B class Melbourne tram

MelbourneTram|

DESCRIPTION=
NAME=B class
ENTERED SERVICE=1984-1994
BUILDER=Comeng/ABB
IN SERVICE=132/131
FLEET=2001-2132
DEPOTS=Southbank, East Preston, Essendon, Camberwell, Brunswick, Glenhuntly
TARE=34t
LENGTH=23.63m
WIDTH=2.77m
HEIGHT=3.65m
MOTORS=2x AEG ABS 3322 195kW

The B class are a two section, three bogie articulated tram that operates in Melbourne, Victoria. Following the introduction of two B1 Class trams in 1984 and 1985, a total of 130 B2 class trams were ordered by the Victorian Government and built by Comeng (later ASEA Brown Boveri) in Dandenong, Victoria. They were introduced by the Metropolitan Transit Authority in 1988.

B1 class

The B1 class consist of two trams built as prototype light rail vehicles in 1984 and 1985 for the St Kilda and Port Melbourne light rail conversion projects.

B2 class

The B2 class trams were the first trams introduced to Melbourne to feature air conditioning and dot-matrix destination signs. The electronics of the B2 Class were similar to earlier Z3 and A Class trams, however the B2 Class trams have Gate Turn-Off control systems.

In August 1999, the Melbourne tram network was privatised. A total of 55 trams were allocated to Swanston Trams (later M>Tram) with the remaining 75 allocated to Yarra Trams. Both companies began their own repainting and refurbishment program that saw new liveries and internal colour schemes. However, with Yarra Trams now the sole operator of the Melbourne system, all B2 Class trams (with the exception of all over advertising trams) are painted in the Yarra Trams livery.

The Yarra Trams livery features a fog grey coat with a darker shade of grey for the bottom skirts and roof trimmings. The Yarra Trams logo and streamlined gum leaf are applied using vinyl stickers. The now defunct M-Tram livery utilised a more green concept as well as featuring yellow ribboning around the tram, a large M> logo, and a blue roof. Most trams are now repainted into the Yarra Trams Livery with white as the base instead of fog grey.

In 2003, Yarra Trams briefly proposed adding a further 'low-floor' section to the trams. This proposal was voiced during the introduction of the Apollo seating layout, where seats were replaced with 'bum racks'. However, the plan to add the low-floor section has been shelved and the Apollo seating layout has only been applied to 10 trams.

External links

* [http://www.vicsig.net/index.php?page=trams&class=B1 Vicsig: B1 class trams]
* [http://www.vicsig.net/index.php?page=trams&class=B2 Vicsig: B2 class trams]