Railways and Tramways of Australia

Change in Sydney

 

Sydney’s first R Class tram was launched on 29 September 1933.

 

During the early 1930s modern tramcars were sought for Sydney to replace some of the older types in service. Following design trends in Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and overseas, a drop-centre corridor type was selected. A contact for 200 R Class cars was awarded to Clyde Engineering at Granville. However, the last five entered service as R1 Class trams.

 

The new corridor trams were a significant change from the crossbench layout that was the standard in operation in Sydney. Although their seating capacity of 48 was lower than other trams then in service, they provided better protection from the weather. Thirty-two seats were upholstered and 16 were wooden. They were equipped with four 40-horsepower (30 kW) motors.

 

Class leader R1738 was unveiled at Randwick Workshops in a ceremony on 29 September 1933. New South Wales Premier Bertram Stevens and Minister for Transport Michael Bruxner were present, along with political and community leaders, railway and tramway officials. As well as launching a new class of tram, the ceremony also initiated the new green and cream livery, which became the standard colour scheme for Sydney trams. After the ceremony, no. 1738 conveyed attendees to the city, being driven for a short distance by Premier Stevens. It proceeded to Bridge Street, where it was on public display for several hours.

 

The first R Class trams were placed in service on the Watsons Bay Line. They later operated on various routes. Most were withdrawn from service in 1958 and 1959, with some continuing until 1960.

 

Class leader R1738 is preserved at the Museums Discovery Centre at Castle Hill. Several others are also preserved.

 

The R Class brought a major change in tramcar design for Sydney.

​

Bibliography

D Jehan, Clyde: a history of Clyde Engineering engineers and manufacturers: the steam era: 1989-1948, Eveleigh Press, Sydney, 2021.

I MacCowan, The tramways of New South Wales, self-published, Melbourne, 1992.

K McCarthy & N Chinn, New South Wales tramcar handbook 1861–1961, Part One, South Pacific Electric Railway Co-operative Society, Sydney,

    1975.

‘New trams: the first launched - driven by Premier’, Trolley Wire, no. 325, May 2011, pp 23–26.

I Saxon, A century of New South Wales tramcars, volume three, the electric era: 1908 to 1961, Sydney Tramway Museum, 2022.

RK Willson, ‘The Sydney corridor tramcars’, Electric Traction, vol. 28, no. 1, January 1973, pp 3–7, 14–16.