Dandenong
Manufactured trams for:-
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- Sydney - 2101 class (Variotrams)
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ABB signed the contract, but the merger with Daimler Benz to form Adtranz happened during delivery.
Benjamin Carne
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- Sydney - C1 (steam trailer), B (formerly C2) (steam trailer), Cable grip car (North Sydney), Cable trailer car (North Sydney)
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Clyde Engineering, SydneyClyde EngineeringClyde Engineering was the name of part of the business now known as Downer EDI Rail. Clyde Engineering were involved in the construction of railway locomotives and rolling stock, as well as larger scale engineering projects on behalf of the governments of Australia...
(now part of Downer EDI Rail)
Manufactured trams for:-
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- Sydney
- Melbourne VR trailers (from Sydney)
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Comeng/ABBCommonwealth EngineeringThe Commonwealth Engineering Company Limited is the brand name of a former Australian Engineering Company that designed Locomotives, Electrical Multiple Units , Diesel Multiple Units and Trams.-History:...
, Melbourne
Manufactured trams for:-
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- Melbourne - A1, A2, B1B class Melbourne tramThe B class are a two-section, three-bogie articulated tram that operates in Melbourne, Victoria. Following the introduction of two B1-class trams in 1984 and 1985, a total of 130 B2-class trams were ordered by the Victorian Government and built by Comeng in Dandenong, Victoria...
, B2B class Melbourne tramThe B class are a two-section, three-bogie articulated tram that operates in Melbourne, Victoria. Following the introduction of two B1-class trams in 1984 and 1985, a total of 130 B2-class trams were ordered by the Victorian Government and built by Comeng in Dandenong, Victoria...
, Z1Z class Melbourne tramThe Z class are a single-unit, bogie tram that operates in Melbourne, Australia. They were built by Comeng, a manufacturing company in Dandenong, Victoria, Australia.-History:...
, Z2Z class Melbourne tramThe Z class are a single-unit, bogie tram that operates in Melbourne, Australia. They were built by Comeng, a manufacturing company in Dandenong, Victoria, Australia.-History:...
, Z3Z class Melbourne tramThe Z class are a single-unit, bogie tram that operates in Melbourne, Australia. They were built by Comeng, a manufacturing company in Dandenong, Victoria, Australia.-History:...
- Melbourne - A1, A2, B1
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Duncan and Fraser
Manufactured trams for:-
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- Melbourne A (for PMTT), C (for PMTT), D (for PMTT - built as E class), E (for PMTT), F (for PMTT), G (for PMTT), H (for PMTT), L, M (for HTT/FTT), N (for HTT), O (for PMTT), P (for HTT), S (some) (for MBCTT), T (for MBCTT), U (for NMETL - built by Brill), V (for NMETL - built by Brill), Trailers (for NMETL)
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Fremantle Municipal TramwaysTrams in Fremantle, Western AustraliaFremantle, the port city for Perth, capital city of Western Australia, once had a small but comprehensive tramway network, linking its central business district with nearby suburbs....
Manufactured trams for:-
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- Fremantle - Nos 4, 11, 23 (rebuilds); 33-36
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Henry Vale
Manufactured trams for:-
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- Sydney - A (steam motor), B (formerly C2) (steam trailer)
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Hudson Brothers, Sydney
Manufactured trams for:-
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- Sydney - Horse Cars (Railway to Hunter St line emergency working), A1 (steam trailer), A2 (steam trailer), A3 (steam trailer), A4 (steam trailer), B1 (steam trailer), C1 (steam trailer), B (formerly C2) (steam trailer), Cable grip car (North Sydney), Cable grip car (King Street), Cable trailer car (North Sydney), Cable trailer car (King Street), Combination car (experimental California car)
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James Morrison
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- Sydney - B (formerly C2) (steam trailer), Cable trailer car (North Sydney)
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NSW Railway Workshops, Redfern
Manufactured trams for: Sydney - Horse Cars (1861-1866 Pitt St Line)Melbourne and Metropolitan Tramways Board, Melbourne
Manufactured trams for:-
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- Melbourne - CW5, PCC (980, 1041), Q, R (some), S (some), SW2, SW5 (some [C]), SW6, W (some), W1, W2 (some - some [C]), W3, W4, W5, W6, W7 (some), X1, X2, Y, Y1, Dog Car [C], Blow-down car [C], Scrubber [C], Per-way locomotive and sleeper carrier [C], Sleeper transport car [C], Track cleaner (some [C]), Line-marking car [C], Welding car loco [C], Flat car trailer [C], Per way locomotive [C], Ballast motor [C], Ballast trailer [C], Scraper [C], Rail hardener [C], Drivers instruction car [C], Re-railing instruction car [C], Workshops locomotive, Breakdown car [C], Freight car [C], Wheel transport car [C], Laboratory testing car [C], Pantograph testing car [C], Advertising car [C], Restaurant car [C], City Circle car [C]
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Moore
Manufactured trams for: Melbourne - B (for PMTT), K (for PMTT), R (assembled some), W (some), W2 (some)Pengelly & Co, Edwardstown, SA
Manufactured trams for:-
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- Melbourne - VR
- Adelaide Type H
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Randwick Tramway Workshops, Sydney
Manufactured trams for:-
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- Sydney - Horse Cars (for Newtown - St Peters line and (later) Manly), B (formerly C2) (steam trailer), Cable trailer car (King Street), 1894 Accumulator car
- Melbourne - Scrubber [C] (for Sydney)
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Robert Ritchie/Ritchie Bros, Sydney
Manufactured trams for:-
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- Sydney - A6 (steam trailer), B (formerly C2) (steam trailer), Cable grip car (King Street)
- Melbourne - VR (from Sydney)
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S & E Co
Manufactured trams for:-
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- Sydney - Rail grinder
- Melbourne (Rail grinder) (for Sydney)
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Thomas Wearne
Manufactured trams for:-
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- Sydney - A (steam motor) (Baldwin type), A2 (steam trailer), A5 (steam trailer), A6 (steam trailer), B (steam trailer), C (steam trailer), D1 (self-contained steam car), Cable trailer car (North Sydney)
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Waddingtons/Commonwealth Engineering, SydneyCommonwealth EngineeringThe Commonwealth Engineering Company Limited is the brand name of a former Australian Engineering Company that designed Locomotives, Electrical Multiple Units , Diesel Multiple Units and Trams.-History:...
Manufactured trams for: SydneyWestern Australian Government RailwaysWestern Australian Government RailwaysWestern Australian Government Railways was most common name of the Western Australian government rail transport authority from 1890 to 1976. It is, in its current form, known as the Public Transport Authority of Western Australia....
Manufactured trams for:-
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- Fremantle - Nos 26-29
- Perth - B
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AlstomAlstomAlstom is a large multinational conglomerate which holds interests in the power generation and transport markets. According to the company website, in the years 2010-2011 Alstom had annual sales of over €20.9 billion, and employed more than 85,000 people in 70 countries. Alstom's headquarters are...
Manufactured trams for:
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- Melbourne - CC class Melbourne tramC class is the designation given to the type of Citadis trams used in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia by Melbourne's tram operator Yarra Trams. These three-section low-floor electric trams were built by the transport company Alstom in La Rochelle, France...
(2nd) (Citadis 202) - Melbourne - C2C2 class Melbourne tramThe C2 class are a group of Citadis trams built by Alstom for the Mulhouse, France tram network but leased by Yarra Trams in Melbourne, Australia...
(Citadis 302) Short term lease from Mulhouse, France. - Adelaide - Type J (Citadis 302) 2nd hand from Madrid, Spain.
- Melbourne - C
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Baldwin (USA)
Manufactured trams for:-
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- Sydney - A (steam motor) (Baldwin type)
- Sydney - D1 (self-contained steam car) (steam unit)
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Beyer, PeacockBeyer, Peacock and CompanyBeyer, Peacock and Company was an English railway Locomotive manufacturer with a factory in Gorton, Manchester. Founded by Charles Beyer and Richard Peacock, it traded from 1854 until 1966...
Manufactured trams for:-
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- Sydney - Experimental (steam motor) (Wilkinson type) ("John Bull")
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Bombardier
Manufactured trams for:-
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- Adelaide Type I (Flexity Classic)
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Brown, Marshalls (Birmingham, England)Brown, Marshalls and Co. Ltd.Brown, Marshalls and Co. Ltd. were a company that built railway carriages, based in Saltley, Birmingham, in the UK. They were formed in 1840. In 1866 they built the original coaches for the Talyllyn Railway, which are still in use, and in 1873 built two bogie coaches for the Ffestiniog Railway....
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- Sydney - 1888 Accumulator car (?)
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J G Brill (USA)
Manufactured trams for:-
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- Fremantle - Nos 1-14, 17-19
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- Melbourne - A (for PMTT) (trucks), B (for PMTT) (trucks), C (for PMTT) (trucks), D (for PMTT) (trucks), E (for PMTT) (trucks), F (for PMTT) (trucks), G (for PMTT) (trucks), H (for PMTT) (trucks), J (for PMTT) (trucks), K (for PMTT) (trucks), L (for PMTT) (trucks), M (for HTT) (trucks), N (for HTT) (trucks), O (for PMTT) (trucks), P (for HTT) (trucks), Q (trucks), R (trucks), S (trucks) (some for MBCTT), T (for MBCTT) (trucks),U (for NMETL) (assembled by Duncan & Fraser), V (for NMETL) (assembled by Duncan & Fraser), X, Trailer (trucks), various works cars (trucks), VR
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- Sydney - D1 (self-contained steam car) (cars)
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G Starbuck, Birkenhead, England
Manufactured trams for:-
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- Sydney - Horse Cars (1861-1866 Pitt St Line)
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Kitson
Manufactured trams for:-
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- Sydney - A (steam motor) (Kitson type)
- Sydney - D (self-contained steam car)
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St Louis Car Co (USA)
Manufactured trams for:-
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- Sydney - 1894 accumulator car (trucks) (?)
- Melbourne - X, PCC (trucks)
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See also
- List of town tramway systems in Oceania
- Trams in New ZealandTrams in New ZealandTrams in New Zealand were a major form of transport from the 19th century into the mid 20th century. New Zealand's first tramway was established in 1862 , followed by a steam tramway in 1871 , and the first electric tramway in 1900 . The tram systems in the main centres, and in some smaller towns,...
- Transportation in Australia
External links
- Ballarat Tramway Museum, Victoria
- Whiteman Park, Perth; Perth Electric Tram Society has 4 km of track
- St Kilda Tram Museum, 26 km north of Adelaide
- Tramway Museum Society Of Victoria
- Launceston Tramway Museum on Inveresk Railway site
- Archer Park, Rockhampton, Queensland, Steam Tram Museum
- Brisbane Tramway Museum, Ferny Grove, Brisbane, Queensland
- Tasmanian Transport Museum Hobart; Hobart Tram on display
- Valley Heights Steam Tramway, New South Wales
- Council of Tramway Museums of Australia (COTMA) website
- COTMA Link Page of Tramway Museum websites
- Another Link Page of Tramway Museum websites