Johannesburg Municipal Tramways was British-built and managed.
These British-supplied tramcars were virtually identical to those operating in countless British towns and cities apart from the fact that notices appeared in Afrikaans as well as English.
A batch of sixty cars was supplied by the Preston-based United Electric Car Company for assembly in Johannesburg.
Shipping costs increased the overall cost of these balcony trams from £594 to £943.
Please read this page , lots of information regarding trams ...Fantastic story about Tram no 60
Gems from above page "Thereafter, non-white passengers were for a time confined to the balconies until a court case in August 1914 established for the first time that they were also entitled to ride inside the normal service trams."
"In 1973 Johannesburg 60 secured another starring role – together with Blackpool 49 – in Howard Spring’s “A Shabby Tiger”, in which it masqueraded as Manchester tramcar no. 717. This was its first ‘active’ performance, as it was now operational once more, since retiring from passenger service in Johannesburg over a decade earlier."
A Youtube Video with Trams and the last Tram in Johannesburg ...
Here is a page with some brilliant history and Videos about Trams in South Africa.
This is also worth a look .
Specification
Type of tram - Electric 4-wheel open balcony top-covered passenger tram
Livery.
Cherry red and cream (original livery is thought to have been dark chocolate outlined with gold); repainting in the current livery probably took place around 1936. Some of Johannesburg’s trams were painted in a blue and grey livery
Seating capacity - 58 (34 on top deck; 24 downstairs with official standing capacity for 18)
Date built - 1905
Date entered service - Summer 1906
Manufacturer of body - United Electric Car Co./Johannesburg Municipal Tramways.
Manufacturer of truck -Brill 21E
Gauge - 4’ 8½”
Motor - 2x Westinghouse 249 2x60hp
Controller - DK DB1 K3 (not original, but bought from English Electric who are believed to have re-purchased them from Bolton Corporation and reconditioned them before supplying them to JMT). The originals were DK DB2.
Withdrawn from service - Probably 31st January 1960 upon closure of the north eastern routes .
About Token :
Johannesburg Municipal Tramway Brass Token.
Originally used as fare for Tramways and later replaced by plastic/celluloid alternatives. Refer to as Money belt tag ....
Brass. NOTE : Hern on page 143 say these are Aluminium ? . 306C
Reverse side is blank. Uniface.
Diameter is 38.4mm.
The highest number I seen on them is in the Hern catalogue ...1406
Sources :
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