Departing from Place Bellecour (in front of the Grande Poste / Antonin Poncet), the motorcar crossed the Rhône via the Pont de la Guillotière, traveled along the Grande Rue de la Guillotière / Route de Vienne to reach the center of Saint-Fons and the Vénissieux terminus.
This older two-axle rolling stock remained in service until the fleet was modernized in the 1920s and 1930s (with the arrival of the Marcinelle motorcars and modern rolling stock), before tram service on Line 12 was permanently discontinued in February 1949, when the line was converted to bus service.

An electric tram whose motor car was topped by a swiveling pole hinged at its top (pole). At the end of the pole was a grooved bronze wheel that rolled beneath the overhead contact line (OCL) under a voltage of approximately 500 to 600 volts DC. At the terminal (in Bellecour or Vénissieux), the driver or conductor would lower the pole and rotate it 180° using a dedicated rope to set off in the opposite direction (reversible/bidirectional vehicle).

• Wooden tramcar with two rigid axles (standard gauge of 1.435 m).
• The cars were equipped with wooden benches and had a capacity of approximately 40 to 50 passengers (divided between seats and exterior platforms for standing passengers).
• Mechanical hand brake (crank-operated) supplemented by electric braking via current reversal/rheostatic braking.