Page Text: A long time ago I wrote about Adelaide’s Flexity trams and their Germany connection – well this is the story of how they got to Australia.
The trams were built at the Bombardier factory in Bautzen, Germany.
Government of South Australia / DTEI photo
Tram bodies united with cabs.
Government of South Australia / DTEI photo
Tested in the sheds.
Government of South Australia / DTEI photo
And out into the snow.
Government of South Australia / DTEI photo
Then were then driven across Germany to the port city of Hamburg.
Government of South Australia / DTEI photo
And loaded onto a ro-ro cargo ship for the voyage to Australia.
The trams were then unloaded at Appleton Dock in Melbourne.
Government of South Australia / DTEI photo
Placed onto a low loader for the road journey west to Adelaide.
And then finally unloaded at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre.
Government of South Australia / DTEI photo
Footnote: air conditioning
Adelaide’s trams mightn’t been tested in the snow, but they couldn’t handle an Australian summer – so $4.25 million was spent in 2009 to retrofit the initial 11 trams with upgraded air conditioning systems better suited to local conditions.
Footnote: some nitpicking
Some of Adelaide’s Flexity trams were delivered directly by sea to Adelaide’s Outer Harbour instead of via Melbourne, and early deliveries were placed on the track at the terminus of the time, Victoria Square.
#101 and #102 – to Outer Harbour, 15 November 2005
#103 – to Outer Harbour, scrapped due to damage in transit
#104 – to Outer Harbour, 6 January 2006
#105 – to Outer Harbour aboard Hual ‘America’, 2 April 2006
#106 and #107 – to Melbourne, May 2006
#108 – to Outer Harbour, June 2006
#109 – to Melbourne onboard Höegh ‘Asia’, August 2006