Moottorivaunut 24-33

modernisoitu / modernized

The cars were of the same type as Helsinki cars from the 1920’s. Helsinki bought in 1920 Brill cars from USA and then ordered similar cars from NWF and ASEA. After its American original, this tram type was called ”American” or ”Yankee”. The car 24 was the first tram motor car built in Finland. Tram production started in Finland on the initiative of the Turku tramway company in 1934. The trams built in Sweden and Finland had the same electric system and motors and were handled as a uniform series in use and modernizations. Most of the cars were rebuilt under 1940’s and 1950’s to one-direction cars with the exception of 30, which was two directional to the end. The cars originally had reversible seats in 2 + 1 ranks. Later they were rebuilt 1 + 1 to improve standee capacity. Many of the cars were heavily modernized during the 1950’s (for example 25, 26, 27 and 29) and part of them got rubber dampened wheels and 24V – electric system for interior lighting and blinkers. The cars were decommissioned 1966-1972. Those decommissioned early were cannibalized for spare parts such as trucks and motors. Certain modernized cars hung on to the bitter end in October 1972