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Sydney Steam Tram Motor No.1A Powerhouse Museum Collection |
Steam Tram Motor No.1A displayed at the Sydney Tramway
Museum, Loftus on 30 July 2017.
Alongside is electric trolleybus No.13, one of those that
replaced steam trams on the Kogarah – Sans Souci route in 1937.
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Builder |
Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania USA |
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Builder’s Number & Year |
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Wheel Arrangement |
0-4-0ST |
The
evolution of tramway technology was a significant factor in urban growth from
the middle of the 19th Century, reflected by the adoption of
tramways and spreading networks across metropolitan centres worldwide. Sydney’s
tramway evolution followed a typical pattern, starting in 1861 with small
horse-drawn 4-wheel tram cars on a single through the heart of the city.
Although that line closed in 1866, a steam tram line was built in 1879 to
provide transport from the city terminus station (then situated at Devonshire
St, Redfern) to the International Exhibition in the Botanical Gardens. Steam
trams were capable of much higher passenger loads than the earlier horse drawn
trams, with a steam ‘motor’ hauling double-deck bogie trailers. Sydney’s steam
tram network grew rapidly after 1879, augmented by cable trams on certain
routes. (Cable trams were popular in cities with steep terrain, most famously
San Francisco which today retains two cable lines among the many that once
operated there.) Ultimately electric
traction came to dominate street tramways, with Sydney’s electric tram system
growing to be one of the world’s largest tram networks. Unfortunately, the
system was progressively replaced by noisy and polluting diesel buses after
World War 2, with the final route closing in 1961 – 100 years after the
pioneering horse trams – but a tramway revival began in Sydney from 1997, with several
additional ‘Light Railway’ routes built since then.
Against this backdrop,
Steam Tram motor No.1A has a special place in Sydney’s history as the first of
four motors ordered in 1879 from Baldwin Locomotive Works, USA for service on
the pioneering 2.4km route from Redfern railway terminus to the International
Exhibition in the ‘Garden Palace’ located in the Botanical Gardens. The steam motors
had certain refinements to make them better suited for use on city road routes,
in particular an overall cabin, skirt flaps to hide the wheels & rods,
large headlights front & rear, and a tramway bell in addition to the steam
whistle. The steam trams dominated the city streets down which they operated,
with frightened horses being a major issue, so their introduction generated
controversy in Sydney.
Ultimately 122 steam motors
were supplied to the NSW Government Tramways, most from Baldwin but also some
examples built by two local manufacturers Henry Vale & Co, Auburn and
Thomas Wearne, Randwick. One group of 9 Baldwin units were delivered with
0-4-2ST rather than 0-4-0ST wheel arrangement, but the 0-4-0ST variant
prevailed and these 9 later had the trailing axle removed. Various cylinder
dimensions were used, with the four original 1879 units having 11” diameter by
16” stroke cylinders, while smaller quantities were built with 9” by 12” and
10” by 14” variations. The more powerful 11” diameter
version accounted for most units and became known as the 'Standard Motor'. Apparently,
the Standard Motors were preferred in traffic as the 9” and 10” diameter
versions were generally withdrawn when expired, while examples of the 11”
version were more likely to be retained and overhauled for further duties.
Also trialled for
Sydney tramway duties were competing steam motor designs of the Merryweather
0-4-0T type (no.55), two Kitson 0-6-0T examples (Nos.42 & 43) and an
un-numbered Beyer-Peacock built Wilkinson type (0-4-0T) known as ‘John Bull’.
The Baldwin design won the day but, against the odds, this last-mentioned
experimental motor ‘John Bull’
survives as an exhibit at the Crich Tramway Museum, Derbyshire.
Originally configured
for traditional 2-person Driver & Fireman crewing, many Sydney steam motors
were later modified to single-person crewing. The modified units were
identified by an ‘A’ suffix following a renumbering scheme.
Other steam tramways
were established around New South Wales, with the Sydney steam motors and
trailers finding use in Newcastle, Maitland and even far-flung Broken Hill!
Other units provided tramway services on routes that were later upgraded to
suburban railways, notably the Sutherland to Cronulla line. As the Sydney
electric tramway network grew, steam operations retreated to isolated lines
such as Kogarah-Sans Souci. Many surplus steam motors were disposed, finding
further use at construction projects or as industrial shunters. Bombo Quarry
was one such operator with a fleet of steam tram motors used to shuttle blue
metal from the quarry face to the crushers, until all were replaced by truck
haulage.
Steam Motor No.1A not
only began its career at the start of Sydney’s steam tram era, but also
finished its working life at closure of the last NSW Government Tramways steam
tram route when the isolated Kogarah to Sans Souci line was replaced by
electric trolley buses in 1937. Fortunately, its historic significance was
recognised and Steam Motor No.1A was retained for preservation, being presented
to the Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences. It was displayed in the Waratah
Festival in subsequent years, apparently on a parade float in memory of
Sydney’s steam tram era. No.1A had been displayed at the Powerhouse Museum in
Ultimo from that museum’s opening in the 1980’s but currently resides at the
Castle Hill Discovery Centre, a Powerhouse Museum outstation based on their
collection storage building and workshop.
The Powerhouse Museum website
provides a useful history for this exhibit and the historical context of
Sydney’s steam trams. The Powerhouse Museum collection also includes a wonderful
model of a Sydney steam tram, single and double deck trailers which provide
an excellent visualisation of the type.
While the Powerhouse
Museum recognise this steam tram motor as class leader No.1A (Baldwin b/n 4617
of 1879), I have also been informed that the tram motor held by the Museum of
Applied Arts & Sciences is actually No.28A which was built locally to the
Baldwin design by Henry Vale and Sons (b/n 52 of 1891). If correct, an
explanation could be that when the NSW Government Tramways decided to preserve
No.1A it was found to be in poor condition or incomplete, with No.28A in better
fettle. Both 1A and 28A were based at Kogarah until the route’s replacement by
electric trolleybuses in 1937, so perhaps the preserved steam tram contains
parts of both units, either a result of preparation for preservation or normal
fleet running repairs.
Steam
Tram 1A starred in an event at the Sydney Tramway Museum on 30 July 2017,
commemorating the 80th anniversary of closure of the Kogarah to Sans
Souci steam tram route. No.1A was displayed alongside one of the electric
trolleybuses that replaced it, as seen in the various photos on this page.
David Burke
has written many fine books about the steam locomotives and railways of
Australia, among them is ‘Juggernaut! A Story of Sydney in the Wild Days of the
Steam Trams’. This fine work provides not only technical and functional details
of Sydney’s steam trams, but also the social history and context of the era,
supported by many wonderful illustrations including contemporary newspaper
articles and satirical illustrations.
Steam Tram Motor No.1A positioned in a starring role at the
Sydney Tramway Museum gala of 30 July 2017.
Rear view of Steam Tram Motor No.1A.
The rear headlight attests to the design
of these machines for bi-directional running.
It seems to be missing a draw hook or linkage bar to
connect to a passenger trailer.
Internal view on the right side, looking forward.
A water gauge glass can be seen on left, just inside the
cabin.
Internal view looking forward towards the chimney. 30 July
2017.
This view shows the reversing lever and a water gauge glass
on the right, just inside the cabin.
The no-nonsense firebox door! 30 July 2017
The steam tram’s number is proudly carried in lined gold
leaf lettering on the body side. 30 July 2017.
Detail photo including the headlight, copper-top chimney
and roof-mounted bell. 30 July 2017.
Alongside Steam Tram No.1A was this information display
with historical and contextual details.
Steam Tram No.1A was displayed at the Powerhouse Museum,
Sydney for many years (albeit without a passenger trailer to provide context).
Indeed, I first encountered this loco in
the Powerhouse Museum ‘Annex’ in 1986 (housed in the former tram shed) prior to
opening of the main building in 1988.
Today the tram shed annex is used for
administration and exhibit preparation; alas developers are keen to claim the
site for ‘Improvement’.
This photo is courtesy of Mark Newton and shows 1A
displayed at the Powerhouse Museum, Ultimo, in 1994.
References
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a |
N. Chinn
& K. McCarthy ‘New
South Wales Tramcar Handbook 1861 – 1961, Part Two’ Published
by the South Pacific Electric Railway Co-operative Society
Limited, Sutherland, NSW, 1975 ISBN
0959865977 |
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b |
Burke, D ‘Juggernaut!
A Story of Sydney in the Wild Days of the Steam Tram’ Published
by the Kangaroo Press, 1997 ISBN 0
86417 902 2 |
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c |
Wikipedia
page for Baldwin Locomotive Works, |
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d |
Baldwin steam tram No.1A, 1879 2021, Museum of Applied
Arts & Sciences, accessed 15 December 2021, |
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e |
Model of Sydney steam tram and cars by Bob Cutcher 2021, Museum of Applied
Arts & Sciences, accessed 15 December 2021, |
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f |
Information provided by Mark Newton via email, 18 February 2002. |
Page updated: 3 September 2022
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