Tram museums

Tramway museums may be found at: ACT . NSW . QLD . SA . Tas . Vic . WA . Overseas.

Australian Capital Territory

• Old Canberra Tram Company
  Canberra Tradesmen's Union Club
  2 Badham St, Dickson, ACT
  Although trams never ran in Canberra, you will find here:
  • a 1920 Melbourne cable car
  • Melbourne W2-class, L-class and Q-class trams
  • Sydney P-class, C-class and two R-class trams
  • Adelaide type D (1912) and type H trams
  • Brisbane FM-class tram
  Open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
  (02) 6248-0999 Members, guests and interstate and international visitors always welcome.

New South Wales

• Sydney Tramway Museum
  (This museum has enough information for its own separate page)
  Summary of features (see separate page for details):
  • largest tram museum in the southern hemisphere
  • 47 vehicles from Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, Ballarat, San Francisco and Nagasaki tramways
  • Australia's oldest tram
  • trams operate over 3 km of track (1.1 km towards Sutherland, 2 km into Royal National Park).
• Steam Tram and Railway Preservation Society
  Recovering from a tragic fire, in which the museum depot and collection at Parramatta Park were destroyed by arson. A new site is being sought.
  Features:
  • Sydney steam tram motor 103A, built 1891, which until the fire was the only Baldwin steam tram motor known to be operating in the world. It is currently being rebuilt.
  Steam Tram and Railway Preservation Society
  P.O. Box 3179, Parramatta, NSW, 2124
• Powerhouse Museum
  500 Harris St, Ultimo
  The powerhouse is a technology and society museum, covering many things including transport. Trams to be found here include Baldwin steam tram motor No. 1A (1879) (which research indicates is actually No. 28A), a C-class, an O-class and an R-class electric tram.
  Open daily
  (02) 9217 0111
  P.O. Box K346, Haymarket, NSW, 2000

Queensland

• Brisbane Tramway Museum
  50 Tramway St, Ferny Grove, 4055
  Features:
  • 24 trams, 2 trolley buses and 22 diesel buses (the diesel buses soon to be handed over to the Queensland Bus and Coach Society
  • 5 trams in regular operation:
    • Californian Combination (Matchbox)
    • Ten Bench (Toastrack)
    • Baby Centre Aisle (Baby Dreadnought)
    • Dropcentre (Drop or Droppy)
    • Four Motor (FM or Iron Dukes)
  • other trams include a horse tram, Dreadnought, and Phoenix (post-fire FM) trams
  • Picnic facilities, Toilets, Light refreshments, Display and Souvenir shop.
    
  Open Sundays 12:30 pm to 4 pm, except in wet weather
  Group Bookings outside these hours are most welcome.
  Meals available at Ferny Grove Bowls Club adjacent to museum from 12.00 noon on Sundays.
  (07) 3351-1776
  Brisbane Tramway Museum Society
  PO Box 94, Ferny Hills, QLD, 4055
• Rockhampton Steam Tramway
  Features:
  • fully restored French-designed Purrey steam tramcar, dating from 1909, believed to be the only operating one in the world.
  (07) 49-311-311, Fax: (07) 4922-1700
  Rockhampton City Council
  P.O. Box 243, Rockhampton, QLD, 4700

South Australia

• Australian Electric Transport Museum
  St. Kilda, 20 kms north of Adelaide.
  Features:
  • many of Adelaide's old trams from its former tram network, including type A, type B, type C, type D (Melb. O-class), type E and E1, type F and F1, type G (Birney car), type H and H1 trams
  • 2 Melbourne W2 class trams
  • 18 trams, 12 in service
  • an Adelaide horse tram
  • several electric trolley buses
  • static and live displays on 3 km of track that runs between the museum proper and the St Kilda Mangrove trail. [6]
  Open Sundays and public holidays 1 pm to 5 pm, Wednesdays of April, July and September School holidays, and every day from 26-December to New Year holiday inclusive.
  (08) 8280-8188 (B/H), (08) 8337-5885 & 8297-4447 (A/H)
  (08) 8280-8528 (Fax)
  Tramway Museum St Kilda
  P.O. Box 2012, Adelaide, SA, 5001
• Victor Harbor Horse Tramway
  Victor Harbor, SA
  Features:
  • 1.6 km section of reconstructed 1600 mm gauge tramway
  • only 7-day per week horse-drawn public tramway in the world
  District Council of Victor Harbor
  P.O. Box 11, Victor Harbor, SA, 5211

Tasmania

• Tasmanian Transport Museum
  Anfield St, Glenorchy
  Features:
  • complete Hobart tram (141) and trolleybus
  • restored body of double-deck Hobart tram 46
  • Launceston tram 13
  (03) 6234-1632
  GPO Box 867J, Hobart, Tas., 7001
• Launceston Tramway Museum Society
  Features:
  • Restoration of Launceston bogie tram no. 29 is in progress. (Full details on Society's own page - follow the link)

Victoria

• Ballarat Vintage Tramway
  Botanical Gardens (near Lake Wendouree), Ballarat
  Summary of features (for full details follow the link to the tramway's own page):
  • ride over 1.3 km of original line through gardens, on 80-year-old trams.
  • an 1887 double-decker horse tram
  • 1905 vintage Ballarat electric tram converted from 1892 Sydney cable car trailer
  • 9 different California combination cars (ex-Melbourne old A-class trams)
  • 3 double truck Ballarat electric trams (ex-Melbourne C-class and E-class)
  • ex-Melbourne W3 and W4 class trams
  Open Saturdays and Sundays
  Answering machine: (03) 5334 1580
  Ballarat Tramway Museum Inc.
  P.O. Box 632, Ballarat, Vic., 3353
• Bendigo Tramways
  Violet St (Gold Mine) or Tramways Ave (depot), Bendigo
  Features:
  • the Bendigo Talking Tram, a historic ride through Bendigo. The tour runs 8 km return from Central Deborah Gold Mine to the Chinese Joss House (see the map). A taped commentary explains the history and significance of the buildings and locations as they pass by. It includes a visit to the tram depot and museum.
  • Australia's oldest operating tram depot
  • 32 vintage trams from Melbourne and Bendigo, most in working condition, including:
    • 3 ex-Melbourne W2-class trams
    • ex-Melbourne W5-class tram
    • 8 single truck cars, mainly old A-class
    • 10 penny-farthing (Maximum traction) bogie cars, ex-Melbourne C-class trams
    • 1 crossbench car (1913)
    • 5 Birney cars, all of which served in Bendigo:
      • 2 ex-Geelong (see Geelong's Birney cars)
      • 3 ex-Port Adelaide and Geelong (see Adelaide's Birney cars)
  Open Daily
  (03) 5443 8070 (at Gold Mine, charter bookings and tours)
  (03) 5442 2821 (depot)
  Bendigo Trust
  76 Violet St, Bendigo, Vic., 3550
• Haddon Tramway Museum
  Sago Hill Rd, Haddon, 12 km SW of Ballarat
  Features:
  • Victorian Railways tram No. 41
  • two Melbourne W2 trams, one W3 and one W4 tram
  • one Melbourne L-class tram (not operational)
  Not yet open to the public.
  Enquiries: The Secretary
  Melbourne Tramcar Preservation Association
  P.O. Box 324, Prahran, Vic., 3181
• Kilmore Cable Tramway
  Hudson Park, Kilmore (around 40 km north of Melbourne)
  Features:
  • an Operating Melbourne cable car
  • replica Melbourne cable grip car No. 593
  • ex-Melbourne cable trailer, No. 171
  Operates Sundays
  Operated by the Tramway Museum Society of Victoria (see also Bylands).
• PTC Historic Tram fleet
  at the Hawthorn Tram Depot. There are some 30 trams here, some on loan from the Tramway Museum of Victoria.
  Features:
  • a Hawthorn Tramways Trust Combination car (M-class) and an S-class car, both later designated old A-class
  • a T-class tram
  • Melbourne V-class tram
  • Melbourne W, W1, W5 and W7 class trams
  • an X-class (Birney car) and X2-class trams
  • the Y-class tram
  Not yet open to the public.
• Railway Museum
  Champion Rd, North Williamstown
  Extensive range of railway history, including a VR tram.
  Open Weekends and some holidays, 12 noon to 5 pm
  (03) 9397-7412
  Railway Museum
  GPO Box 5177A, Melbourne, Vic., 3001
• Scienceworks
  2 Booker St, Spotswood
  Scienceworks is a science and technology museum on the banks of the Yarra. Its exhibits include Melbourne's first cable tram and trailer.
  Open 10 am to 4:30 pm daily
  (03) 9392-4800, Fax: (03) 9392-4848
  2 Booker St, Spotswood, Vic., 3015
• Tramway Museum
  Union Lane, Bylands (near Kilmore)
  Features:
  • 30 electric trams from Melbourne, Ballarat, Bendigo and Geelong
  • a number of cable and horse trams
  • Melbourne Old A (H & J) class trams
  • Melbourne C (P) class tram
  • Melbourne W, W1, W2, SW2, W3, W4, W5, SW5, SW6, W6 and W7 class trams
  • Melbourne X1 and X2 class trams
  Open Sundays 11 am - 5 pm
  (03) 9898-4086 or (03) 9798-6035
  Tramway Museum Society of Victoria
  P.O Box 27, Malvern, Vic., 3144

Western Australia

• Whiteman Park Tramway Museum
  Features:
  • 4 km track
  • Operational Melbourne W2, W4 and W5 trams
  • Operational trams from Fremantle and Ballarat
  • Brisbane Phoenix (FM) tram
  • Perth trams under restoration
  • 8 trams from Perth, 3 from Fremantle and 2 from Kalgoorlie
  Open: Wednesday to Friday, 11 am to 3 pm, Saturdays 12 noon to 4 pm, Sundays 11 am to 4:30 pm.
  Perth Electric Tramway Society Inc
  P.O. Box 257, Mt. Lawley, WA, 6050

Overseas (with Australian trams)

• Ironworld Discovery Center
  P.O. Box 392
  Chisholm, Minnesota, 55719, USA.
  (Two Melbourne W2 class trams are here and are operated throughout the Northern Hemisphere summer).
• Oregon Electric Railway Historical Society
  Near milepost 38 on OR-6 in Glenwood, Oregon, USA, about 15 miles west of Forest Grove
  (collection includes a Sydney O-class tram)
  +1-503-357-3574
  Oregon Electric Railway Historical Society
  PO Box 702
  Forest Grove, OR 97116-0702, USA
• Seashore Trolley Museum
  Log Cabin Rd, Kennebunkport, Maine, USA.
  (collection includes a Sydney P-class tram)
• Christchurch Tramway Historical Society
  Society operates vintage trams on a circuit in the centre of Christchurch.
  (collection includes a Melbourne W2 tram)
• Ferrymead Museum
  Ferrymead Historic Park, 269 Bridle Path Road,
  Heathcote, Christchurch, New Zealand
  (collection includes a Brisbane dropcentre tram)
• Museum of Transport and Technology
  Auckland, New Zealand
  (collection includes a Melbourne W2-class tram and Sydney steam tram motor No. 100)
• Wellington Tramway Museum
  Queen Elizabeth Park (Paekakariki), New Zealand
  (collection includes a Brisbane dreadnought tram)

Overseas - other

• Baltimore Streetcar Museum
  1901 Falls Rd, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
• Fort Collins Municipal Railway Society
  Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
  Features:
  • a 1919 vintage single truck Birney car
  • ride on a mile and a half of track built on an original route on West Mountain Avenue
  • this car (#21) is the only original restored street car to run on an original route in the USA.
  Operates weekends and holidays, May--September
• Fort Smith Trolley Museum
  100 South 4th St., Fort Smith, Arkansas, USA
• Hannoversches Straßenbahn - Museum e.V.
  (Hannover Tramway Museum)
  Hohenfelser Straße 16
  D-31319 Sehnde-Wehmingen
  Germany
  (Collection includes Berlin car 3011, a sister car to those at the Sydney Tramway Museum at Loftus).
• National Tramway Museum
  Crich near Matlock, Derbyshire, England
  Features:
  • trams from many towns and cities throughout the British Isles, and overseas as well
  • (collection includes a steam tram engine which was trialled in Sydney for a while)
  For more information, see Colin Seymour's Cyber Tram Collections - UK section.
• Old Pueblo Trolley
  Tucson, Arizona, USA
• Pennsylvania Trolley Museum
  1 Museum Rd, Washington, Pennsylvania, USA
• Shore Line Trolley Museum
  17 River St, East Haven, Connecticut, USA
• Stocktramway
  Stockholm, Sweden
• Tramway Museum, Malmköping
  Malmköping, Sweden
• The Tramway Museum, Tramshed 5
  Oslo, Norway
• The Trolley Museum of New York
  89 East Strand, Kingston, New York, USA
• Yakima Electric Railway Museum
  (This museum will probably have its own page later in 1996)
  Features:
  • five mile route Yakima to Selah
  • two 1907 Brill cars from Oporto, Portugal
  • two 1930 double truck, double ended Yakima trams (one operational)
  • 1922 electric locomotive
  • other cars (including freight cars) and a gasoline switch engine
  Operates Saturdays, Sundays and holidays, May to mid-October.
  Yakima Interurban Lines Association, Inc.
  PO Box 649
  Yakima, Washington, 98907-0649, USA

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