Three-axle Tram 378 and 339
The three-axle trams, a typical Ghent tram type, were built to meet the increasing number of passengers. Therefore, old two-axle trams were converted into larger three-axle trams. This allowed for more capacity without requiring additional staff (driver and conductor).
These trams ran on the Ghent city tram network from 1930 to 1971. The conversion was done in-house, which was common at the time.
Between 1950 and 1954, all three-axle trams were modernized with the aim of maximizing standardization across all subseries. The class division partitions were removed, rubber flooring was installed, fluorescent lighting was added, and film boxes for the destination film were introduced.
On three-axle 378 in its original form, you can clearly see that it consists of different types of trams converted into a vehicle with a similar appearance. The placement of windows and doors varies slightly between them. In 2015, the tram was restored to its original state. Since the tram was stored outdoors before restoration, weather conditions had taken their toll, so it was decided to convert this tram to a 1930 to 1950 three-axle tram. This is noticeable by the lengthwise seats (longitudinal seats) and two large and two small side windows.
Three-axle 339 was restored in its final configuration. The tram remained in service until March 31, 1974, when the PCC took over the entire tram service in Ghent. The vehicle received a few extra years of life as a service vehicle, notably for pulling flatbed work wagons for rail service.