Tram Classes

Brighton Tram 53 Society - Tram Classes

Tram Class

Brighton Corporation Tramways had six main tramcar classes, A to F, developed progressively between the opening of the system in 1901 and the construction of the final cars in 1937. The important point is that they were not completely different trams each time: each new class was an evolution of the previous design, improving braking, seating, protection for the driver, motors, bearings and general passenger comfort.<

A Class — 1901 onwards

These were Brighton's original electric tramcars.
The first 35 were built by Milnes, with the remainder of the A-class order supplied by the United Electric Company. They were:

open-top
open-ended
double-deck
four-wheel
approximately 30 hp
fitted with mechanical wheel brakes
fitted with mechanical track brakes
mounted on Peckham, Brush or Brill trucks.

The track brake was particularly basic: a wooden block was physically pressed down onto the rail.

So the A class represents the first-generation Brighton tram.

B Class — from 1914

This was an important change because Brighton decided to stop relying on outside manufacturers for the tram bodies. The Corporation began building its own tram bodies at Lewes Road, and this practice continued until 1937. The B class was therefore the first Brighton-built tramcar class.

The B was still fundamentally an A-class type of tram: open-top + four wheels + double deck + relatively simple mechanical equipment.

But the construction was stronger and better suited to Brighton's difficult gradients and heavy service.

The trucks were Brill 21E trucks.

C Class — 1920

The C class introduced a feature that made a very noticeable difference to the crew:

Glazed fronts. This gave the driver considerably more protection from:

wind
rain
cold
spray from the road.

It also gave some protection to passengers standing at the front. The C class also had upholstered lower-deck seating, rather than the basic wooden seating of the earlier cars, and larger, more informative destination boards.

This was therefore a significant step forward in crew comfort and passenger comfort.

D Class — approximately 1920s The D class was a further development of the C class.

One of its most important innovations was:

Air-operated wheel brakes

This was a major improvement over the mechanical braking system of the early cars. Instead of the driver having to rely on physical mechanical operation, compressed air operated the brakes.

The D class also had:

a slightly wider body
40 hp motors
upholstered lower-deck seating
improved interior arrangements.


This was an important stage in turning the Brighton tram from its original simple design into a much more sophisticated vehicle.

E Class — later 1920s/1930s

The E class continued the development of the D.
The major mechanical improvement was the introduction of:

Roller bearings
along with air brakes as standard.
The E cars also had:

smaller wheels
lower steps
improved running gear.
During their lives many E-class cars were continually modified, so some later E cars could look remarkably similar to F-class cars.

This is one reason why identifying Brighton cars purely from photographs can sometimes be difficult.

F Class — the ultimate Brighton tram

And this is the class that is particularly important to Tram 53.

The F class was the final and most advanced Brighton Corporation design.

The F class incorporated:

50 hp motors
air-operated wheel brakes
air-operated track brakes
roller bearings
improved gearing
deeper upper-deck side panels for greater protection
improved lower-deck seating
Dunlopillo seating
covered vestibules
improved driver's protection
more modern body styling.


The F class was the ultimate Brighton design, incorporating covered vestibules, roller bearings, chrome rather than brass fittings, more powerful motors and helical gearing.

Then came Tram 53

No. 53 was built at the Lewes Road depot in 1936–37, and was one of the very last Brighton Corporation tramcars ever constructed and was the third tram to use the number '53'

In fact, 51, 52 and 53 were the final three trams built by Brighton Corporation, all completed in 1937.

That makes Tram 53 particularly important: it represents the end point of 36 years of Brighton Corporation tramcar development.

The development in simple terms
You can almost see the history of Brighton's tramway through the six classes:

A — 1901
Basic electric tram
Mechanical brakes
30 hp

B — 1914
Stronger, Brighton-built body
C — 1920
Windscreen/glazed front Better seating

D — 1920s
Air brakes
40 hp motors
Wider body
E — late 1920s/1930s
Roller bearings
Smaller wheels
Lower steps
F — 1930s
50 hp
Roller bearings
Better protection
Improved seating
Modern body design

Tram 53 — 1937
The final evolution of the Brighton Corporation tram

Particularly significant, despite the sophisticated development of the F class, Brighton still retained the open-top configuration right through to 1939. The system's narrow 3 ft 6 in gauge and concerns about stability in Brighton's exposed conditions were important factors.