1929-vintage H-class cars provided all services on the Glenelg line, until January 2006 when the first members of a new fleet of modern Flexity Classic trams entered service. Eleven 30m-long articulated low-floor Light Rail vehicles, built by Bombardier in Germany now operate the service.
Construction of a extension from Victoria Square, along King William Street and North Terrace started in April 2007. The extension opened to the public on 14 October 2007. Further extensions are the subject of a government feasibility study. A new bridge over South Road to replace the existing crossing has also been announced. There are plans to extend the tramway even further to Port Adelaide, Semaphore, Woodville and West Lakes
History
Inception
The route was built in 1873 by a private company, the Adelaide, Glenelg & Suburban Railway Company Ltd. The original line had a very different character to today’s route.
- It was built to the 5 ft 3 in (1600 mm) broad gauge (today’s tram is 4 ft 8½ in, 1435 mm).
- It was operated by steam locomotives, not electric trams.
- Most of the localities between Glenelg and Adelaide were sparsely settled and undeveloped. The line ran through open paddocks and market gardens.
- The line was largely single track.
- It crossed the Main South Line at Goodwood by a flat crossing, not an overpass.
- There were fewer stopping points and these were more like conventional railway stations.
- The trains did not operate on anything like the frequency of today’s trams, and a timetable was certainly advisable when planning a journey.
In December 1899 the private company was acquired by the state government-controlled South Australian Railways, who continued to operate the line as a steam railway for the next 30 years or so. In 1914, the railway’s terminus was cut back from the edge of Victoria Square (in the centre of Adelaide) to South Terrace on the city’s southern fringe. Passengers had to transfer to electric trams to complete their journey into the city.
Municipal Tramways Trust
In 1929 ownership and operation transferred from the SAR to Adelaide’s Municipal Tramways Trust (MTT). Steam trains ceased on 2 April 1929 and the line was closed to be rebuilt to standard gauge, electrified at 600 V dc and converted to tramway operation. The Goodwood flyover was constructed at this time, separating the new tram tracks from the conventional railway.
Thirty H-class trams were built for the line by a local manufacturer, A. Pengelley, along the lines of North American interurban cars of that era. The line re-opened on 14 December 1929, with the city terminus reverting to Victoria Square.
There were one or two quirks in the earlier years, the most famous being the “horse trams” operated in the 1930s. These were trams specially constructed to carry race horses from stables located along the line to the racecourse at Morphettville. This service was a carry-over from the days of the steam railway, which had also performed this function. Another unusual feature was operation of triple sets of H-class trams in peak hours, and express trams that ran non-stop over a significant portion of the route (one express service remains in 2006).
The line was the only route to survive the closure of Adelaide’s street tramway network during the 1950s, saved largely by its high proportion of reserved track, which ensures a fast journey for passengers and minimal interference from road traffic.
The H-class cars have been progressively updated during the 1970s, again in the late 1980s and most recently (on five trams) in 2000. These included toughened safety glass in windows, replacing wooden panels with fibreglass, upgrading bogies, fluorescent lights inside the cars, and sealed-beam headlights and brake/hazard lamp clusters outside.
In 1986 the line was converted from trolley pole to pantograph operation. This change coincided with relocation of the tram depot from Angas Street in central Adelaide to a new facility at Glengowrie, close to Glenelg.
Despite the various refurbishments and upgrades the overall character of the H-class trams has stayed very much as they were built. The interiors are still varnished wood and glass etched with MTT logos, and with no heating or air conditioning. All services are crew operated, with a driver and conductor on single cars, or a driver and two conductors on two-car sets.
2007 Tram Extension to City West
| May 2003 | South Australian Government announced the planned upgrade of the Glenelg line infrastructure and the introduction of new trams. |
| 21 September 2004 | S.A. Government announced the contract for delivery of nine new Flexity Classics had been awarded to Bombardier. |
| 6 April 2005 | S.A. Government announced a 1.2-km extension from Victoria Square along King William St. to Adelaide railway station. An additional two trams were ordered (a total of 11) to cater for services on the city centre extension. |
| 18 May 2005 | S.A. Government announced a feasibility study would be conducted on extending the line past Adelaide Oval to North Adelaide. |
| 5 June 2005 to 7 August 2005 | Service was temporarily suspended and a substitute bus service introduced. Concrete sleepers were installed and much of the track renewed in an intensive nine week project. Most of the 21 tram stops were reconstructed with higher platforms to allow level access to the new low-floor trams. The overhead electrical supply was upgraded and some minor modifications were made to the H-class cars and Glengowrie depot. When the tram service resumed on 8 August 2005, services were still operated by H-class trams as no Flexitys had been delivered. |
| September 2005 | The tram terminus in Moseley Square, Glenelg was reconfigured, as part of a general redevelopment of the square. |
| 22 November 2005 | The first new Flexity tram (101) arrived at the Glengowrie depot. |
| 9 January 2006 | Following a period of commissioning and staff training, the first two Flexity trams (101 and 102) entered public service. |
| February 2007 | Preliminary work on the Victoria Square - UNI West extension commences. |
| 6 April 2007 | Track laying commences on the extension along part of North Terrace. |
| 6 August 2007 | The new Victoria Square stop opens on the west side of Victoria Square, replacing the former stop in the centre of the square. |
| 2 September 2007 | First extension tests. Flexity 104 and H class 351 and 367 were used. 104 ran with no problems but 351 and 367 made contact with the median strip on North Terrace rounding the curve from King William Street. |
| 6 September 2007 | H class 351 and 367 were again tested on the extension. The median strip on the North Terrace corner had been modified and no further issues were noticed. |
| 25 September 2007 | H class 351 and 367 tested new signalling on the extension. Two runs were made. |
| 29 September 2007 | First daylight driver familiarisation training runs made. Flexity 106 was used. |
| 14 October 2007 | The Tram Extension opens to the public, running between City West and Glenelg. |
2009-2018 Tram Extensions
| 5 June 2008 | Further extensions to Entertainment Centre (2010), West Lakes/AAMI Stadium (2016), Port Adelaide and Semaphore (2018) announced in 2008 State Budget. |
Post-2007 Extension
Due to the increased popularity of the service beyond the city after the extension, the Trams service has dramatically exceeded its capacity, with over 100,000 extra trips for the three months from November 2007 compared the same period the previous year. This is currently resulting in intensive overcrowding on board the trams and many passengers being unable to board trams during peak hours. The extension of the tramway along King William Street and North Terrace has been blamed by critics for increased congestion within the centre of Adelaide, but as yet there has been no actual evidence of this occurring.
The South Road Overpass was announced in the 2007 State Budget and will be built in conjunction with the Anzac Highway Underpass. Mike Rann has suggested further extensions for a full City Loop or extension to Port Adelaide. There have been a small number of minor derailments along the tramway, the most recent of which occurred on Melbourne Cup Day, 6 November 2007, stranding passengers. On several occasions, some Flexity Trams have experienced breakdown problems since their commissioning.
Fleet
Until January 2006, 1929-vintage H-class cars provided all services on the Glenelg line. These trams were built for the electrification of the Glenelg line and have many of the characteristics of American "interurban" cars of the same period.
The H-class are the longest rigid-body trams remaining in service in Australia, and the second-longest ever built. They travel in pairs during peak times, and with the retirement of the W2 trams from Melbourne's network are the oldest passenger trams in service in Australia.
In January 2006 the first members of a new fleet of modern Flexity Classic trams entered service. Eleven 30m-long articulated low-floor Light Rail vehicles, built by Bombardier in Germany, have replaced the H-class trams in regular day-to-day service.
Five refurbished H-class trams have been retained. They operate a restricted 'heritage service' timetable on Saturdays, Sundays and Public Holidays. They have been fitted with safety measures similar to those of the new trams, including vigilance control and electro-magnetic track brakes.
Stops
References
- Bay Tram Twilight.
- Glenelg Tram (Adelaide Metro)
- New Tram (Adelaide Metro)
- Simon Lieschke's Tram Depictions
- ABC Online
- Type H Trams
- Bill's Glenelg Tram Pages
This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License.
Last updated on Saturday July 12, 2008 at 19:27:23 PDT (GMT -0700)
View this article at Wikipedia.org - Edit this article at Wikipedia.org - Donate to the Wikimedia Foundation
1929-vintage H-class cars provided all services on the Glenelg line, until January 2006 when the first members of a new fleet of modern Flexity Classic trams entered service. Eleven 30m-long articulated low-floor Light Rail vehicles, built by Bombardier in Germany now operate the service.
Construction of a extension from Victoria Square, along King William Street and North Terrace started in April 2007. The extension opened to the public on 14 October 2007. Further extensions are the subject of a government feasibility study. A new bridge over South Road to replace the existing crossing has also been announced. There are plans to extend the tramway even further to Port Adelaide, Semaphore, Woodville and West Lakes
History
Inception
The route was built in 1873 by a private company, the Adelaide, Glenelg & Suburban Railway Company Ltd. The original line had a very different character to today’s route.
- It was built to the 5 ft 3 in (1600 mm) broad gauge (today’s tram is 4 ft 8½ in, 1435 mm).
- It was operated by steam locomotives, not electric trams.
- Most of the localities between Glenelg and Adelaide were sparsely settled and undeveloped. The line ran through open paddocks and market gardens.
- The line was largely single track.
- It crossed the Main South Line at Goodwood by a flat crossing, not an overpass.
- There were fewer stopping points and these were more like conventional railway stations.
- The trains did not operate on anything like the frequency of today’s trams, and a timetable was certainly advisable when planning a journey.
In December 1899 the private company was acquired by the state government-controlled South Australian Railways, who continued to operate the line as a steam railway for the next 30 years or so. In 1914, the railway’s terminus was cut back from the edge of Victoria Square (in the centre of Adelaide) to South Terrace on the city’s southern fringe. Passengers had to transfer to electric trams to complete their journey into the city.
Municipal Tramways Trust
In 1929 ownership and operation transferred from the SAR to Adelaide’s Municipal Tramways Trust (MTT). Steam trains ceased on 2 April 1929 and the line was closed to be rebuilt to standard gauge, electrified at 600 V dc and converted to tramway operation. The Goodwood flyover was constructed at this time, separating the new tram tracks from the conventional railway.
Thirty H-class trams were built for the line by a local manufacturer, A. Pengelley, along the lines of North American interurban cars of that era. The line re-opened on 14 December 1929, with the city terminus reverting to Victoria Square.
There were one or two quirks in the earlier years, the most famous being the “horse trams” operated in the 1930s. These were trams specially constructed to carry race horses from stables located along the line to the racecourse at Morphettville. This service was a carry-over from the days of the steam railway, which had also performed this function. Another unusual feature was operation of triple sets of H-class trams in peak hours, and express trams that ran non-stop over a significant portion of the route (one express service remains in 2006).
The line was the only route to survive the closure of Adelaide’s street tramway network during the 1950s, saved largely by its high proportion of reserved track, which ensures a fast journey for passengers and minimal interference from road traffic.
The H-class cars have been progressively updated during the 1970s, again in the late 1980s and most recently (on five trams) in 2000. These included toughened safety glass in windows, replacing wooden panels with fibreglass, upgrading bogies, fluorescent lights inside the cars, and sealed-beam headlights and brake/hazard lamp clusters outside.
In 1986 the line was converted from trolley pole to pantograph operation. This change coincided with relocation of the tram depot from Angas Street in central Adelaide to a new facility at Glengowrie, close to Glenelg.
Despite the various refurbishments and upgrades the overall character of the H-class trams has stayed very much as they were built. The interiors are still varnished wood and glass etched with MTT logos, and with no heating or air conditioning. All services are crew operated, with a driver and conductor on single cars, or a driver and two conductors on two-car sets.
2007 Tram Extension to City West
| May 2003 | South Australian Government announced the planned upgrade of the Glenelg line infrastructure and the introduction of new trams. |
| 21 September 2004 | S.A. Government announced the contract for delivery of nine new Flexity Classics had been awarded to Bombardier. |
| 6 April 2005 | S.A. Government announced a 1.2-km extension from Victoria Square along King William St. to Adelaide railway station. An additional two trams were ordered (a total of 11) to cater for services on the city centre extension. |
| 18 May 2005 | S.A. Government announced a feasibility study would be conducted on extending the line past Adelaide Oval to North Adelaide. |
| 5 June 2005 to 7 August 2005 | Service was temporarily suspended and a substitute bus service introduced. Concrete sleepers were installed and much of the track renewed in an intensive nine week project. Most of the 21 tram stops were reconstructed with higher platforms to allow level access to the new low-floor trams. The overhead electrical supply was upgraded and some minor modifications were made to the H-class cars and Glengowrie depot. When the tram service resumed on 8 August 2005, services were still operated by H-class trams as no Flexitys had been delivered. |
| September 2005 | The tram terminus in Moseley Square, Glenelg was reconfigured, as part of a general redevelopment of the square. |
| 22 November 2005 | The first new Flexity tram (101) arrived at the Glengowrie depot. |
| 9 January 2006 | Following a period of commissioning and staff training, the first two Flexity trams (101 and 102) entered public service. |
| February 2007 | Preliminary work on the Victoria Square - UNI West extension commences. |
| 6 April 2007 | Track laying commences on the extension along part of North Terrace. |
| 6 August 2007 | The new Victoria Square stop opens on the west side of Victoria Square, replacing the former stop in the centre of the square. |
| 2 September 2007 | First extension tests. Flexity 104 and H class 351 and 367 were used. 104 ran with no problems but 351 and 367 made contact with the median strip on North Terrace rounding the curve from King William Street. |
| 6 September 2007 | H class 351 and 367 were again tested on the extension. The median strip on the North Terrace corner had been modified and no further issues were noticed. |
| 25 September 2007 | H class 351 and 367 tested new signalling on the extension. Two runs were made. |
| 29 September 2007 | First daylight driver familiarisation training runs made. Flexity 106 was used. |
| 14 October 2007 | The Tram Extension opens to the public, running between City West and Glenelg. |
2009-2018 Tram Extensions
| 5 June 2008 | Further extensions to Entertainment Centre (2010), West Lakes/AAMI Stadium (2016), Port Adelaide and Semaphore (2018) announced in 2008 State Budget. |
Post-2007 Extension
Due to the increased popularity of the service beyond the city after the extension, the Trams service has dramatically exceeded its capacity, with over 100,000 extra trips for the three months from November 2007 compared the same period the previous year. This is currently resulting in intensive overcrowding on board the trams and many passengers being unable to board trams during peak hours. The extension of the tramway along King William Street and North Terrace has been blamed by critics for increased congestion within the centre of Adelaide, but as yet there has been no actual evidence of this occurring.
The South Road Overpass was announced in the 2007 State Budget and will be built in conjunction with the Anzac Highway Underpass. Mike Rann has suggested further extensions for a full City Loop or extension to Port Adelaide. There have been a small number of minor derailments along the tramway, the most recent of which occurred on Melbourne Cup Day, 6 November 2007, stranding passengers. On several occasions, some Flexity Trams have experienced breakdown problems since their commissioning.
Fleet
Until January 2006, 1929-vintage H-class cars provided all services on the Glenelg line. These trams were built for the electrification of the Glenelg line and have many of the characteristics of American "interurban" cars of the same period.
The H-class are the longest rigid-body trams remaining in service in Australia, and the second-longest ever built. They travel in pairs during peak times, and with the retirement of the W2 trams from Melbourne's network are the oldest passenger trams in service in Australia.
In January 2006 the first members of a new fleet of modern Flexity Classic trams entered service. Eleven 30m-long articulated low-floor Light Rail vehicles, built by Bombardier in Germany, have replaced the H-class trams in regular day-to-day service.
Five refurbished H-class trams have been retained. They operate a restricted 'heritage service' timetable on Saturdays, Sundays and Public Holidays. They have been fitted with safety measures similar to those of the new trams, including vigilance control and electro-magnetic track brakes.
Stops
References
- Bay Tram Twilight.
- Glenelg Tram (Adelaide Metro)
- New Tram (Adelaide Metro)
- Simon Lieschke's Tram Depictions
- ABC Online
- Type H Trams
- Bill's Glenelg Tram Pages
This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License.
Last updated on Saturday July 12, 2008 at 19:27:23 PDT (GMT -0700)
View this article at Wikipedia.org - Edit this article at Wikipedia.org - Donate to the Wikimedia Foundation
Copyright © 2008, Dictionary.com, LLC. All rights reserved.