Sydney Tramway 0-4-0 Locomotives in Australia

Class Standard Motor (Locobase 7395)

Data from the Powerhouse museum website [], which shows what is claimed to be tram 1A. See also Baldwin Locomotive Works Specification for Engines, as digitized by the DeGolyer Library of Southern Methodist University Volume 10, p. 95, et. al.

Works numbers were

1879

April 4615-4617

1882

February 6064, 6067; March 6074, 6079, 6116-6117; April 6129; August 6331, 6333

1883

October 6980-6983; December 7079-7081, 7083

1884

January 7118-7119, 7122, 7135; December 7529-7535

1885

January 7536-7546, 7549-7550

1891

February 11659-11662; March 11665-11666, 11675-11680, 11683-11684, 11687

Other websites include that of the Valley Heights Steam Tramway -- [] -- which has restored Tram 103a and the Bendigo tramway site

[]

Baldwin was the only manufacturer able to deliver 4 steam tram motors in time for the Sydney International Exhibition being held in Sydney's Botanical Gardens. The exhibition opened on 15 Sept 1879 - without the motors. It was a technicality as the first run with a steam tram came 8 days later. The service was an immediate success and over 440,000 passengers had been transported by the end of 1879.

Although originally planned just for the 2.4-km line in the Gardens and to operate for only the 6-month term of the exhibition, the service was extended both in time and distance. Over the next 15 years, 100 steam tram motors pulling two tram coaches entered service -- all from Baldwin. Under the casing of wood and 5 windows a side, the engine was an orthodox saddle tanker with D slide valves and the American bar frame. Most of the motors had the 11" cylinders; some were smaller.

Steam trams spread throughout New South Wales. Sydney electrified its tramways beginning in 1905, although the last steam tram didn't leave service until 1937.

Class Vauclain tram (Locobase 15977)

Data from Baldwin Locomotive Works Specification for Engines, as digitized by the DeGolyer Library of Southern Methodist University Volume 12, p. 1 and "Steam Car for Sydney Tramways," Scientific American: Supplement, Volume 17, No 122 (2 February 1884), p. 6729. Works numbers were 7051, 7058 in November 1883 and 7064-7065, 7070 in D

Locobase 7395 shows the long series of steam dummies delivered to the City of Sidney Tramways. Mingled in with the orthodox steamers was this quintet of Vauclain compounds; the operator could open all four cylinders to live steam with a single lever. Specifications called for these motors to move 80 passengers at 10 mph up a 0.53% grade.

Compared to later compounds, this assembly's LP cylinders were much too small to use all of the steam exhausted by the HP cylinders. The coke-fired "power egg" had a pair of HP and LP cylinders fed by a single piston valve mounted vertically on either side of the smoke box. A circular firebox exhausted into a short barrel while the steam collected at the top of the upright vessel.

The Scientific American's Supplement illustration shows the imposing bulk of a double-deck tram. The lower deck was enclosed and held the steam engine over the front bogie (which was shrouded). The upper deck had a roof over an open-air arrangement of longitudinal benches; smokers were only allowed on this deck. Given its location in the car and likely over-heating of nearby passengers, the stack was surrounding by an iron casing that carried the exhaust out above the second deck.