Tram Museum
Updated: 23 February 2008
The
Tram Museum is located at the original 1903 tram Depot at the end of the
tram line in Tramways Avenue.
See
the many and varied trams which operate in Bendigo, quite a number of
which have been restored to their original livery and layout.
Walk
around the Museum and Depot and learn more about the trams and how they
work. Soak up the atmosphere of the oldest tramway running shed in
Australia.
Photos below depict the 6 running roads of the 1903 built Bendigo Tramways depot. This depot is now recognised as the oldest tramways running depot in Australia. The roads are numbered from left to right as road 1 through to road 6. The photo was taken at the beginning of the daily operations at the depot. Trams not in service are run out of the shed onto the fan area in order to 'open up' the interior of the shed for visitors.
Roads 1 to 3 are pit roads. Road 2 has a hydraulic jack mounted on a two feet gauge track running the entire length of the pit. The jack is used to lower armatures from trams with split motor cases as well as for the change-over of heavy components such as air compressors.
During the period in which the SECV operated the tram depot, trams undergoing heavy overhaul would be placed at the rear of 4 or 5 roads and lifted using mechanical jacks. The wheels, motors, armatures and compressors would be transported to another part of the complex for attention. This area is now used to store trams. Cars booked to operate the 'talking tram service' are berthed on 5 road so that this road is the first to be cleared at the beginning of each day, before other trams are located on the fan of the depot for display.
Recently the rear portion of 5 & 6 roads has become the body builder's shop. Here visitors to the Tram Museum are encouraged to interact with the restoration personnel as the work on the historic vehicles such as the 1890s battery tram and the 1903 electric tram continues.
Copyright © The Bendigo Trust. All rights reserved.
Contact the webauthor@bendigotramways.com