This article is about a class of tram that first ran on the street tramways of Adelaide, South Australia in 1909. For an overview of the city's tram types, see Tram types in Adelaide.
Their California combination description encompassed their combination of a central saloon compartment and open cross-bench seating at each end; a design that had proved popular in California, with its climate similar to Adelaide's.
When the MTT introduced an alphabetical classification system in 1923, they were designated A type. Many were retired in the 1930s, but most returned to service during World War II operating in coupled pairs to conserve manpower. These were nicknamed Bib & Bubs after comic characters created by children's author May Gibbs. The remaining examples were withdrawn in 1952.[1][3]
They were never fitted with air brakes, instead using handbrakes for normal stops and magnetic track brakes for emergencies.[1] All 70 were originally fitted with Brill Winner style (tip-over) seats in the saloon section; in 1937 20 cars swapped their seats with Hale & Kilburn fixed rattan seats from 20 C type trams.
