TRAMS (Trolleys) IN NEW ZEALAND

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1862 - 1964  A Thumbnail History of New Zealand Trams, MOTAT and the Western Springs Tramways (Part 1):   The first horse tram in New Zealand went into service in the City of Nelson in the South Island on 7th May, 1862.  Other cities followed suit, and horse trams, together with a limited number of steam trams, provided the main means of city transport for over thirty years.  The first steam tramway started in Thames on the Coromandel Penisinsular in 1871.  Dunedin was the first city to introduce cable trams and electic trams, introducing both in the same year (1900).  Auckland opened its electric tramway on 17th November, 1902, and Wellington followed on 30th June, 1904.  Wellington trams remained in service the longest.  The last electric tram in regular public service in New Zealand  was farewelled by Wellington on2nd May, 1964.

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Auckland trams at MOTAT's Western Springs Tramway

At left Tram No.11 - a 1902 tram in 1912 livery.   At right, Tram No.248, one of Auckland's "streamliners"               Click on photos to enlarge                               (one of fourteen in this class) Although Tram No.11 was the first tram to be assembled in Auckland, it was not running in time to join the fleet for the opening ceremony, (7th November, 1902) but was one of the number carrying the public when the lines opened for them later that month, on 24th November..  The WST (Western Springs Tramway) is planning to create a duplicate of Tram No.1 (4 wheel dinghy type) by then, by converting and restoring Tram No.44 - also a dinghy - from its stock.

MORE ABOUT MOTAT AND THE WST

TRAM 89 waits in the wings for eventual resstoration.  A former WST General Manager, the late Dr.Bruce Gamble, described this as "a very important car as this class was the backbone of the fleet from 1908."

CLICK PHOTOS TO ENLARGE

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