ESCV  No 8

Updated: 11 April 2008

January to April 2008

ESCV #8 had been relocated from the main depot to the Workshop.  Here work has resumed on the tram with the finishing of the body-work now in progress.

February 2005

ESCV #8 roadworthy for special occasions only.  From this date, restoration of the tram was suspended.

January 2005

ESCV #8 electrically, mechanically and pneumatically complete.  Stage 2 the completion of the body.

October 2004

During the last few days of September, ESCV #8 was tested in preparation for accreditation by the Department of Infrastructure.  Sydney Tramways Museum and Bendigo Tramways Engineer, Mr Richard Clarke was the presiding officer with the support of Bendigo Tramways personnel lead by Tramways Manager, Mr Kym Smith.

August 2004

The trolley base for #8 was located amongst salvaged material from the SECV days.  It is an original 1903 trolley base used on Bendigo's first electric cars.  With the installation of the trolley base, the car will be able to collect electricity from the overhead via a new pole and thus be able to move within the Bendigo Heritage Tramway Workshops under its own power.

July 2004

The truck for #8 has been completed and installed beneath the tram.  The tram was moved from the paint shop to 3 road where it replaced Hobart #20.  #8 will reside on 3 road for the time being awaiting the completion of the body.  In the meantime, Hobart #20 will move to the paint shop where work will begin on the restoration of that tram!  Please click on any of the 'thumbnails' below in order to obtain a larger view of #8.

August 2003

Since the centenary celebrations, #8 has been moved into the workshop, where a concerted effort has been made in advancing the re-building of this tram.  The images below depict the stage at which #8's rebuild has advanced to!

April 2003

Considerable work has taken place on the 1903 ESCV car #8.  The brand new steel underframe and saloon framewrork has been completed.  During the early months of 2003 the roof of sister ESCV car #5 was taken to the depot and the old timber slats were removed.  The roof arches and frame from #5 were stripped and prepared for varnishing.  New roof slats were fitted and the entire surface covered with a waterproof compound.

Mechanical work was undertaken on the 6 feet wheel base Brill 21E truck, so that it could be assembled and temporarily fitted beneath the tram.  The tram was located in pride of place for the commemoration ceremonies for the centenary of the foundation of the Electric Tramways in Bendigo.  These ceremonies took place on Saturday 12th April 2003.

Presented below are a number of images depicting the work in progress on the restoration of ESCV #8.

December 2001

Surveying of the old underframe of #8 has been completed and construction of the steel chassis is under way.  The remains have been removed from the workshop and the steel for the new chassis has been cut to length and set up in the workshop so that assembly of these components can begin.  Presented below are a number of shots of the steel frame being prepared for assembly.

September 2001

The remains of Electric Supply Company of Victoria #8 have been moved from the Gas Works and placed in the workshop at the tram depot.  Close inspection of the chassis revealed that the SECV had heavily braced the 1903 body during the tram's refurbishment in 1947.  This included the cladding of the wooden beams with steel so that such components as the GE CP25 compressor could be slung between the motors.

The body also received reinforcing as can be seen from the picture below.  The skeleton of steel is all that remains intact, however as was the case with the Battery Tram, careful dismantling of the wooden remains took place and these were catalogued.  Work will commence on the rebuilding of the chassis with steel in order to provide a strong and durable base upon which the body will be built.  The body too will have a steel frame to support the timber work.

In restoring this tram, the Bendigo Tramways has learned from the past.  The tram received heavy bracing during the 1920s in order to extend the life of the car.  It must be remembered that the builders (Duncan and Fraser) developed the design of the 1903 trams around their successful horse trams.  The saloons of the 1903 trams were similar in length to the horse trams, however the platforms were extended in order to accommodate upwards of 20 passengers each.  These features combined with the short wheel base (6 feet) resulted in the trams experiencing considerable body movement.

Again in 1947, when #8 and sister tram #9 were converted to a more modern one-man configuration, they were subject to extensive modifications in order to prolong their operating lives.  As we read earlier, the chassis and body was braced with steel while the trucks were extended to a 7 feet 6 inches wheel base in order to provide greater stability and a more even distribution of the load.  Thus, in order for the restored tram to be as true as possible to its original design features, steel is being applied as the structural foundation so that the tram will not be subject to the same design flaws that developed early last century.

Once the Chassis and body framing is complete, it will be lowered onto the 1903 Brill 21E truck and moved to the body building site at the rear of 6 road.  Sister ESCV car #7 (which is in original though poor condition) will be located near #8 and act as a template for the restoration.

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