Railways and Tramways of Australia

13 June

A1 Class tram 239, La Trobe Street, Melbourne, 20 December 2017.

Straight As for Melbourne

Melbourne’s first A Class tram entered service on 13 June 1984.

Melbourne operates the largest tramway system in the world, with 250 kilometres of double track. When other Australian state capital cities withdrew their trams, they continued to provide valuable public transport in Melbourne and came to be an iconic part of the city’s infrastructure and culture.

An order was placed in 1982 for 28 single-unit trams. Built by Commonwealth Engineering at Dandenong in Melbourne, they were similar to the earlier Z3 Class trams, but with a different door arrangement, improved ventilation and no seats for conductors. Each car had 42 passenger seats. Upon entry into service they were fitted with trolley poles, but these were later replaced by pantographs. They operated as single units and were not coupled to other trams.

A feature of the new trams was thyristor chopper control electrical traction equipment with regenerative braking. This enabled power to traction motors to be regulated, providing smoother acceleration and deceleration.

The first in service was no. 231, which commenced operating on the Mont Albert route. It had been commissioned by the Minister for Transport at Kew depot the previous day. Free transport for the public was provided on this tram from 13 to 15 June, attracting considerable attention.

The new trams were initially referred to as the A Class, but became known as the A1 Class when the A2 Class trams were introduced in 1985. The A2 Class trams are similar to the A1 trams, but they have some upgraded features, such as improved braking. Completion of the A1 and A2 Class trams enabled the ongoing withdrawal of the older W2 trams.

The A1 and A2 Class trams currently continue service in Melbourne.

Bibliography

J Dunn, Comeng: a history of Commonwealth Engineering, volume 4: 1977–1985, Rosenberg, Sydney, 2013.

‘Melbourne: tramways’, Electric Traction, vol. 39, no. 8, August 1984, pp 148–9.

‘Melbourne’s new A Class trams and LRV prototypes’, Electric Traction, vol. 39, no. 9, September 1984, pp 162–7.

R Wilson & D Budd, Destination Waterfront City: a guide to Melbourne’s trams, Transit Australia Publishing, Sydney, 2015.

A2 Class tram 263, Corner of Collins and Spencer Streets, Melbourne, 16 January 2017.