The F-class trams were a class of two-bogie California combination car trams operated on the
Sydney tram network with longitudinal seating in the open part of the car. They were later rebuilt as the L-class trams and some again as the L/P-class trams.
History
In 1899, F122 was built by
Clyde Engineering
Clyde Engineering was an Australian manufacturer of locomotives, rolling stock, and other industrial products.
It was founded in September 1898 by a syndicate of Sydney businessmen buying the Granville factory of timber merchants Huds ...
as a prototype. Deemed a success, a further 250 were built by Clyde Engineering between 1900 and 1902. They were introduced for the electrification of the
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**Eastern Suburbs railway line, Sydney, Australia
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* Eastern ...
,
South-Western and
Western
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lines. Between 1906 and 1914, all were converted to L class trams at
Randwick Tramway Workshops with the open seating altered to a cross-bench configuration, like the K and O class trams, rather than the original cable-tram style outward-facing longitudinal seating. F393 was not included, having been converted to a driver training car.
Between 1918 and 1930, all L class were rebuilt to resemble the
P class trams as the L/P class. In 1920, 16 were allocated to the
Rockdale Line while 98 were transferred to the
Newcastle network between 1923 and 1926. Ten of those at Newcastle had air hoses installed at their number 1 end, enabling them to tow trailers, including two hearses, as explained in the Newcastle electric text. On the main system they operated out of
Dowling Street,
Newtown,
Tempe and
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depots. The last was withdrawn in 1951.
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Preservation
Five have been preserved:
*154 (first electric tram preserved in Australia), 257, 298, 341 (in L/P Configuration) & 393 (in original condition) at the Sydney Tramway Museum
The Sydney Tramway Museum (operated by the South Pacific Electric Railway) is Australia's oldest tramway museum and the largest in the southern hemisphere. It is located at Loftus in the southern suburbs of Sydney.
History
Construction of th ...
References
Further reading
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External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:F class tram
Trams in Sydney
Tram vehicles of Australia