POWERHOUSE COLLECTION

Electric C-class Sydney tram

Object No. B1481

The C-class were the first electric trams produced in quantity for Sydney. In all, 97 trams were built by two local companies, Bignal & Morrison and Hudson Brothers (later the Clyde Engineering Co.) between 1896 and 1900 with bogies supplied by the Peckham Motor Truck & Wheel Co., Kingston, New York. Initially 56 cars entered service as electric motors and 41 as trailers. However, around the First World War this number had altered to 84 motors and 13 trailers. They replaced the steam trams which were eventually banished to the outer suburbs and cable trams which were abandoned altogether. These small single truck (bogie) end loading trams were used on more systems than any other New South Wales Government electric tram. In New South Wales they operated on the main Government Sydney and North Sydney lines, as well as non-electric trailers over the Abermain coal railway, on quarry lines in the Bombo-Minnamurra district and along the Byron Bay jetty tramway. In Victoria they operated on the St Kilda and Ballarat lines. Hudson Brothers built the Museum's C-class electric tram No.11, in 1898. It features a single saloon passenger area comprising two longitudinal timber benches facing inwards for 22 seated passengers with standing room in the centre aisle. The interior features varnished timberwork with a clerestory or lantern roof with sidelights of coloured glass. Sliding doors at each end lead to outside platforms where the driver's controls are located. The platforms have no other protection for the driver other than an overhanging canopy and passengers entered and left the car by this means. It went into service on the early electric tramline from Rose Bay to Ocean Street, Woollahra, on 29 August 1898. As well as the Rose Bay service, C-class trams were used at North Sydney and provided the bulk of the trams when the first city electric line was opened along George Street from the railway to Circular Quay on 8 December 1899. Power for the city service was generated at Ultimo power station, now the Powerhouse Museum's exhibition area. C-class trams for this service were housed in Ultimo tram depot, now the Museum's offices, conservation labs and workshops. The new, quiet and clean electric trams were enormously popular and demand for larger trams with cross bench seating and a combination of semi-enclosed areas saw the heyday of the small saloon C-class short-lived. Almost before the last of this class were built it was eclipsed by the larger bogie cars from 1900. The C-class mainly continued to operate on the North Sydney lines until about 1926 after which they were withdrawn from passenger service. They subsequently played a secondary role on the tramway network in various converted forms undertaking a variety of functions, especially breakdown vehicles, and were a familiar sight in Sydney until 1960. The Museum's C-class tram was converted to No.57S as a breakdown car for the Dowling Street Depot, Sydney in 1909, then later at the Military Road depot, at Rushcutters Bay and at North Sydney depots. The "S" indicated it was a service vehicle and no longer carried passengers. The tram was restored at the Randwick Tramway Workshops of the New South Wales Department of Government Transport under the direction of the Superintendent, Mr J. Hastie. It was presented to the Museum in 1961 not long after the last tram operated in Sydney. Margaret Simpson, Curator Clark, L. A., "North of the Harbour: a brief history of transport to and on the North Shore", Newey & Beath Printers Pty Ltd, Broadmeadow, NSW, 1976. McCarthy K. & N. Chinn, "New South Wales Tramcar Handbook 1861-1961, Part One," South Pacific Electric Railway Co-operative Society Limited, Sutherland, NSW, 1975.