The Brisbane tramway network served the city of Brisbane, Australia, between 1885 and 1969. It ran on standard gauge track. The electric system was originally energised to 500 volts, and subsequently increased to 600 volts. All tramcars built in Brisbane up to 1938 had an open design. This proved so popular, especially on hot summer nights, that the trams were used as fundraisers and often chartered right up until the last service by social groups.
Most trams operated with a two-person crew including a driver (or motorman) and a conductor, who moved about the tram collecting fares and issuing tickets. The exceptions to this arrangement were on the Gardens line (Lower Edward Street) where the short duration of the trip meant it was more effective for passengers to simply drop their fare into a fare box as they entered the tram; and the "one man cars" which operated in the early 1930s (see below).
The peak year for patronage was 1944–45 when almost 160 million passengers were carried. The system route length reached its maximum extent of in 1952. The total track length was , owing to many routes ending in single, rather than double, track. Single track segments of the track were protected by signalling which operated off the trolley wire. By 1959 more than of track were laid in concrete, a method of track construction pioneered in Brisbane.
The last track opened was in O'Keefe Street Woolloongabba, in May 1961. However, this track was not used in normal passenger service and was merely used to reduce dead running from Logan Road back to Ipswich Road Depot.
Of the Australian capital cities which closed their networks between the 1950s and 1970s (only Melbourne and Adelaide retained trams, although Adelaide only had one line in operation), Brisbane was the last capital city to close its tram network. Despite the decision to shut down the network, Brisbane's trams were held with great affection by locals, and one commentator described their removal as "one of the most appalling urban planning mistakes in the city’s history". There have been ongoing proposals since the early 1990s to reinstate a functional tram network.
History Brisbane expanded to become one of the most dispersed cities in the world by the 1870s. In the early years of Brisbane's settlement, walking was the most convenient way to get around as most people choose to live close to their workplace. In 1875, the railway line to Ipswich opened up some areas in western and southern districts, however fares were expensive, as was owning a horse.
By 1885 an omnibus service reached almost every part of Brisbane. Omnibuses consisted of a strongly constructed wooden wagon with seating for people on the roof and a back-door entrance to the interior.
Metropolitan Tramway and Investment Company (1885–1896) On 10 August 1885 the Metropolitan Tramway and Investment Company began official horse-drawn tramway services for the public. The 18 tramcars were built from highly polished cedar and mahogany in the United States by JG Brill Company and John Stephenson Company. Fares were expensive, with the typical patron belonging to the middle class. Some even used the services to go home for lunch. In 1893, an economic crisis and significant floods reduced the system's patronage steeply.
Brisbane Tramways Company Limited (1896–1922) The first electric tramway ran along Stanley Street, in South Brisbane on 16 June 1897. Horse-drawn carriages were still being used in 1899.
In 1900 local residents campaigned to have the Kelvin Grove tramway extended along Enoggera Road to the Newmarket Hotel in Newmarket. However, a new bridge over Enoggera Creek would be required. There were also concerns the close proximity of the proposed tramway would take revenue away from the railway line. However these concerns were resolved and the tramway extension to the Newmarket Hotel was opened on Monday 27 July 1903.
Up until the end of World War I, Brisbane's trams were the primary method used for travelling within the city.
Brisbane Tramways Trust (1922–1925)
Between 1923 and 1934 tram services in Brisbane were greatly expanded.
City of Brisbane (1925–1969)
Brisbane's tramway system came under the control of the newly merged Brisbane City Council (BCC) in 1925.
After seven years of agitation, Brisbane's tram service was extended to Grange in July 1928. The opening ceremony was attended by the Lord Mayor of Brisbane, William Jolly, and two Members of the Queensland Legislative Assembly, James Stevingstone Kerr and Charles Taylor. The mayor had threatened to not attend any ceremony for the opening of the tram service because two rival groups were organising separate celebrations; he would only attend if there was a single ceremony.
Until 1934, the trams carried mail between the Brisbane General Post Office and suburban post office branches, and also acted as mobile postboxes.
Through the 1940s and 1950s the tram system received strong political support within the council, which continued to expand the tram network and upgrade its fleet with some of the most advanced trams in Australia. Trolleybuses were introduced in 1951. The last tramway to open was in March 1961. Clem Jones became Lord Mayor of Brisbane the same year, and all new route construction was cancelled.
Decline of the electric street transport systems By 1948 Brisbane's trams failed to return a profit as they could not compete with the more efficient bus services. Urban development, often well away from public transport, the rise of suburban shopping centres and the relative decline in the cost of motorcars meant Brisbane's public street transport system increasingly had to compete with the private motor car. Patronage slowly declined from a post war peak of 148 million passenger journeys in 1946, to approximately 64 million passenger journeys in 1968.
Political support for the tram system waned in the 1960s, particularly so after the Paddington tram depot fire on 28 September 1962. 67 trams were destroyed, which represented 20% of the entire fleet. Brisbane's Lord Mayor Alderman Clem Jones was pro-freeway and private car. The Kalinga, Toowong, Rainworth and Bulimba ferry routes closed in December 1962.
The closure of the tram and trolleybus systems In common with many other cities, Brisbane converted its remaining tram lines between 1968 and 1969 to all bus operation. The last trolley buses ran on 13 March 1969 and the final trams ran on 13 April 1969. Photographs of this last tram ride, organised by Grahame Garner and other tramways workers are in the University of Queensland Fryer Library collection. The tramway closure was notable for the speed with which it was carried out. Over 300 replacement Leyland Panther buses were purchased, at the time the largest single bus purchase in the world. Most older, wooden trams were stripped of metal parts and burnt at the City Council's yard at Cribb Street, Milton (adjacent to the tramway workshops). The bodies of later, all-metal cars were sold as sheds and playground equipment.
Brisbane Tramway Museum (1969–present) The Brisbane Tramway Museum Society was formed in 1968 to preserve some of Brisbane's trams. As of 2016 the museum has 24 Brisbane trams in its collection, with 6 operational; California type tram 47, Ten Bench tram 65, Baby Dreadnought tram 99, Dropcentre tram 341, Four Motor tram 429, and the last tram built and officially operated in Brisbane, Four Motor Phoenix tram 554. Tramway operations commenced at the museum at Ferny Grove in 1980.History of the Brisbane Tramway Museum Society Brisbane Tramway Museum
1990s light rail proposals There have been several proposals from both the Brisbane City Council and state government to return a tram or light rail system to Brisbane since the 1990s.Brisbane Light Rail scheme sidetracked The most prominent of these include the ambitious 1997 Brisbane Light Rail Transit proposal. The plans escalated to a Queensland government tender for four company consortia to purchase new trams, construct and operate the system.Brisbane Light Rail Project Hansard 9 June 1999 The project was estimated to cost 235 million but was subsequently vetoed in favour of expanding the existing bus network.
These various proposed options included a line from Roma Street station to Queensland University of Technology’s CBD campus along George Street, CBD to West End and University of Queensland via Victoria Bridge and Melbourne Street and CBD to Fortitude Valley via Wickham Terrace.
2007 Light Rail Plan In 2007, following several failed road and tunnel projects, and based on the recommendations of the Brisbane City Council's 2006 CBD masterplan, Premier Peter Beattie announced $250 million of state government funding for an extensive light rail system that would rival Melbourne's trams network and be significantly larger than those in Sydney or Adelaide. The plan was to link South Brisbane to New Farm and Bowen Hills with future extensions down the newly created South Eastern and Inner Northern Busways, bridges and pedestrian spines.Trams back in Brisbane The Courier Mail 16 July 2007 In the March 2008 Brisbane city elections, the Queensland Greens campaigned on a more comprehensive plan.Greens' Light rail proposal the best for Brisbane Queensland Greens However, by June 2008 progress had stalled, without an official project announcement, the Brisbane City Council once again distancing itself from the plan due to cost of the investment (estimated at AU$600 million for the New Farm link), instead giving consideration of diverting the funds to enhancing the bus and CityCat ferry systems.Trams, light rail or giant buses? Brisbane Times 5 June 2008
Types of trams
Brisbane never adopted an alphabetical or numerical system for classifying its trams, opting instead to use official descriptions, such as "standard centre aisle car", or "drop-centre saloon car".
Horse trams single deck saloon single deck cross bench double deck – open top deck, lower saloon
Electric trams Converted electric trams
Delivery of early combination cars was delayed, as a result the tramway company decided to convert many of the horse trams to electric operation, as a temporary expedient. Despite this, many of these converted cars remained in passenger service well into the 1930s.
California Combination car The prototype Brisbane electric tram (No 1) was built at the Melbourne cable tram workshops from the body of a horse tram, and had 5 saloon windows instead of the usual 4 windows on the new-built Combination cars, with one fixed and one tip-over seat on each end platform.
Large Combination cars These three trams were built in 1904 from three single deck horse trams, similar to the new-built California Combination trams but with 6 saloon windows as opposed to 4 on the new trams, and a single fixed cross-bench seat on each end platform instead of 2 tip-over seats each end. Withdrawn from service 1925 to 1930s.
Saloon cars Each tram in this class was constructed by joining two single deck saloon horse trams together on a single motorised chassis. Their long, enclosed bodies gave rise to their nickname of "coffin cars". They were built in 1897, when delivery of new electric trams was delayed. 6 cars in this class. They were all withdrawn from service by 1930.
"Summer" cars The 6 bench horse trams were motorised and later most were lengthened to accommodate 10 cross benches. One car was to remain in service until 1958 as an advertising car.
New-built electric trams California Combination