C-class Sydney tram

The C-class trams were a class of single bogie end-loading electric trams operated on the Sydney tram network.

C-class
Stored in Sydney Tramway Museum
Manufacturer	Bignall & Morrison Hudson Brothers Clyde Engineering
Constructed	1896-1900
Number built	97
Fleet numbers	4-17, 20-97, 289-291
Capacity	20-26 (Seated)
Specifications
Train length	22 ft 0 in (6.71 m) to 26 ft 0 in (7.92 m)
Width	7 ft 3.5 in (2.22 m)
Height	12 ft 1.5 in (3.70 m)
Maximum speed	60 km/h
Weight	8.41 long tons (8.5 t)
Power output	4 x 36 hp (later 50)
Electric system(s)	600 V DC catenary
Current collector(s)	Trolley pole
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in)

History

Preserved C11 at the Powerhouse Museum

Between 1896 and 1900, 97 C-class trams were built by three Sydney firms; Bignall & Morrison, Hudson Brothers and Clyde Engineering with bogies supplied by the Peckham Motor Truck & Wheel Co, Kingston, New York. There were four different body types, with variations in width, length, number of windows, and seating capacity (20-26). Three (289-291) were built as trailer cars, later being fitted with power equipment.^[1]

A typical C-class tram featured a single saloon passenger area comprised two longitudinal timber benches facing inwards, accommodating 22 seated passengers, with standing room in the centre aisle. The interior featured varnished timberwork, and there was a clerestory roof with sidelights of coloured glass. Sliding doors at each end led to outside platforms where the driver controlled the tram. The driver was protected by an overhanging canopy, where passengers entered and left the car.

C-class trams towed steam tram and cable tram trailers, and many ran coupled together. There were also examples of C and D classes being coupled. Some of these C/C and C/D combinations became permanent, with the inner end driving controls being removed. They mainly operated from Ridge Street Tram Depot, and to a lesser extent from Rushcutters Bay, Ultimo and Waverley.^[1]

In 1905, three (14-16) were sold to Ballarat. In 1907, four (23, 25, 38 and 39) were sold to the Victorian Railways as replacements for trams destroyed by a fire at Elwood depot. Mass withdrawals began in 1917 with all out of service by 1926. From 1924 until 1963, one tram (37) saw service on the jetty at Byron Bay as a locomotive-hauled car.^[1]

Numbers

• Bignall & Morrison: (1896/97) 4-8, 289-291
• Hudson Brothers: (1898) 9-17, 29, 33, 59 (1899) 19, 22-28, 30-32, 34-51, 53-58, 60-66, 76, 77 (1900) 18, 20, 21, 52, 67-75
• Clyde Engineering: (1899) 78-91, 94-97 (1900) 92, 93

Preservation

Seven have been preserved:

• 11 by the Powerhouse Museum restored in 1961 to original livery at Randwick Tramway Workshops^[2]
• 29 and 290 in operational condition at the Sydney Tramway Museum^[3]
• 12, 33 and 37 under restoration at the Sydney Tramway Museum. Sadly No.12 was destroyed by fire during a vandalism attack in 2016^[3]
• 95, at the Illawarra Light Railway Museum, Albion Park as a carriage^[4]

References

1. MacCowan, Ian (1990). The Tramways of New South Wales. Oakleigh: Ian MacCowan. p. 115. ISBN 0 949600 25 3.
2. "No. 11 electric C-class tram, 1898". Powerhouse Museum.
3. "Sydney Tramway Museum Fleet Register" (PDF). Sydney Tramway Museum. Retrieved 4 September 2013.
4. "Car 95 Year Built: 1899". Illawarra Light Railway Museum Society.

Further reading

• Chinn, N (1975). New South Wales Tramcar Handbook 1861-1961. Vol. 1. South Pacific Electric Railway Cooperative Society. ISBN 9780959865967.
• McCarthy, Ken (1976). New South Wales Tramcar Handbook 1861-1961. Vol. 2. South Pacific Electric Railway Cooperative Society. ISBN 9780959865974.

External links

Media related to Sydney C-Class Tram at Wikimedia Commons