Long time museum member Don Campbell recently provided a DVD made from old videotape he shot during the move to the new site, and then the Royal National Park crossing being reinstated for tramway operations.
So here are two segments of Don’s work recording two significant milestones in the history of the Sydney Tramway Museum.
Early operations at the ‘new’ site and movement of tramcars from the old site to the new.
This video covers the first few months of traffic operations at the new site, with O 1111, R1 1979, and P 1497 providing passenger services. Of note is the Railway Square Waiting Shed and Signal Box still under reconstruction, Tramway Ave yet to be sealed, and the running shed/display hall still yet to be extended. Also documented is the move of several trams from the old Royal National Park depot, to the current museum. The trams seen in the move are Brisbane Phoenix car 548, Brisbane Drop-Centre car 295, Brisbane Ten Bench car 71, Essanee rail grinder 3, and Melbourne W2 392. Further trams would be moved in later months, with the old site completely cleared by March 1989.
Installation of the Prince’s Highway Crossing
When the National Park line was closed in 1991, the then Department of Main Roads wasted no time in removing the crossing and re-cambering the road, despite the fact the line was only ‘services suspended’. (The curve on the crossing was a known accident ‘black spot’). The museum had moved to obtain a lease on the line when the services on the line were suspended. With the lease granted, but the crossing removed, the Department of main roads had to reinstate the crossing. The new crossing was prefabricated and built to tramway standards.
Slight correction: the tram moves to the new site occurred in October 1988. And the crossing was reinstated in 1992/3.