Re: Brill Radiax trucks

On 21/08/2024 23:06, 'TONY TIEULI' via TramsDownUnder wrote:

The last Brill Radiax truck built was for the Third Avenue Railway System in the USA.   It went under a Brill “convertible” Master Unit ca. 1930.   The car was not successful as it derailed on anything but the straightest track.  The car was sidelined within a few years.   Some of you may remember the “Pivs” or Pivotal cars in Leeds, England.  The “truck” was two independent wheel assemblies that were linked together with tie rods.  As the car entered a curve, the 10’ truck would pivot using wheel flanges to steer.  Apparently it worked while the cars were relatively new, but as the linkages and wheel flanges wore, the wheels did not pivot into the curve but the flanges cut into the rail head.  Eventually all of them were reworked to eliminate the pivoting mechanism, becoming the “rigids.”   Many of the cars were re-trucked.

Perhaps the Melbourne T class were the most successful Radiax truck equipped trams of all.

Six of them were built for the Melbourne Brunswick and Coburg Tramways Trust and entered service in 1917.

They lasted in service until 1962, when the Footscray local trams closed - 45 years.

In 1966, one of them re-entered occasional service as a heritage tram.

Perhaps typically, the tram (No 180) derailed rather spectacularly at Batman Ave on one of its early heritage trips!

The pic is from the collection of the Melbourne Tram Museum, who have No 180 in their collection. https://www.hawthorntramdepot.org.au/trams/mmtb180.htm

Mal Rowe - who was there.