Heritage Trams - Ballarat ~ March
VIEWING OPTIONS: To enlarge images, click on the featured image below. For full-screen images, view in slideshow mode by clicking on the arrow.
For the EXIF, click beneath each photo.
History: 1915 Delivered to Prahran and Malvern Tramways Trust as tram No 75. 1920 Taken over by Melbourne & Metropolitan Tramways Board as No. 75, class J. 1928 Sold to Melbourne Electric Supply Co. for use on the Geelong tramway system as No. 29. Converted to Geelong one-man style. 1930 Geelong tramway system taken over by the State Electricity Commission. 1936 Transferred by the SEC to Ballarat tramway system as Tram No. 14. Converted to Ballarat configuration of waist level panels in drop ends, with closeable doors in each corner on the tramcar. 1971 Acquired by the City of Ballarat, and made available to the BTPS. 1979 Operated in Melbourne for the Australia Day Parade
Historically, conductors were used to collect passenger fairs from passenger. In Melbourne, automated smart cards were introduced in trams 25 July 2010.
The carriages of older trams were constructed largely of timber. When traveling along undulating tracks, the carriage flexes with every wood joint creating squeaks, rattles and jiggles. Some love this symphony of noise.
Restoration, re-furbishing, and maintenance are done in the Ballarat Tram Museum. Some two dozen trams of various vintage dating back to horse-drawn tram days are loving restored here.