This article describes the tram types in Adelaide that have operated for the past 146 years: from early days when they undertook a major share of the public transport task before car ownership was well established; through the 49-year period when only one tram line operated; to the city's 21st-century tramways revival.

The three eras of Adelaide trams since 1878

The evolution of public and private transport in Adelaide has closely reflected the economic and social development of South Australia. Growth of the Adelaide conurbation also reflected the development of efficient public transport. Horse-drawn transport characterised the foundation years, but with industrial development and the growth of the suburbs the extension of tramway (and railway) networks was a feature of urban transport and development until the Second World War.^[1]

There have been three generations of trams over the 146 years since street vehicles first ran on steel (or iron) rails in Adelaide:

• 1878–1917, horse trams built in the United States and locally: more than 150 lightweight horse-drawn trams travelled along about 120 km (75 mi) of lines in the streets of the city's centre and its suburbs.
• 1909–1952, electric trams built locally, at first from American kits: more than 300 electric trams ran on more than 100 km (62 mi) of routes similar to those of the horse trams until all street tram services ceased in 1958. From then until 2006 only the 1929-vintage "Glenelg" trams survived, running mostly off-street on the 10.9 km (6.8 mi) line from Adelaide's centre to the beach.
• Since 2006, contemporary trams built overseas: Twenty-four state-of-the-art trams of two makes replaced the by-then vintage trams on the Glenelg line and subsequently on 5.4 km (3.4 mi) of newly built line extensions north through the city centre and on to the city's cultural and entertainment precincts.

Horse trams

At a glance Adelaide was an early adopter, in 1878, of horse trams but the last of Australia's capital cities to subsequently move to more efficient technologies. Eleven private companies eventually competed on their own lines that totalled 119 kilometres (74 miles) by 1901. More than 150 trams were built in the United States or, later, to almost identical designs by local coachbuilders or horse tram companies.[2] Since the horse tram companies lacked the capital to upgrade their technology after drought and a long economic depression, the South Australian Government bought the assets of most of them in 1907. It established the Municipal Tramways Trust to rapidly construct an electrified network. Horse trams operated during the new lines' construction until the last was withdrawn from Adelaide-centric lines in 1914 (and in 1917 in Port Adelaide). First electric trams acquired after the horse tram era: Type A and Type B in 1908.

During the 39-year horse-drawn era that started on 10 June 1878,^[2]: 24 trams were mainly double-decked with an enclosed saloon 12 to 16 feet (3.7 to 4.9 metres) long and an open seated area of the same length above it; and single-decked cars 10 to 12 feet (3.0 to 3.7 metres) long. Although they were owned by 11 companies, their designs were similar: extremely lightweight in construction and with minimal springing. However, even at an average speed of 8 kilometres per hour (5 miles per hour) they were a vast improvement on the speed and comfort of horse-drawn street carriages. Their light weight was reflected in horse trams that ran to Henley Beach not being fitted with an upper-deck canvas awning for fear that a sea breeze would blow the tram over,^[3] and by the practice followed when horse trams met while travelling in opposite directions on single track: the one with the fewer passengers, derailed by able-bodied males, was pulled out of the way to allow the other car to pass.^[2]: 36

An Adelaide company, Duncan & Fraser Ltd of Franklin Street, assembled the city's first 20 horse-drawn trams manufactured (and dismantled for shipping) by the John Stephenson Company, New York City.^[4] The company that ordered them, the Adelaide & Suburban Tramway Company, manufactured horse trams in its own factory at Kensington from 1897.^[5]: 11

By 1907 there were 162 trams, drawn by 1056 horses, servicing routes totalling about 120 kilometres (75 miles) in length.^{[6]: 326–331} Except in minor respects the trams' designs did not evolve during the 36 years in which they operated.^[3]

The South Australian government purchased the assets of almost all of the companies in 1907 and in December incorporated the Municipal Tramways Trust (MTT) to introduce an electrified system. While the electric lines were being built, the trust operated many of the acquired horse trams but in decreasing numbers, withdrawing horse tram services altogether in July 1914 in the City of Adelaide and, after delays caused by the war, in 1917 on the isolated Port Adelaide system.^[3]

A battery tram trialled in 1889

Adelaide's horse tram era was briefly punctuated by a technology that foreshadowed the direction in which public transport would be transformed around the world. In 1889 – eight years after the world's first commercially successful electric tram ran in Germany, and in the same year that Melbourne introduced overhead-powered electric trams – the Adelaide and Hindmarsh Tramway Company Limited conducted trials of a tram powered by Julien's Patent electric traction technology.^[7][8] It was a battery-powered tramcar, which was promoted as offering the advantages of electrical power without the cost of erecting overhead wires.^[9]: 29

On 9 January 1889 the car, adapted from a double-deck horse car built by Adelaide coachbuilders Duncan & Fraser, made the first of several fast journeys to Henley Beach.^[10] The project ended the following year when the two proponents were killed in a railway level crossing accident.^[11] Adelaide had to wait another 20 years for electrification.

Electric trams

In total, 337 electric trams of 14 types have operated over Adelaide's tramways, which totalled a little more than 100 km (62 mi) until 1958, when the street tramways were closed down, and which now total 16 km (9.9 mi). During the 44 years between the inauguration of the first electric tram in 1909 and the delivery of the last tram in 1953 the Municipal Tramways Trust commissioned 313 of the first 12 electric tram types described in this article.

Details of the trams in the order of their introduction are in the following panel, expandable by clicking .

Trams of the 20th century

The MTT's 100 inaugural trams were of two North American designs, manufactured by the J.G. Brill Company of Philadelphia and shipped for final assembly by Adelaide coachbuilders Duncan & Fraser, who subsequently built 20 more cars.^[4] Between 1910 and 1912 another Adelaide coachbuilder, A. Pengelly & Co. of Edwardstown, assembled 50 more Brill trams, bringing a total of tram constructions before the First World War to 170.^{[2]: 38  [note 7]}

In 1913 the MTT had developed its first design to meet the specific requirements of its own system. Eighty-four of these fast-loading "dropcentre" trams were to become the mainstay of the street network until it was closed in 1958. However, the constraints of the First World War delayed their construction until 1921. As a stopgap to meet demand from extended routes, 20 four-wheeled trams were built cheaply in 1918, to almost the same design as the first of the inaugural tram types. Four Brill lightweight trams were imported in 1925 to handle the lightly trafficked, isolated Port Adelaide system.^{[2]: 60, 64 [18]}

In 1929, twenty years after a false start, the Glenelg railway line was converted to electric operation. Since most of the line was in a private reservation, the MTT designed an interurban-style high-speed (for the time) end-loading saloon tram with power-operated doors and folding steps. Thirty of them, capable of running coupled together, were built hurriedly for the line's opening. Popularly known as "Glenelg" or "Bay" trams, they were to operate in revenue service for 77 years. An updated version of the Glenelg trams was designed in 1939, but post-war material shortages delayed the introduction of the first – and ultimately the only – car until 1953.^{[2]: 86 [18]}

While the last tram was being built, a parliamentary select committee concluded a report into the MTT in June 1952.^[19] The South Australian government then replaced the local government councillors comprising most of the MTT board with its government officials and announced its intention to close all of Adelaide's tram services, to be replaced by buses. The last street tram operated on 22 November 1958, leaving only the Glenelg line and its unique trams to survive, on a route from Victoria Square, the geographic centre of Adelaide, to Moseley Square, Glenelg.^[20]: 12

By 2006 the Glenelg trams had been in full-time operation for 77 years. In January a new generation of tram was introduced to run not only on a newly upgraded Glenelg line but also on 4.2 km (2.6 mi) of new street lines that were to be extended north of Victoria Square through busy central Adelaide thoroughfares. These new trams were designated the 100 Series. By year's end the 1929-vintage trams had been largely phased out of normal revenue service (the last being in 2008), only running occasionally on special occasions. In 2009 the second series of new trams went into service as the 200 Series; more arrived in 2017, bringing the total number of trams on the system to 24.

Type A

At a glance When the Municipal Tramways Trust was set up in December 1906 to build an electric tramway system in place of Adelaide's horse trams, work proceeded hurriedly on all fronts. It was necessary to obtain 100 tramcars as quickly as possible. Seventy trams in the first order, delivered in 1908 and 1909, were four-wheelers known as "California combination" cars. Their wooden bodies were built to a popular American design by a US manufacturer, dismantled before being shipped, and assembled by Adelaide coachbuilders. Steel undergear and electrical equipment were sourced separately from the UK and US. The trams could carry a crush load of 101 passengers, including 40 on seats – many more than horse trams. These trams became the work-horses of the network until they were withdrawn and stored in the 1930s. During the Second World War and for five years afterwards they were returned to service, most in coupled pairs, because continuing petrol rationing obliged most people to use public transport. The last ran in 1952.[2]: 107  For more than a decade, all the Adelaide trams were known only by their numbers. In 1923 an alphabetical classification system was introduced; these trams were designated as Type A.[2]: 38  Introduced concurrently with Type B. Next types acquired: Type E in 1910 and Type D in 1911.

On 9 March 1909, a balmy South Australian autumn day, many thousands turned out to see a procession of 14 trams going slowly along the thoroughfares of Adelaide and nearby eastern suburbs for the official opening of the city's electric tramway system. The leading cars had a central saloon compartment somewhat similar to that of a horse tram and a compartment with cross-bench seating at each end, open to the weather. The design was popular in southern California, where the climate is similar to Adelaide's for much of the year. Thus they were officially described as "four-wheeled, drop-ended 'California combination' cars" – the "combination" referring to the two types of accommodation.^{[2]: 38–40}

Seventy of the inaugural order of 100 trams were built to this design. In 1923, when an alphabetical classification system was introduced, they were designated as Type A.^[2]: 38

Seating capacity was 40 passengers (20 in the saloons and 10 each end on the open benches); a further 60 could be accommodated standing, giving a total crush load of 100. Capable of speeds up to 35 kmh (22 mph), the trams presented a vast improvement in schedules and comfort over the horse trams they replaced. It was not only the trams' design that made for a smoother ride: the tracks laid by the MTT to replace the horse tram tracks were built to very high specifications – and they were brand new. However, the huge overhang from the four-wheeled truck at both ends of the car, almost double the truck's wheelbase – caused oscillations at higher speeds.^{[2]: 36 [18][23]}

All 70 were built in 1908 and 1909 by Adelaide coachbuilders Duncan & Fraser, incorporating running gear and electrical equipment sourced from the UK and the US. Duncan & Fraser had an established record building horse tram cars for the Adelaide & Suburban Tramway Company and both horse and electric trams for several operators in Melbourne, Ballarat, Bendigo, and Geelong.^{[24]: 29–30} The company initially constructed the cars, and Type B cars, in the machinery building of the Jubilee Exhibition grounds.^{[note 16]} However, when the building was required by the Royal Agricultural and Horticultural Society of South Australia the work was moved to Hackney Depot, delaying construction of cars and preventing electric services from beginning on the planned date of 23 December 1908.^[2]: 38

Type A trams were the work-horses of the newly opened lines, including those to Kensington, Marryatville, Maylands, Payneham, Walkerville, North Adelaide, Parkside, Unley and Hyde Park. Later they were relegated to the quieter routes such as Croydon and Port Adelaide as larger trams became available. They were gradually retired in the 1930s, only to come out of storage in 1941 on account of wartime petrol rationing, which boosted patronage. Fifty-eight (and four Type A1 cars) were configured in permanently coupled pairs: although both trams in a pair still needed a conductor to collect fares, the need for only one driver per pair reduced staffing needs by 25 per cent – an important economy during wartime labour shortages.^[5]: 36 The paired trams soon became nick-named "Bib and Bub" after characters created by renowned children's author May Gibbs. They stayed in service after the war as the Australian Government continued petrol rationing until 1950.^[18][25][26]

Although at the time the MTT was established air brakes were being installed on streetcars in the US since they are much faster in application and release and therefore safer than mechanical brakes, Type A trams were never fitted with them; neither were any trams built before 1920.^[27] For normal stopping the Adelaide trams had a handbrake, operated by the motorman manually winding a wheel in the cab, and electromagnetic track brakes, energised by power generated by the motors as the cars slowed down, for emergencies.^{[2]: 65 [28][note 17]}

Three Type A cars were sold in 1936 to the State Electricity Commission of Victoria. The remainder were withdrawn from service by May 1952; many were sold for use as shacks.^[13]

The Tram Museum, St Kilda restored Type A cars 14 and 15 in a major project lasting 15 years, which culminated when they entered service service in 2021.^[29]

For Types A1 and A2 trams, see the sections headed "Type B conversion to Type A1" and "Type B conversion to Type A2".

Type B

At a glance The second component of the MTT's inaugural order of electric trams in 1908 consisted of 30 four-wheeled tramcars which later came to be designated Type B. As with their sister Type A trams, their wooden bodies were built to a popular American design by a US manufacturer, dismantled before being shipped, and assembled by Adelaide coachbuilders. Steel undergear and electrical equipment were sourced separately from the UK and US. They had completely open sides, so they soon earned the nickname, "toast racks". They were popular when it was warm but decidedly unpopular in inclement weather. Twenty of the 30 in the class were enclosed in 1917, becoming Type A1 and Type A2. Their crush load, similar to the Type A trams, was 102, including 50 on seats. Most were retired by the mid-1930s.[2] Introduced concurrently with Type A. Next types acquired: Type E in 1910 and Type D in 1911.

For the MTT's inaugural order in 1909, Duncan & Fraser built another 30 trams, of a US design different from that of the Type A. They too were four-wheeled cars but they lacked the closed saloon compartment of the Type A. All passengers were accommodated on cross-bench seats in one completely open compartment, which soon gave rise to the nickname, "toast racks". The trams carried 50 passengers seated and 50 standing for a crush load of 100, the same total as the Type A trams.^[2]: 38

These vehicles, later designated Type B, were popular for summer trips to the beach and to concerts arranged by the MTT at Kensington Gardens, Henley Beach and Semaphore.^[18] However, only pull-down canvas blinds offered weather protection and they were inadequate for Adelaide's rainy winter months, which are cooler than in southern California.^[24]: 30 For that reason they were particularly unpopular with both passengers and conductors in inclement weather. Conductors were also exposed to danger in having to collect fares by walking along the often swaying footboards on the outside of the car.^[2]: 38

Eventually 20 of the 30 Type B trams were modified to become "combination trams": a new central closed saloon compartment was built, leaving two facing cross-benches at each end. In 1923 seventeen were designated as Types A1 and 3 as A2. These are described in the next two sections. One "toastrack" was retained for use by the MTT band on the Port Adelaide system^[2]: 60 and in 1929 one was substantially converted for use during construction of the electrification infrastructure of the Glenelg tram line.^{[18] [note 18]}

Almost all Type B cars and those converted to Types A1 and A2 were withdrawn from service in 1936 and scrapped in 1946.^{[2]: 87 [13][28]}

Type B conversions to Type A1

At a glance Eight years after they were built, 17 of the 30 unpopular open Type B "toast racks" were converted by building a five-windowed saloon where the six central cross-bench seats were – similar to the original Type A cars. Designated later as Type A1, they were converted by an Adelaide coach-building company.[2] Converted from Type B. Next type acquired: Type C in 1918.

In 1917 the MTT responded to longstanding complaints by crews and passengers that Type B "toast rack" trams were unacceptable in wet or cold weather. Seventeen were converted by Duncan & Fraser (although it is possible that one of these was converted by the MTT)^[28][30] into "California combination" trams, halving the number of exposed seats in the process. This work was done after the Type B conversions to Type A2 had taken place. Under the alphabetical classification system of 1923 they were designated as Type A1.

After conversion the trams were similar to the existing Type A – a design also continued in the subsequent Type C cars. Seven were converted for the isolated Port Adelaide tram system operated by the MTT between 1917 and 1935. Type A1 cars were rated with the same passenger capacity (seated and crush load) as the Type A.

Four Type A1 trams were converted into permanently coupled "Bib and Bub" pairs, a wartime labour-saving configuration applied to most Type A cars. These four were the last of the Type A1 cars to be withdrawn from service in 1950, together with the sets of Type A trams not converted back into single car operation.^[28]

Type A1 is one of the two MTT tram sub-types not in the collection of the Tram Museum, St Kilda.^[18]

Type B conversions to Type A2

At a glance A further three of the unpopular Type B "toast racks" were also converted in 1917 – this time by the MTT – in the same way as the Type A1 cars by putting a saloon in the middle, but with three large windows. They were later designated as Type A2.[2] Converted from Type B. Next type acquired: Type C in 1918.

The three trams of this type were converted, like the A1, from the unpopular Type B "toast rack" trams, and similarly entered service on the Port Adelaide tram system in 1917. Work on the three cars was undertaken by the MTT at their Hackney workshops rather than by contractors. Rebuilding involved removing six cross-bench seats and their pillars from the centre of the car, then installing a heavily constructed saloon in their place.^[30] The trams were essentially the same as the Type A1, but easily distinguishable in having three large windows instead of five small arched ones, and heavy, riveted steel sides. This latter feature led to their nickname, "tanks", after the revolutionary British Army weapons newly deployed in the First World War.^[2]: 60

The seating and standing capacity for these trams was the same as for Types A, A1 and C.^[28]

The Type A2 trams operated on the isolated Port Adelaide system until its closure in 1935, after which they were transferred to Hackney workshops. In 1946 the bodies of two were sold to private buyers. The third was kept at Hackney workshops until 1958, when it was made available to the Tramway Museum, St Kilda. The museum rebuilt it into its original Type B "toast rack" configuration in preference to retaining its A2 configuration.^[28] Consequently, Type A2 is the second of the two MTT tram sub-types not in the museum collection.^[18]

Type C

At a glance These trams received their classification as Type C out of sequence: Type D trams had been introduced eight years before them. During the First World War, when patronage rose and tram lines were extended, it became urgent to increase the capacity of the fleet, which at that time consisted of 150 cars of Types A, B and D. Wartime austerity mandated only a stop-gap design. Therefore, when 20 were built by an Adelaide coachbuilder in 1918 they did not follow the large bogie car design of 1910 (Type D). Type C trams were similar in basic design to the Type A of a decade earlier, but with a domed roof. Fitted with powerful traction motors from refitted trams, they were quickly nicknamed after a famous racehorse of the day, "Desert Gold". The last was withdrawn in 1953.[2] Next type acquired: Type F in 1922, followed by its variant Type F1 in 1925.

During World War 1 the MTT urgently needed more tramcars to handle increases in patronage and route extensions. However, wartime austerity made it impossible to proceed with a planned introduction of large trams. As an interim measure, 20 small combination cars similar to Type A were built by Duncan & Fraser in 1918–1919. These cars, subsequently designated Type C, had a more modern domed roof instead of a clerestory roof. During their construction they were fitted with motors removed from Type E trams. Rated at 37 kW (50 hp) each, two-thirds again higher than the 37 kW (50 hp) motors of the Type A, they enabled much faster acceleration.^[28] They soon became popularly known as Desert Gold trams, after a New Zealand racehorse that had won races in Australia at the same time.^[2]: 62 Their speed combined with the four-wheeled design gave rise to their other nickname, "bouncing billies". They helped the MTT's competition against unlicensed buses in the 1920s, and they were used in peak periods until 1952. Their last use was during the royal visit of March 1954.^[18]

Type D

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