When we visited the Sydney Tramway Museum last month, I bought a book on the Brisbane Tram Systems I used to ride on every day from and to work in the 60s. In 1969, the then Lord Mayor Clem Jones made the worst decision he ever did. He stopped the trams that used to carry hundreds of people around the city day in and day out. He stopped them in the idiotic belief that they 'didn't fit the image' anymore and converted the public transport system to buses.
Upon flying back to Brisbane, I put a visit to the Brisbane Tram Museum onto my Bucket List. Well, yesterday, we drove out to Ferny Grove to visit the Brisbane Museum which is only open on Sundays between 12.30 and 4 PM.
The first two cars are 65 and 47, built in 1901 and 1907 and were on the Edward Street to Botanical Garden line.
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| 65 and 47 are the oldest cars in the museum |
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| The Blogger at the Tram Stop |
99 was rebuilt in 1945 on the frame of a previously withdrawn car. It was specially built for the steep climb up Edward Street to Gregory Terrace
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| 94 and 99 were single truck centre aisle cars |
The people running and operating the trains are all volunteers. They also maintain the tracks and carriages.
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| Our 'Motorman' who was operating the trams yesterday |
During operation of the museum, the trams are constantly running and are swapped throughout the day.
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| 47 arrives at the tram depot |
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| 47 was often operated at night lit with a kerosene lamp |
554 and 429 were the last trams built in Brisbane. 554 was one of eight, built to replace the 65 trams that were destroyed in the Paddington Depot fire in 1962. It incorporates parts that have been salvaged from the fire.
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| 554 and 429 in the tram shed |
341 is one of the largest trams that was built in Brisbane in 1936 and is known as a 'drop centre' car. They were known as THE TRAM.
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| 341 at the Tramway Museum |
In the late 60, when I lived in Brisbane, I used to catch the tram from the Treasury Building in town to Mater Hill on the south side. I was a smoker then.
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| If the trams were still running today, you wouldn't see this sign. |
I added a little video I shot yesterday:
It's a place for me to visit when next up north. The tragedy is the relative modernness of Brisbane's trams compared to those in Australian cities, especially Sydney's which were mostly very old and worn out.
ReplyDeleteHi Andrew,
DeleteI added a short video of the experience yesterday.
Very good. Don't those single bogie trams bounce around a lot.
DeleteIt was great to see and ride on these historic trams.
ReplyDeleteI'll bet you had a fun time Dad! It must have brought the memories flooding back! I can't get the video to play? Might be my dodgy hotel wifi? I'll try again later.
ReplyDeleteXxx
Oh !!!!! Et Tu great Gaius Chunderville - very good without the demo of your little mishap of years ago.
ReplyDeleteI do think that "Empress" Diane doesn't look too amused - the tram was obviously late????
Well you can't expect much with the combination of QR and Translink. I don't think they talk to each other,
but they sure can pass the "buck" quick enough on any present everyday problems.
So far this week I am pleased and astounded to announce that I have not had any problems, but still
one day to go!!!!!
Great video - bit noisy the old trams, don't you think???
Cheers
Colin