The Ballarat Tramway Museum has reopened after being closed for nearly 8 months because of the COVID-19 restrictions.
Trams lined up and ready to go. Motorman Sam Boon is sanitizing the handrails prior to boarding passengers for out first test trip. Photo: Tony Tam
The Museum is currently open on Sundays, from 11.00am with the last tram departing from the Museum at 3.30pm. All tram rides pick up and drop off at the Museum, there are no street pickups. In line with COVID restrictions, passenger numbers are limited. All trams are cleaned between trips to ensure maximum safety for both our passengers and our volunteer tram crews.
We hope to also operate trams on Saturdays in December (depending on volunteer availability), so check our Facebook pages or our website for further information.
Plans for January are still being made, and will depend on further easing of the COVID restrictions.
While the trams have been quiet, there has still been a lot of work happening behind the scenes. A major review of policies and procedures has been undertaken to meet new safety regulations and COVIDSafe operation. Trams have been relocated, with two being placed into storage, and a new tram, an original Geelong tram, arriving at the shed. Restoration has continued with a small team working off site on Tram 1029, and another small group in the workshop restoring various components of Tram 38. Parts of the sub-station and overhead power infrastructure have also been upgraded while the trams were not operating.
President Paul Mong (pictured) has also worked hard with a small team on the design and planning for an extension of our current Museum building. More on this in a future issue.
Sadly, we will NOT be operating the Santa Tram this year,
but on behalf of all the volunteers at the Museum, we wish you a safe and a merry Christmas.
The trams will NOT be operating on Christmas Day.
Get Involved
We have vacancies for volunteers wishing to get involved with preserving and operating Ballarat's heritage tramway. We rely on volunteers for every part of the museum's operation, conducting, driving, repairing, painting, planning, cleaning, archiving, tour guiding and working behind the counter in the shop. No "tram experience" necessary, we can teach you the skills we need. Contact us by email, phone, letter, or drop in to the Museum and talk to one of the volunteers. We would love to hear from you.
Photo: Volunteer conductor Pierre Taylor, at work on the trams last weekend
Tram 14 in Sturt Street, c.1960s. Photo: From the Ian Saxon Collection.
