W class

Originally, W-class was the term given to those trams built before the W1 was introduced, but now the name refers to all the variants as a group. Some of the trams are denoted SW (for sliding doors), but this distinction is not drawn here.

W

Nos: 219 - 418
Introduced: 1923-27
Converted: 1928-33
Electrics: GE K35JJ control, 4 x 30 kW motors
Size:14.59 m x 2.29 m
Seating/Crush load: 52/

These trams had a rather awkward seating layout in the drop-centre section, so they were soon all converted to the W2 design.

Preserved W trams

• No. 220, still undergoing restoration and conversion at the Tramway Museum of Victoria
• No. 380, at the Hawthorn Tram Depot.

W1

These had outward facing longitudinal seating in the drop centre section, but evidently this was not a success. The trams were all converted to the W2 design.

Restored W1 trams

• No. 427, at the Tramway Museum of Victoria
• No. 431, at the Hawthorn Tram Depot

The W2 design was introduced in the mid 1920s, and soon the earlier W and W1 trams were converted to this design. This tram type saw service for 60 years, an astounding record. A number of W2 trams are still in scheduled service, but not in Melbourne (see also American cities). Some trams (275, 426, 432, 436, 478, 644) were converted to the SW2 (sliding doors) variant.

Here is a picture, at David Bromage's Railpage Australia.

Preserved W2 trams

• No. 244, operating in Christchurch, New Zealand [16]
• Nos 245, 392 and SW2-432 at the Sydney Tramway Museum
• Nos 441 and 470, and SW2-275 at the Bendigo Tramways
• No. 321, at the Museum of Transport and Technology, Auckland, NZ.
• Nos 329, 368, and 393, and SW2-426 at Whiteman Park Tramway Museum
• Nos 357 and 407, at the Haddon Tramway Museum
• No. 442, as a moving restaurant in Melbourne
• No. 504 (the Clifton Pugh painted tram, with painting in a very sad state, at the Hawthorn Tram Depot
• Nos 509 and 643, and SW2-644, at the Tramway Museum of Victoria
• Nos 510, 600 and 646, at the Hawthorn Tram Depot

• Nos 234, 353, 417, 539, 540, 545, and 553 in Memphis, USA. (Also there but not yet operating are 331, 478, 626 and 503.)
• Nos 272, 482, 512, 518 and 605, operating the Waterfront line in Seattle, USA. (Car 525 also sold to Seattle for parts).
• No. 369, in Dallas, USA
• No. 478, somewhere in Wisconsin, USA
• No. 496, in San Francisco, USA
• No. 531, in San Jose, USA
• Nos 601 and 606, at "Ironworld", Minnesota, USA
• No. 648, in Rio Vista, USA

• Tramway Museum of Victoria??
• The Old Canberra Tram Company
• Nos 294 and 354 at the Australian Electric Transport Museum, St. Kilda SA.
• Nos 350 and 415 at an open-air cafe in Darwin.
• Nos 370, 560 and 577, at Port Kembla.
• No. 372, at Lightning Ridge, NSW.
• No. 388, in Ogdens Bar & Grill, Windsor Hotel, South Perth~
• No. SW2-436 preserved privately in Wellington, NZ.
• No. 520, preserved privately by Elton John at Windsor, UK.

• No. 586, in San Francisco, USA
• No. 403, in San Jose, USA

Nos: 654 - 669
Introduced: 1930-34
Last withdrawn: 1969
Electrics: GE K35JJ control, 4 x 30 kW motors
Size: 14.33 m x 2.74 m
Seating/Crush load: 52/

This tram, along with the W4, was introduced to test if large wheels would result in quieter running. It also introduced steel frame construction.

Preserved W3 trams

• No. 661, at Ballarat Vintage Tramway
• No. 663, at Haddon Tramway Museum
• No. 667, undergoing restoration at the Tramway Museum of Victoria
• No. 668, at Maitland Tramway Park and Museum??

Nos: 670 - 674
Introduced: 1933-35
Withdrawn: 1968
Electrics: GE K35JJ control, 4 x 30 kW motors
Size: 14.02 m x 2.74 m
Seating/Crush load: 48/

The first wide-bodied tram! It also had lower flooring than the W3.

Preserved W4 trams

• No. 670, at Haddon Tramway Museum
• No. 671, at Ballarat Vintage Tramway
• No. 673, awaiting repairs at the Tramway Museum of Victoria
• No. 674, at Whiteman Park Tramway Museum

5 trams of this type (681 - 685) were built using parts from old C-class trams (they were called CW5), including the maximum traction (penny farthing style) bogies, and only two 48 kW motors per tram. Numbers 686 - 719 were reserved for more of these, but the experiment was considered a failure and they were never built. The existing CW5s were converted to W5s. Numbers 840 - 849 were built as SW5 (sliding doors), and later many of the others were converted to this form.

Preserved W5 trams

• No. SW5-739, at the Tramway Museum of Victoria
• No. 766, (currently undergoing some refurbishment) at Whiteman Park Tramway Museum
• Nos 774, 821 and 840, at the Hawthorn Tram Depot
• Nos 782 and 795, at the Tramway Museum of Victoria (one three-door, one two-door)
• No. 792, at the Sydney Tramway Museum
• No. 808, at the Bendigo Tramways

850 - 969 were built as SW6 (analogous to SW5), but the later trams were designated simply W6. Tram No. 980 was not considered a W6 - this was Melbourne's experimental PCC car. Sliding doors had now become standard.

Preserved W6 trams

• Nos 850, 900 and 968, at the Hawthorn Tram Depot
• Nos SW6-887 and SW6-902, at the Tramway Museum of Victoria
• No. 976, at Bendigo Tramways. [10]
• No. 996, at the Tramway Museum of Victoria

These trams were built to replace buses which had replaced the Bourke St cable trams in 1940. The buses were inadequate. Another 30 W7 trams were planned, but building was stopped. It would be another 20 years before a new tram series was built for Melbourne.

Preserved W7 trams

• No. 1001, at the Tramway Museum of Victoria
• No. 1040, at the Hawthorn Tram Depot

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[5] Thanks to Daniel Bowen for this picture.

[3] Thanks to Annmarie Copple for this picture.

~ Thanks to Roderick Smith for this tidbit.

[10] Thanks to Bill Winn for this information.

[14] Thanks to Andrew Cox and the Ballarat Vintage Tramway for these photos. Photos taken by Andrew Cox. Used by permission.

[16] Thanks to Ian Stevens and the Sydney Tramway Museum for this picture.

[17] Thanks to Russell Jones for information about trams at the Tramway Museum of Victoria

[18] Thanks to Bruce Gamble for correction to status of W2-321

[19] Thanks to David Brown for much information about the whereabouts of W2 and W7 trams