Green’s Dictionary of Slang

(Aus.) a footboard tram in Sydney, with serried seating available from both sides.

1905		Newcastle Morn. Herald (NSW) 3 June 4/2: The cars were varied in character, some were double-deckers - profitable but inconvenient for a fast service; others were of the toast-rack type.
1910		Advertiser (Adelaide) 20 Apr. 7/4: The only practical suggestion he makes is that there should be more space between seats on the ‘toast rack’ or ‘gridiron’ cars.
1916		Exp. & Teleg. (Adelaide) 6 June 3/3: The tram, was a racecourse special of the ‘toast-rack’ type, and was crowded with passengers.
1920		Advertiser (Adelaide) 28 Apr. 9/4: A lady passenger sitting in the toast-rack part of the car immediately jumped from the car with her little boy.
1933		Mercury (Hobart) 23 Aug. 6/8: The tram is the latest thing of its kind, [...] Down one side of each of the two compartments run dual toast-rack seats, and down the other side is the ordinary long seat on which passengers sit with their backs to the windows.
1941		Baker Popular Dict. Aus. Sl. 77: Toastrack, one of the old-style footboard trams still used in Sydney.
1949		Newcastle Morn. Herald (NSW) 30 Apr. 1/6: Mr. Sheahan [...] claimed he was responsible for instituting proposals for the conversion of the ‘toast-rack’ trams.
1951		Sydney Morn. Herald 8 Sept. 2/1: Hermits do not have to ride on toast-rack trams, or queue for stamps at the G.P.O. [...] to mention only a few of their privileges.
2012		(con. 1943) G.S. Manson Coorparoo Blues [ebook] He sat in the toast-rack and took in the breeze.