Melbourne Tram Museum
Letter - Correspondence, Melbourne & Metropolitan Tramways Board (MMTB), "Trolley Buses", 1922-23
File containing correspondence between the MMTB Chief Engineer Mr. Strickland and various companies, including Railless Ltd, Australian General Electric, English Electric / Dick Kerr and its UK consultants Heap and Digby between the period August 1922 and January 1923.
Includes drawings, technical specifications and a book titled "AEC Railless Trolley Bus Specification", date stamped 15/8/1922. For a scan of this document see htd535-trolleybus.pdf (imaging not working correctly for this database as at 9-8-14)
For a listing of the contents of this file and of Reg Item 535, see Related Documents - htd535-536list.pdf
Item 535 - Trolley Buses
Listed from top of file, in order found. Letters generally to/from MMTB Chief Engineer.
Date Type, contents and notes
18/11/1922 Letter to Metro Vickers from Chief Engineer re Railless trams
12/1/1923 Letter to Aust GE re railless trams Not likely to proceed at this time.
11/1/1923 Letter from Aust GE Co. providing photographs, drawings, BTH, pamphlets, and general information. Includes photo of Tee-side trolley bus No. 17. No other papers with this item.
6/9/1922 Letter to Aust. GE asked for particulars and drawings of motor omnibuses These three items pinned together.
5/9/1922 Letter to Chief Engineer from Aust. GE provided up to date figures on BTH Railless vehicles. These three items pinned together.
31/8/1922 Letter to Aust GE returning folded of data in relation to petrol and petrol electric cars. These three items pinned together.
24/10/1922 Letter to Heap & Digby, thanks for information, but unlikely to use trolley buses due to poor road conditions where they could be used in terms of revenue.
14/9/1922 Letter from Heap & Digby, inclosing photos of Railless Ltd vehicles supplied to Bloemfontein South Africa and testing. These two items clipped together with drawing No. SK 14-8, showing Mexborough gradients.
28/8/1922 Letter from AEC to Heap & Digby re trolley buses, construction costs and practicality of shipping these to Aust. Includes the Mexborough test results. These two items clipped together with drawing No. SK 14-8, showing Mexborough gradients.
3/8/1922 to 31/10/22 Correspondence between MMTB and H&D regarding the Bloemfontein vehicles. Pinned together.
17/11/1922 Letter from Metro Vickers to MMTB providing details (no photos or drawings) of trolley buses – four pages.
18/1/1923 Letter to H&D thanking him for information and a paper ready by a Mr. Munro.
31/8/1922 Letter to Metro Vic – Melbourne asking whether Westinghouse had developed standard lines of motors for railless cars.
4/10/1922 Letter to Aust GE thanking for info.
2/10/1922 Letter from Aust GE providing two cuttings about railless vehicles in Birmingham and the cost of tram track construction.
Papers Contained within a green strip of cloth.
26/9/1922 Letter from H&D providing info from EE – Dick Kerr Preston works equipment used by Railless Ltd.
EE Specification for DK 26B Trackless trolley motors
18/9/1922 Letter from EE to H&D providing info on 20HP motors, 40HP, and other information.
Blueprint – drawing 2810 – DK 26 Motor
Performance curves for above motor
Blueprint – No. 1312D – controller diagram
Pamphlet – EE – tramcar Type D automatic circuit Breakers. Publication No. 230, dated 9/1920.
Ditto, Form A, drawings No 3565, 1/1/19.
Performance curves – blueprint – Type DK85A
Blueprint – 4449 – outline of controller DK, Type D, form B.
Blueprint – P2002M034 – DK85 Motor.
EE specification for Traction Motor DK85 Modified from a tram motor.
EE blueprint P2102F021, traction control wiring for form D controller.
EE blueprint P2103F033 – outline of controller type SE1, form C and D.
EE blueprint P2102Z011 – wiring diagram for type SE1 form controller.
Performance curves for DK85A motor.
EE blueprint – P2102F025 – diagram of connections (wiring) for Type SE1, form D controller.
Blueprint – EE drawing – P2002M036 – DK85 motor with ball bearings.
Single documents.
Date Type Notes
27/9/1922 Letter to H&D acknowledging AEC Trackless trolley bus specification.
15/8/1922 Letter from H&D forwarding above specification
String bound book – AEC Railless Trolley Bus Specification – stamped 15/8/22 Scanned as a separate document.
4/9/1922 Letter from Metro Vic. Melbourne advising that they have no information on Westinghouse Motors for use in railless cars, but seeking same.trams, tramways, trolley buses, melbourne, mmtb, aec, heap and digby, english electric, railless, dick kerr, general electric