1930s Tramcar to Join Christchurch Tramway Fleet

From Sydney to Christchurch: 1930s Tramcar Sails into Lyttelton to Join Christchurch Tramway Fleet

A tramcar built in the 1930s which carried passengers on the Sydney tramway network for many years before being used to house tobacco farm workers in northern New South Wales, has arrived at the Port of Lyttelton to become part of the Christchurch tramway fleet.

R1808, as it is known, entered service in Sydney on 17 April 1934 - based at the Fort Macquarie Depot, where the Sydney Opera House now stands.

After being decommissioned in 1959, it was bought by a tobacco farmer in northern New South Wales to house workers. Twenty-five years later, it was donated to the Waverley Council in Sydney which wanted to preserve a tram for display. In 1999, it was moved to the Sydney Tramway Museum.

Just over 14 metres in length and weighing 18 tonnes, the tramcar can seat 48 passengers and is one of about 195 R-Class models built by Clyde Engineering in New South Wales.

Since 2009, it has been on loan to the Museum of Transport and Technology (MOTAT) in Auckland from the Sydney Tramway Museum.

The Managing Director of Christchurch Attractions, which runs the Christchurch Tramway, says due to the tram line being extended, an additional tramcar is needed to ensure passengers do not have to wait too long.

“Because the tramway now covers an extended area, it takes longer for a tram to do the full circuit. So we’ve made the decision to put this additional tram into service to minimise any waiting.”

The additional tramcar will be trucked through the Lyttelton Tunnel on Monday to the Ferrymead Heritage Park, where it will be re-painted blue with cream trims before entering service.

“It will look similar in colour to the restaurant tram but it won’t look exactly the same, because we like each tram to have its own identity.”

Mr Esposito says a longstanding relationship with the Sydney Tramway Museum has enabled him to secure use of the tramcar.

“Having the extra capacity is fantastic - as is the rich history that comes with this particular tramcar, which our drivers will be sharing with our passengers.”

The arrival of the tram comes on the heels of the tramway receiving a gold business sustainability award from Tourism New Zealand. The Qualmark evaluation of the tramway service noted the minimal environmental impact from tram activity. It described the tramway’s commitment to continuous improvement as best practice and said it had a stable and loyal workforce.

It also said that 90 percent of customer ratings for the tramway on the Trip Advisor website were either very good or excellent.

“This gold award shows there is more than just nostalgic value in the tramway. Tourism New Zealand, through its Qualmark process, has demonstrated that a heritage attraction can hold its own in terms of modern business sustainability measures,” Mr Esposito says.

ENDS

© Scoop Media