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| The Glenelg to Adelaide tram line was originally operated as a railway line at a cost $5000 per mile by the Glenelg and Suburban Railway Company. This line began on August 4th 1873 and became known as the South Terrace Line and extended from Glenelg to Victoria Gardens [now Victoria Square] Each tram is 16.5 metres in lenght weighting 23 tonnes empty and has a load capacity of 64 people seated and 30 standing. They have a top speed of approx. 80kph and are powered by 600 volt DC through four 60hp motors. Thirty "H" type trams were built in 1928 by Pengilly and Co at Edwardstown and were originally used in triple sets but this was dicontinued in February 1937 after a fatal accident. In 1927 the line was purchased by the Municipal Tramways Trust for the sum of $176,940 The train line was 5'3"g. and had to be ripped up and replaced with The train 4'-8 1/2"g for the trams and while the tramway was being officialy opened on Saturday 14th of December 1929 the steam train to GleneIg departed for the last time. The proposed cost for the track conversion was $420,000. The Glenelg Tram
The 10.8km tramline was provided with 18 stops,a total of 403 concrete and iron poles and 9,573 new sleepers were required for the conversion. We now have approx. 25,000 sleepers on the line and 20 stops Mosely Square is stop #21 but stop #4 was removed asot wa on a bend at Goodwood and deemed dangerous. On December 29th 1929 the service began with 22 'H' class trams and sidings at Morphettville were bought into operation. During the Centenary of Glenelg [28th December 1936] a total of 88,422. passengers were carried on the line by a total of 81 trams Tram 376 was the first tram that appeared in the new silver and red colour in November 1952 to standardise the tram and bus fleet In 1927 the trams were reverted to the orinal Tuscan Red and Cream colours.
There were 3 cars redesigned to be able to carry racehorses to Morphettville including the famous Phar Lap from 1930 but this service was dicontinued in 1936. They also began a mail service in 1930 until 1962 On 25th of September 1935 they experimented with the use of Pantographs but this was not adopted. They were finally put in place in 1986 when the depot was relocated to Glengowrie. In 1953 the MTT was reconstituted and a ten year plan to replace all the trams with Buses began. Cheltenham line closed on 22nd of November 1958 and all that was left was the Glenelg to Adelaide line. Originally this was also doomed but somehow it survived.
During 1990 the "Grand Lady" was put into service driven by an STA operator and staffed by a private company as a restaurant tram. This tram was painted blue and gold, the interior was booth seated in a tapestry material, has reproduction lamps and fully air conditioned. It was fitted with a microwave, oven, sound system and refridgeration. This tram has recently been decommissioned and will be tranported to the St, Kilda Tram Museum.
Today we carry approx. 5000 people on a daily basis with 5 nonrefurbished, 10 refurbished and 5 newly refurbished trams on the 15 minute service during the day and the 20 minute service on Sundays. Coupled sets are used during peak hours, weekends and special events such as the pageant.
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