W class Melbourne tram
Encyclopedia
The W class is a class of electric
tram
s that operates in Melbourne
, Victoria
, Australia
. The tram model series is a cultural icon to Melbourne. While a number of older variants have been withdrawn from service and later sold to cities such as Seattle, Copenhagen
and Savannah
and private enthusiasts, those that remain in Melbourne are classified by the National Trust of Australia
and operate on the City Circle
tourist route, the North Richmond
to Prahran
/ St Kilda
Beach route (Routes:78
/79
), the St Vincents Plaza to Docklands route (Route:30
) and the Colonial Tramcar Restaurant
fleet.
layout and were characterised by a substantial timber frame supplanted by a steel under frame, a simple rugged design, and fine craftsmanship (particularly the older models). The W class was the mainstay of Melbourne's tramways system for 60 years. A total of 748 trams of all variants were built.
The original and most numerous W2 variant was supplemented in the late 1930s by 120 W5 (or "Clyde") class trams with wider cabins, and more powerful motors, however these were notorious for being difficult to drive smoothly. The W6 followed on, and became the most popular W-class tram with crews and passengers alike as they were fast, smooth and comfortable, compared with earlier W variants. Construction came to a halt for some years, with the final 40 W-class trams emerging from the Preston Workshops in 1956, when the need to provide something more capable of dealing with Olympic Games
crowds than Bourke Street's buses prompted the last expansion of the network.
The W7 class with its pneumatic sliding doors (later retrofitted to most W5 and W6 trams too) and softer suspension
proved popular with passengers. It was not until the 1990s that the W class was finally considered 'surplus' to rolling stock requirements.
In 1992 an official mass withdrawal of the W class was announced by the then transport minister Alan Brown, this was generally due to the fact that over 200 W class remained in service while the newer Z-class trams were in storage in varying locations, displaced by the newer A- and B-class vehicles. The public outrage over the disappearing icons brought about a reconsideration of the withdrawal policy, so it was decided 53 W's would be retained for tourist purposes. The popular zero-fare city circle tourist route commenced in 1994 using 12 of the 53 trams retained.
The remaining 150 or so withdrawn W's are in storage at Newport Workshops, their fate is undecided, although an embargo on the sale of these trams to overseas interest was placed on them. The government has made the odd donation to tram museums abroad, the most recent tram was gifted to Princess Mary, and Prince Frederick in 2006.
s with a single pantograph
, and new brake systems. Today numbering 53, they run regularly on the route 78
/ 79
service from North Richmond
to Prahran
/ St Kilda
Beach, as well as the inner city route 30
along Latrobe Street. These routes were chosen due to their limited interface with other routes, and their relatively low speeds.
The zero-fare City Circle
tourist route also operates using the W class. The oldest W-class trams remaining in service, dating from 1936, run this route. Others have been converted for use on the Colonial Tramcar Restaurant
service which cruises the suburbs in the evening.
The condition of the W-class fleet has been criticised by the Rail Tram and Bus Union, who in September 2008 demanded remedial works be carried out, or the fleet taken out of service due to poor maintenance standards. A Yarra Trams spokesman said that the fleet met maintenance standards, but required more cosmetic work than other trams due to the wooden structure. Yarra Trams maintenance of these icons has been under public scrutiny for some time. Yarra Trams have a budget that applies to all trams.
In late 2009, the acting Transport Minister, Lynne Kosky announced that the remainder of the W-class trams operating regular routes would be scrapped, leaving only the zero fare City Circle in situ. In early 2010 the newly appointed Transport Minister, Martin Pakula announced that as his first act as Transport Minister he would confirm that W-class trams would eventually be "out" of the system on regular routes. There is now a campaign headed by the National Trust to overturn this decision, they believe the decision to withdraw over 40 W-class trams still in operation lacks a long-term vision for Melbourne's heritage, and undermines the unique value of the trams to Melbourne.
In 2010, New Zealand expressed interest in obtaining a large percentage of stored W-class trams for its heritage tramway in Christchurch, no response has yet been given on behalf of VicTrack
, who currently have ownership of the mothballed trams.
, including W3-class tram number 667.
A number of W-class trams have been sent overseas, including five that went to Seattle between 1978 and 1993, where they operated as Seattle's own heritage streetcar line, George Benson Waterfront Streetcar Line, between 1982 and 2005. Since 1990, public outrage over the sale of these popular trams to overseas interest has forced an embargo to be placed on the sale of these trams to any overseas interest.
Two unrelated MATAs, the Dallas MATA
and the Memphis
MATA
both run W-class trams on their downtown streetcar service. A highly modified W class tram began running
in 2009 along River Street in Savannah, Georgia, its AC motors powered by biodiesel-fueled generators.
In 2005 a tram was restored at a cost of $25,000 and given as a wedding present from the Victorian Government to Princess Mary
and Crown Prince Frederik
of Denmark. Shipping line Maersk transported the tram to Denmark free of charge, waiving the estimated bill of $40,000.
In 2010, a large scale campaign was headed by the National Trust to encourage the further use of the W-class trams throughout Melbourne. The campaign was heralded a success with the Transport Minister vowing to hold a summit to decide how the trams may be used after 2012, when the W-class trams are scheduled for withdrawal. Although the W-class trams are scheduled for withdrawal, their use seems guaranteed into the future with the Premier of Victoria declaring that the W class would now remain in regular service beyond 2012.
The 406-strong class was the backbone of the Melbourne and Metropolitan Tramways Board (MMTB)'s
vast fleet during their heyday from the 1940s to 1960s. Most class members had been converted from the earlier W & W1 classes.The trams featured two enclosed saloon areas at either end of the tram and an open "drop-centre" section in the middle. A trademark feature of these vehicles until the 1970s was their uncomfortable wooden bench-style seats, a feature they shared with most other Melbourne trams of that period.
Mechanically, they had four under-floor motors powering two sets of the MMTB's "Number one" bogies. The driver's controls were made by Westinghouse
, Dick Kerr controllers, and Clyde controllers. The W2 class also had many variant gears within the tram bogies, the 'Spur'-geared W2 classes were notable due to their humming sound.
Towards the end of their useful lives, many class members were converted to service (non-Passenger) stock such as carborundum rail scrubbers, permanent-way vehicles, rail grinders & breakdown units. A large number of units were also sold to museums and public transport operators in Australia and around the world, with a large number still running today.
From 1978 until 1982 many W2s were painted by well-known Australian Artists as part of the "Transporting Art" program. W2.442 was converted for use with the Colonial Tramcar Restaurant
in 1981, entering service in 1983. The last W2 to run in regular service in Melbourne ran in December 1987 on the number 93 City (La Trobe Street, via St.Georges Road and The Hump in Miller Street) to Bundoora
route although a small number were used well into the early 1990s during extended tram shortages.
SW5 class trams have sliding doors, improved drop centre seating, [Window#Hopper window|hopper windows]] in the saloons and round cornered windscreens to differentiate themselves from W5-class trams. Trams 840 - 849 were built as SW5-class trams, two W5-class trams were converted to SW5's in 1956, with an additional 83 W5-class trams converted from 1983 to 1986.
After 1983-86 the SW5s converted from W5s were essentially the same in appearance to the original SW5s owing to the removal of the middle door, addition of sliding doors to replace weather blinds and rounded corner windscreens. The main visual differences post conversion were the saloon windows, which unlike the original SW5s didn't have hopper windows and the retention of internal wooden bulk heads.
During the mass withdrawal of the W classes in 1994-96, the majority of this class was retired in preference to the higher class-Ws, this was due to the discovery of asbestos in the controllers.
. The Cab controls
are the same as of other W-class trams.
W6-class trams initially begun as a sub group of the SW6-class trams, but later became their own class. They are similar to the W7-class trams. Two of the trams are in the hands of preservation groups, one of which is used as a café tram in Bendigo
. Three SW6-class trams also operate on the Colonial Tramcar Restaurant
service.
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...
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...
s that operates 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...
, 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....
, 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...
. The tram model series is a cultural icon to Melbourne. While a number of older variants have been withdrawn from service and later sold to cities such as Seattle, Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
and Savannah
Savannah, Georgia
Savannah is the largest city and the county seat of Chatham County, in the U.S. state of Georgia. Established in 1733, the city of Savannah was the colonial capital of the Province of Georgia and later the first state capital of Georgia. Today Savannah is an industrial center and an important...
and private enthusiasts, those that remain in Melbourne are classified by the National Trust of Australia
National Trust of Australia
The Australian Council of National Trusts is the peak body for community-based, non-government organisations committed to promoting and conserving Australia's indigenous, natural and historic heritage....
and operate on the 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...
tourist route, the North Richmond
North Richmond, Victoria
North Richmond is an official unbounded neighbourhood located in inner Melbourne in the vicinity of North Richmond railway station. It is in the City of Yarra municipality....
to Prahran
Prahran, Victoria
Prahran , also known colloquially as "Pran", is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 5 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Stonnington. At the 2006 Census, Prahran had a population of 10,651. It is a part of Melbourne with...
/ St Kilda
St Kilda, Victoria
St Kilda is an inner city suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 6 km south from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Port Phillip...
Beach route (Routes:78
Melbourne tram route 78
Tram route 78 is a public transport service in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. The route starts at the Victoria St terminus , then runs along Church St, Richmond, crossing Bridge Rd and Swan St . It continues over the Yarra River along Chapel St, crossing Toorak Rd at stop 49...
/79
Melbourne tram route 79
Tram route 79 is a public transport service in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It runs from North Richmond to St Kilda Beach through the suburbs of South Yarra, Prahran, Windsor, Balaclava, and St, Kilda. Like most tram routes in Melbourne, it is entirely within Metcard ticketing Zone 1...
), the St Vincents Plaza to Docklands route (Route:30
Melbourne tram route 30
Tram route 30 is a public transport service in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It runs from St Vincents Plaza to Etihad Stadium. It only runs on weekdays, during daylight hours and is one of three fare paying routes to use heritage W class trams....
) and the Colonial Tramcar Restaurant
Colonial Tramcar Restaurant
The Colonial Tramcar Restaurant is a restaurant which operates from a converted fleet of three vintage trams in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia....
fleet.
History
W-class trams were introduced to Melbourne in 1923 as a new standard design. They had a dual bogieBogie
A bogie is a wheeled wagon or trolley. In mechanics terms, a bogie is a chassis or framework carrying wheels, attached to a vehicle. It can be fixed in place, as on a cargo truck, mounted on a swivel, as on a railway carriage/car or locomotive, or sprung as in the suspension of a caterpillar...
layout and were characterised by a substantial timber frame supplanted by a steel under frame, a simple rugged design, and fine craftsmanship (particularly the older models). The W class was the mainstay of Melbourne's tramways system for 60 years. A total of 748 trams of all variants were built.
The original and most numerous W2 variant was supplemented in the late 1930s by 120 W5 (or "Clyde") class trams with wider cabins, and more powerful motors, however these were notorious for being difficult to drive smoothly. The W6 followed on, and became the most popular W-class tram with crews and passengers alike as they were fast, smooth and comfortable, compared with earlier W variants. Construction came to a halt for some years, with the final 40 W-class trams emerging from the Preston Workshops in 1956, when the need to provide something more capable of dealing with Olympic Games
1956 Summer Olympics
The 1956 Melbourne Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVI Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was held in Melbourne, Australia, in 1956, with the exception of the equestrian events, which could not be held in Australia due to quarantine regulations...
crowds than Bourke Street's buses prompted the last expansion of the network.
The W7 class with its pneumatic sliding doors (later retrofitted to most W5 and W6 trams too) and softer suspension
Suspension (vehicle)
Suspension is the term given to the system of springs, shock absorbers and linkages that connects a vehicle to its wheels. Suspension systems serve a dual purpose — contributing to the car's roadholding/handling and braking for good active safety and driving pleasure, and keeping vehicle occupants...
proved popular with passengers. It was not until the 1990s that the W class was finally considered 'surplus' to rolling stock requirements.
In 1992 an official mass withdrawal of the W class was announced by the then transport minister Alan Brown, this was generally due to the fact that over 200 W class remained in service while the newer Z-class trams were in storage in varying locations, displaced by the newer A- and B-class vehicles. The public outrage over the disappearing icons brought about a reconsideration of the withdrawal policy, so it was decided 53 W's would be retained for tourist purposes. The popular zero-fare city circle tourist route commenced in 1994 using 12 of the 53 trams retained.
The remaining 150 or so withdrawn W's are in storage at Newport Workshops, their fate is undecided, although an embargo on the sale of these trams to overseas interest was placed on them. The government has made the odd donation to tram museums abroad, the most recent tram was gifted to Princess Mary, and Prince Frederick in 2006.
Today
In mid-2000 the remainder of the W-class fleet was removed from service after a series of incidents involving brake problems. Some returned to service in a limited way in May 2001 on the City Circle route. The remainder followed in late 2003 after installation of speedometers and a 40km/h speed limit, replacement of trolley poleTrolley pole
A trolley pole is a tapered cylindrical pole of wood or metal, used to transfer electricity from a "live" overhead wire to the control and propulsion equipment of a tram or trolley bus. The use of overhead wire in a system of current collection is reputed to be the 1880 invention of Frank J....
s with a single pantograph
Pantograph (rail)
A pantograph for rail lines is a hinged electric-rod device that collects electric current from overhead lines for electric trains or trams. The pantograph typically connects to a one-wire line, with the track acting as the ground wire...
, and new brake systems. Today numbering 53, they run regularly on the route 78
Melbourne tram route 78
Tram route 78 is a public transport service in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. The route starts at the Victoria St terminus , then runs along Church St, Richmond, crossing Bridge Rd and Swan St . It continues over the Yarra River along Chapel St, crossing Toorak Rd at stop 49...
/ 79
Melbourne tram route 79
Tram route 79 is a public transport service in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It runs from North Richmond to St Kilda Beach through the suburbs of South Yarra, Prahran, Windsor, Balaclava, and St, Kilda. Like most tram routes in Melbourne, it is entirely within Metcard ticketing Zone 1...
service from North Richmond
North Richmond, Victoria
North Richmond is an official unbounded neighbourhood located in inner Melbourne in the vicinity of North Richmond railway station. It is in the City of Yarra municipality....
to Prahran
Prahran, Victoria
Prahran , also known colloquially as "Pran", is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 5 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Stonnington. At the 2006 Census, Prahran had a population of 10,651. It is a part of Melbourne with...
/ St Kilda
St Kilda, Victoria
St Kilda is an inner city suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 6 km south from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Port Phillip...
Beach, as well as the inner city route 30
Melbourne tram route 30
Tram route 30 is a public transport service in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It runs from St Vincents Plaza to Etihad Stadium. It only runs on weekdays, during daylight hours and is one of three fare paying routes to use heritage W class trams....
along Latrobe Street. These routes were chosen due to their limited interface with other routes, and their relatively low speeds.
The zero-fare 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...
tourist route also operates using the W class. The oldest W-class trams remaining in service, dating from 1936, run this route. Others have been converted for use on the Colonial Tramcar Restaurant
Colonial Tramcar Restaurant
The Colonial Tramcar Restaurant is a restaurant which operates from a converted fleet of three vintage trams in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia....
service which cruises the suburbs in the evening.
The condition of the W-class fleet has been criticised by the Rail Tram and Bus Union, who in September 2008 demanded remedial works be carried out, or the fleet taken out of service due to poor maintenance standards. A Yarra Trams spokesman said that the fleet met maintenance standards, but required more cosmetic work than other trams due to the wooden structure. Yarra Trams maintenance of these icons has been under public scrutiny for some time. Yarra Trams have a budget that applies to all trams.
In late 2009, the acting Transport Minister, Lynne Kosky announced that the remainder of the W-class trams operating regular routes would be scrapped, leaving only the zero fare City Circle in situ. In early 2010 the newly appointed Transport Minister, Martin Pakula announced that as his first act as Transport Minister he would confirm that W-class trams would eventually be "out" of the system on regular routes. There is now a campaign headed by the National Trust to overturn this decision, they believe the decision to withdraw over 40 W-class trams still in operation lacks a long-term vision for Melbourne's heritage, and undermines the unique value of the trams to Melbourne.
In 2010, New Zealand expressed interest in obtaining a large percentage of stored W-class trams for its heritage tramway in Christchurch, no response has yet been given on behalf of VicTrack
VicTrack
VicTrack is the Victorian Government agency which owns all railway and tram lines, associated rail lands and other related rail-related infrastructure in the state of Victoria, Australia....
, who currently have ownership of the mothballed trams.
Disposal
Approximately 200 later model W-class trams remain stored at various locations around Melbourne such as the Newport Workshops, with the future use of these trams is unknown. A number of these were used in the filming of the HBO mini-series The PacificThe Pacific (miniseries)
The Pacific is a 2010 television series produced by HBO, Seven Network Australia, Sky Movies, Playtone and DreamWorks that premiered in the United States on March 14, 2010....
, including W3-class tram number 667.
A number of W-class trams have been sent overseas, including five that went to Seattle between 1978 and 1993, where they operated as Seattle's own heritage streetcar line, George Benson Waterfront Streetcar Line, between 1982 and 2005. Since 1990, public outrage over the sale of these popular trams to overseas interest has forced an embargo to be placed on the sale of these trams to any overseas interest.
Two unrelated MATAs, the Dallas MATA
McKinney Avenue Transit Authority
The McKinney Avenue Transit Authority , a non-profit organization, operates the M-line Streetcar line in Dallas, Texas . The offices and car barn are located at 3153 Oak Grove, Dallas, TX 75204. It is an example of a heritage streetcar running historic cars...
and the Memphis
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
MATA
MATA Trolley
The MATA Trolley is a heritage streetcar system operating in Memphis in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It has operated since April 29, 1993.As of 2008, the system consists of three lines: the Main Street Trolley, the Madison Avenue Loop and the Riverfront Loop...
both run W-class trams on their downtown streetcar service. A highly modified W class tram began running
River Street streetcar
The River Street Streetcar is a heritage streetcar line in Savannah, Georgia in the United States. It began regular operation on February 11, 2009 and shuttles between 7 stops along River Street, next to the Savannah River.- History :...
in 2009 along River Street in Savannah, Georgia, its AC motors powered by biodiesel-fueled generators.
In 2005 a tram was restored at a cost of $25,000 and given as a wedding present from the Victorian Government to Princess Mary
Mary, Crown Princess of Denmark
Mary, Crown Princess of Denmark, Countess of Monpezat, is the wife of Frederik, Crown Prince of Denmark...
and Crown Prince Frederik
Frederik, Crown Prince of Denmark
Frederik, Crown Prince of Denmark, Count of Monpezat, is the heir apparent to the throne of Denmark. Frederik is the elder son of Queen Margrethe II and Henrik, the Prince Consort.-Name and christening:...
of Denmark. Shipping line Maersk transported the tram to Denmark free of charge, waiving the estimated bill of $40,000.
In 2010, a large scale campaign was headed by the National Trust to encourage the further use of the W-class trams throughout Melbourne. The campaign was heralded a success with the Transport Minister vowing to hold a summit to decide how the trams may be used after 2012, when the W-class trams are scheduled for withdrawal. Although the W-class trams are scheduled for withdrawal, their use seems guaranteed into the future with the Premier of Victoria declaring that the W class would now remain in regular service beyond 2012.
W2
The W2 were introduced in 1927 and remained in service until their final withdrawal in mid-1987.The 406-strong class was the backbone of the Melbourne and Metropolitan Tramways Board (MMTB)'s
vast fleet during their heyday from the 1940s to 1960s. Most class members had been converted from the earlier W & W1 classes.The trams featured two enclosed saloon areas at either end of the tram and an open "drop-centre" section in the middle. A trademark feature of these vehicles until the 1970s was their uncomfortable wooden bench-style seats, a feature they shared with most other Melbourne trams of that period.
Mechanically, they had four under-floor motors powering two sets of the MMTB's "Number one" bogies. The driver's controls were made by Westinghouse
Westinghouse Electric (1886)
Westinghouse Electric was an American manufacturing company. It was founded in 1886 as Westinghouse Electric Company and later renamed Westinghouse Electric Corporation by George Westinghouse. The company purchased CBS in 1995 and became CBS Corporation in 1997...
, Dick Kerr controllers, and Clyde controllers. The W2 class also had many variant gears within the tram bogies, the 'Spur'-geared W2 classes were notable due to their humming sound.
Towards the end of their useful lives, many class members were converted to service (non-Passenger) stock such as carborundum rail scrubbers, permanent-way vehicles, rail grinders & breakdown units. A large number of units were also sold to museums and public transport operators in Australia and around the world, with a large number still running today.
From 1978 until 1982 many W2s were painted by well-known Australian Artists as part of the "Transporting Art" program. W2.442 was converted for use with the Colonial Tramcar Restaurant
Colonial Tramcar Restaurant
The Colonial Tramcar Restaurant is a restaurant which operates from a converted fleet of three vintage trams in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia....
in 1981, entering service in 1983. The last W2 to run in regular service in Melbourne ran in December 1987 on the number 93 City (La Trobe Street, via St.Georges Road and The Hump in Miller Street) to Bundoora
Bundoora, Victoria
Bundoora is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 16 km north from the Melbourne central business district. Its Local Government Area are the cities of Banyule, Darebin and Whittlesea. At the 2006 Census, Bundoora had a population of 24,018....
route although a small number were used well into the early 1990s during extended tram shortages.
SW5
The SW5 class was introduced between 1939 and 1941 and are still in use today.SW5 class trams have sliding doors, improved drop centre seating, [Window#Hopper window|hopper windows]] in the saloons and round cornered windscreens to differentiate themselves from W5-class trams. Trams 840 - 849 were built as SW5-class trams, two W5-class trams were converted to SW5's in 1956, with an additional 83 W5-class trams converted from 1983 to 1986.
After 1983-86 the SW5s converted from W5s were essentially the same in appearance to the original SW5s owing to the removal of the middle door, addition of sliding doors to replace weather blinds and rounded corner windscreens. The main visual differences post conversion were the saloon windows, which unlike the original SW5s didn't have hopper windows and the retention of internal wooden bulk heads.
During the mass withdrawal of the W classes in 1994-96, the majority of this class was retired in preference to the higher class-Ws, this was due to the discovery of asbestos in the controllers.
Fleet numbers
SW5-class trams have unusual fleet numbers, with W5-class trams retaining their original fleet numbers after conversion to SW5.- W5s converted to SW5: 681 - 682, 721 - 734, 736 - 750, 752 - 755, 757 - 760, 764 - 765, 767 - 770, 773, 775 - 777, 780 - 781, 784 - 791, 793, 796 - 797, 800, 802, 805 - 812, 814 - 816, 818 - 819, 824, 828 - 830, 834, 836 - 838
- Built as SW5: 840 - 849
W6
The W6 class was introduced between 1951 and 1955 and are still in service today. At their introduction, W6-class trams were popular with passengers and crew alike for being fast, smooth and comfortable. Today a total of six are still in service in Melbourne with Yarra TramsYarra Trams
Yarra Trams is the trading name of the Melbourne tram network, which is fully owned and registered by the Victorian State Government. The current franchise is operated by a consortium named KDR Melbourne which consists of a partnership between French company Keolis and Australian company Downer EDI...
. The Cab controls
Tram controls
The following article describes the controls on electric, rather than steam trams.-Overview:The operation of trams is relatively simple. As trams run on rails, they do not require steering controls. However they do require controls for the smooth application of power and for braking and to control...
are the same as of other W-class trams.
W6-class trams initially begun as a sub group of the SW6-class trams, but later became their own class. They are similar to the W7-class trams. Two of the trams are in the hands of preservation groups, one of which is used as a café tram in 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...
. Three SW6-class trams also operate on the Colonial Tramcar Restaurant
Colonial Tramcar Restaurant
The Colonial Tramcar Restaurant is a restaurant which operates from a converted fleet of three vintage trams in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia....
service.