Trams

A tram is a light-rail vehicle for public transport A tram is a light-rail vehicle for public transport. Trams are distinguished from other forms of light rail in that they travel along tracks laid down in the right-of-way of city streets. Another distinguishing factor is the short length of the vehicle, which usually consists of a standalone car or three at the most.

From 1885, trams were the major form of public transport in Queensland, right up until 1969 when the service was discontinued in favour of buses. The electric trams were introduced to Queensland in 1897. In 1916, there were one hundred and seventy-two trams running all over Queensland.

The first trams used were horse-drawn The first trams used were horse-drawn. They ranged in size from the smaller 16 seater to the larger 40 seat open - top double decker.

The Brisbane tramway network once served, Brisbane, the capital city of Queensland. It operated between 1885 and 1969 and ran on standard 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 - 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.

Tram systems are common throughout Europe and were common throughout the Western world in the early 20th century. In Australia trams are in in use in several cities, most extensively in Melbourne with its W-class tram.

In the United States, most trams were removed in the 1950s In the United States, most trams were removed in the 1950s. Often tram operators were bought out by large car manufacturers who replaced the trams with fleets of buses. Not all trams were removed; the San Fransisco cable cars are the most famous example of trams in the USA.

Early trams were pulled along by horses Early trams were pulled along by horses. Later, trams known as cable cars , attached to a moving cable underneath the road. The cable would be pulled by a steam engine at a powerhouse. Railed vehicles pulled by a cable up the hills at steep incline, such as Hong Kong’s Victoria Peak Tram are also called trams. Modern trams generally use overhead electric cables from which they draw current through a pantograph or a trolley pole.