A cable tram consisted of two vehicles working together, a leading open tramcar with perimeter seats under a canopy style roof, known as the 'dummy' or 'grip' car, and an enclosed saloon tram or trailer. The system was powered by a large steam powered winding engine. The engine's flywheel hauled an endless steel cable lying beneath the road between the rails in a shallow channel along the tram route.

Melbourne's first tram system was based on cable trams. Sydney had steam trams, first introduced in 1879. However there were two routes in Sydney that were thought too steep for steam trams: the Milsons Point line on the North shore and the King Street service to the Eastern suburbs. This cable tram trailing car comes from the latter which opened in 1894 and ran from King Street Wharf to Ocean Street Woollahra.

Built by the Sydney company Hudson Bros, it is the only remaining tram trailer in New South Wales. By 1905 electric trams had replaced cable and this car became part of a Cronulla house where the Museum found it in 1962. This tram car was restored to its original condition by apprentices at the Wagon Works Clyde Railway Workshops in 1970.

Margaret Simpson, 'On the move: a history of transport in Australia', Powerhouse Publishing, 2004

This tram car was made by Hudson Bros in Clyde, New South Wales, Australia in 1894.

This tram car was restored to its original condition by apprentices at the Wagon Works Clyde Railway Workshops in 1970. It is the only remaining cable tram trailer in New South Wales, which began its service on Sydney's second cable tramway that opened in 1894 from King's Street Wharf to Ocean Street, Edgecliff and ultimately closed in 1905 with the introduction of electronic trams. After it ended service the tram car was sold and in 1962 was located on a property at Cronulla.

Tram car, cable trailing car, 16 passenger, fully enclosed, made by Hudson Bros, Clyde, New South Wales, Australia, 1894

A 16 passenger cable tram trailing car without levers. The tram operates by a cable tram 'Dummy' which provides the motive power for hauling the 'Trailer' by means of a grip mechanism under the control of a 'Gripman'. The 'Gripman' operated a large lever to engage the grip onto a fast moving underground cable. The tram car is a deep, rich brown in colour, made up of only one compartment with open ends for access. The seats are made of varnished timber in the form of slats that face each other lengthways. There are also corner seats. Six windows open inwards, behind the seats, along each side and are covered with pulled down roller blinds. There are no lights in the tram car. The ceiling is painted white and also features three ventilators. Gold and cream trimming decorate the exterior, especially around the window frames and above the wheels.

Made: Hudson Bros; Clyde, New South Wales; 1894

On the outside of the wheels appear 'HUDSON BROS LTD / CLYDE N.S.W. / CAST STEEL' with the date '1894' and a transfer on the exterior side of the tram reads 'New South Wales Tramways' with 'KING St' at the top.

B1493

1894

3000 mm

2100 mm