The Sydney Tramway Museum, operated by the South Pacific Electric Railway Co-operative Society, is Australia's oldest tramway museum and the largest in the southern hemisphere. It is located at Loftus in the southern suburbs of Sydney.
History
Construction of the museum at its original site on the edge of the Royal National Park commenced in August 1956.Looking Back Trolley Wire issue 105 August 1966 page 7 It was officially opened in March 1965 by NSW Deputy Premier Pat Hills. The facilities were basic, initially a four-track shed built with second hand materials and approximately of running track.SPER Tramway Museum Officially Opened Railway Digest February 1965 page 9Australia's Newest Electric Railway Railway Transportation April 1965 page 5
In 1975, the Government of New South Wales approved the museum moving to a new site across the Princes Highway adjacent to Loftus railway station.Sydney Tramway Museum Trolley Wire issue 158 June 1975 page 18 Construction commenced in April 1980, with the first trams transferred from the old site in November 1982.South Pacific Electric Railway Trolley Wire issue 188 June 1980 page 31Trams on the Move Trolley Wire issue 203 December 1982 page 31 It officially opened on 19 March 1988.New Sydney Tramway Museum Opens Trolley Wire issue 233 May 1988 pages 3-5The End of the Beginning Trolley Wire issue 233 May 1988 pages 6-18 The former Railway Square tramway shelter that had been disassembled in 1973 was reassembled.Railway Square Waiting Shed and Signal Box Trolley Wire issue 245 May 1991 page 30Railway Square Australian Bus Panorama issue 11/1 July 1995 page 20 The last tram left the Royal National Park in May 1989.Last Trams Leave National Park Trolley Wire issue 238 August 1989 page 42
In 1989, a traverser from Comeng's Granville factory was purchased.Traverser Trolley Wire issue 239 November 1989 page 31 Following CityRail closing the two kilometre Royal National Park line in 1991, the museum was able to commence operating services on the line on 1 May 1993.Parklink - Across Highway One Trolley Wire issue 253 May 1993 page 9By tram to the National Park Railway Gazette International June 1993 page 367
In 2001, the museum was the recipient of the YMCA facade, that was previously located at the corner of Pitt and Bathurst Street in the Sydney central business district. The facade was relocated by Meriton to make way for a new building being constructed at the same location. This huge impressive sandstone structure dating from the 1880s makes a spectacular backdrop when entering the museum complex from the front gates. The building is not finished yet, and is still being worked on as funding permits.Tram museum needs $300k St George & Sutherland Shire Leader 10 October 2012 The gates from the original Gladesville Bridge were installed as the depot gates in 2010.Loftus Trolley Wire issue 322 August 2010 page 38
On 23 October 2015, the museum storage shed was broken into by vandals and caught fire. Located off the main museum site, at the museum's original location in the Royal National Park near Loftus Oval, the shed housed the museum's reserve collection of six trams, four buses and a double-decker bus chassis dating to 1937. The shed and contents were destroyed in the blaze.Fire destroys Loftus tram storage shed, police suspect arson St George & Sutherland Shire Leader 25 October 2015
Operations The museum has an extensive collection of trams from Sydney and other cities in Australia, as well as from other places around the world. The museum operates of track. One line runs north towards Sutherland, paralleling Rawson Avenue in the way that parts of Sydney's tram system operated. The second runs to the south and utilises the Royal National Park branch railway line that was constructed in 1886 and closed by CityRail in June 1991.Royal National Park services stopped Railway Digest September 1991 page 314
In 1993, the museum converted the line to tramway standards and connected it to the then existing Sutherland line to establish what is now a popular means of access to the world's second oldest national park.National Park Line Railway Digest May 1992 page 194 The line terminates at Royal National Park railway station.
The museum opens and operates trams on Wednesdays, Sundays, public holidays (except Christmas Day) and on selected weekdays during school holidays.
The Sydney Tramway Museum is run entirely by volunteers and self funds its day-to-day activities, restorations, maintenance and construction programs from gate takings and donations from the generous public.
Preservation