50th Anniversary Of Sydney Tram Closure

Sydney Tram Museum Vintage Tram Festival
26- 27 February 2011

Saturday 26 Feb 2011 (Morning)

Fiftieth Anniversary Commemoration Of Closure Of Sydney's Tram System

At its height, the Sydney tram system was the second-largest in the British Empire (after London). Yet within a few years, a bloody-minded State Government destroyed the system, the trams running into their depot for the last time on 25 February 1961.

The Sydney Tram Museum (largest tram museum in the southern hemisphere) at Loftus, south of Sydney held a 50th anniversary commemoration of the closure of the system by organising and operating a 2-day festival of Sydney trams, with an extensive timetable of frequent trams to both its Sutherland and Royal National Park termini.

Visitors arrived from all over Australia and New Zealand to enjoy this magnificent festival of trams. For those of you who couldn't make it, here's a photo essay of some of the weekend's activities.

My son Michael and I flew to Sydney to participate in, and ride the trams, in what was to become one of the greatest and best organised and run museum celebrations I've ever attended.

Trams seen, ridden on and photographed included:

  • C class trams 29, 290: 4-wheel saloon cars;
  • F class tram 393, bogie California-type tram;
  • L/P class tram 154: bogie cross-bench tram;
  • J class tram 675;
  • N class tram 728: bogie cross-bench tram;
  • O class trams 805, 1111, 141s: bogie cross-bench trams, often referred to as "Sydney's iconic trams";
  • P class 1497: bogie cross-bench tram;
  • R class tram 1740: bogie saloon tram;
  • R1 class trams 1979, 2001: bogie corridor cars.
loftus We flew to Sydney on this Saturday morning (Qantas A330) and were kindly picked up by STM member Ian MacCowan and transported to the Sydney Tram Museum at Loftus. After ticketing formalities at the gate, we were greeted by L/P 154 rolling towards us, bound for Sutherland.

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We were itching to ride a tram and very quickly found ourselves on F class 393, bound for Royal National Park.

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montague Etched glass and polished wood decorate the inside of 393 as we look back to see 290 and 29 following.

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Sage advice getting on and off a tram - inside car 393.

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montague We rode 29 back to Loftus. The weather could not have been better - beautiful warm, sunny weather and clear skies made for postcard-perfect shots, such as this view of P class 1497 and L/P class 154 beside the Railway Square waiting shed.

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Back at Loftus, a look over the fence into the workshop area revealed Melbourne Z2.111 peeking coyly out of the shed, while service cars 99u and 134s bask in brilliant sunshine.

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In the workshop area, 134s and 99u are joined by overhead maintenance truck 3.

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99u looks ready for any eventuality.

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"Back-stage", 805 (and 1111) can be seen making their way past the Railway Square waiting shed. Outside the museum a Tangara set purrs past, bound for Waterfall.

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728 in the background, 675 in the foreground are being shunted out of the way to allow the double-O classes to emerge. 1497 looks on.

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And here they come....... O 805 leads O 1111 past 1497 to an enthusiastic crowd waiting for their chance to ride these iconic trams. Despite the mad scramble, we managed to get a seat on 805.

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At Sutherland terminus.

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From Sutherland, the packed trams returned to Loftus. A few more people squeezed on, then it was off to Royal National Park. We disembarked at the Park station and started walking back towards Loftus looking for a suitable photo location. A few minutes later 805 and 1111 rolled into view .......

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..... and past us round the corner.

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We continued walking towards Loftus and soon were greeted by 393, 290 and 29 heading towards the Park station.

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A small gully filled with ferns provides foreground interest as 29 heads back towards Loftus from Royal National Park Station.....

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.... and is soon followed by 290......

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..... and 393.

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We continue walking and soon meet 675 and 728 heading on yet another run to the Park.

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By the time we reach the Princes Highway level crossing, 393 is already on its way to the Park again.

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Another "O" car - this time 141s is waiting on Cross Street for its turn for a run.

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1497 moves forward to colect another load of passengers.........

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.... and having collected them, heads off towards Sutherland past 290.

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141s emerges from Cross Street and runs past the crowds on Main Street.

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The Os have just returned from Royal National Park and the happy passengers pour off the trams.

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Only four minutes later, O 805 and 1111 depart Loftus with a full complement of passengers, bound for Sutherland, passing the Miranda tram shelter at Pitt Street.

Being the middle of the day, Michael and I decided to catch a train to Sydney to have a short look around (Michael commented "I've been through and over Sydney over a dozen times, but never visited it").

We intend to return in the late afternoon and evening.

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Click here to continue to Day 1 - Saturday 26 February 2011 (afternoon/evening)