G class

(F, G, K, Q & R classes - Single-truck, straight-sill, closed combination cars)

The F, G and K classes were built for the Prahran and Malvern Tramways Trust (PMTT), the Q for the Melbourne and Metropolitan Tramways Board (MMTB), and the R for the Fitzroy, Northcote and Preston Tramways Trust (FNPTT).

The F and G classes were built as straight sill centre-aisle summer cars with 5 doors on each side (seating 52). This is quite close to a toastrack design, and it must have been unpopular, because in the early 1920s they were modified by removing the centre door to make an enclosed saloon with longitudinal seating. The K class was originally built this way, but was unpopular because it was very rough-riding.

The Q-class trams were built by the MMTB in a plan to quickly increase the number of electric trams in service.

In 1928, these codes were rationalised. The F, G, K, Q and R classes are all single-truck straight-sill, closed combination cars, so they were all re-designated as G-class. Since they were "straight-sill", not "drop-end" like the Old A class, I would have thought they would be harder to board (more steps) than the other design. I am not sure what the attraction of this design was.

Preserved G-class trams

• Q139, at the Old Canberra Tram Company
• Q197, as scrubber car 9W at the Hawthorn Tram Depot

• F46 (formerly PMTT 46), to be restored as ??? by the Tramway Museum of Victoria
• G53 (formerly PMTT 53), to be restored as ??? by the Tramway Museum of Victoria
• Q199, by the Tramway Museum of Victoria