Trams at the Museum

All the trams currently operating are from Wellington where electric street tramways operated from 1904 to 1964. Details of the Wellington trams owned by the Museum are:

The double-saloon trams were the most numerous on the Wellington system, a total of 140 being built at the Council's workshops at Kilbirnie between 1913 and 1935. The examples at the Museum were withdrawn from service in Wellington between 1960 and 1963.

Twenty-eight "Fiducia" class single-saloon trams were built at Kilbirnie between 1935 and 1952 following a prototype, No.232, which had been built in 1933. They incorporate a number of more modern features not found in the earlier double-saloon type. No.260, at the Museum, was the last tram to be built and to enter service in New Zealand - in 1952.

As well as the Wellington trams the Museum owns two Brisbane trams, Nos. 133 and 236. Tram 133, shown below dressed as a New York conduit car, starred in Peter Jackson's 'King Kong' movie. Tram 236 is leased and may be seen operating at Ferrymead Historic Park in Christchurch. In addition bodies of trams from Wanganui and New Plymouth are in storage, as are a number of historic trolley buses. An early Wellington Cable Car (Grip Car No.2 and Trailer No.6) are on display in the tram barn.