The last Sunday in February is often hot and humid, and 22nd February 2026 was typical, if hotter than usual. Despite this, the Vintage Tramway Festival was a resounding success, drawing strong crowds demonstrating enduring public interest in historic trams and the unique experiences the Museum offers. A total of 940 visitors came through the gates, plus another few hundred who travelled on the two trips by special train ticketed by THNSW. This was less than last year, probably due to the forecasted hot weather.
From the moment the gates opened, the grounds were alive with activity. Visitors of all ages came to experience the sights, sounds and atmosphere of Sydney’s tramway past. Special guests were Member for Heathcote, Maryanne Stuart; Andrew Moritz, CEO of Transport Heritage NSW; and Howard Collins, Coordinator-General of TfNSW, all three great supporters of the Sydney Tramway Museum.
Throughout the day a variety of restored vintage Sydney trams operated frequent services. However, learning from experience, tram operations on our two lines were separated, giving passengers a more frequent service to Sutherland and the opportunity to travel on different trams on our Sutherland and Royal National Park lines. Services operated on the western track in Tramway Avenue, northwards from the YMCA Building and southwards from the Railway Square waiting shed.
Trams in service were C 29, R 1740, and LP 154 on the Sutherland line, and P 1497 and N 728 on the Royal National Park line. This year marks the 100th anniversary of 154’s return to service after its rebuilding as an LP car, another cause for celebration. 141s was on display in Cross Street. Coupled O cars 805 and 1111 were used for some trips on the Sutherland line and to carry passengers arriving on THNSW’s special electric train S28. The four double-deck stainless-steel cars of this train, dating from the 1970s, made two trips from North Sydney via the city underground to Loftus and back bringing visitors to the festival. Arriving by heritage train and then transferring to vintage trams and buses provided a memorable transport experience few events can match.
The festival program offered far more than tram rides. The grounds featured displays from a range of heritage and community organisations, including Railway Coins, our regular coffee van, and the traditional Scouts’ sausage sizzle hosted by Royal National Park District. Vintage cars and buses from the Model A Ford Club of New South Wales and the Sydney Bus Museum were on display. The Bus Museum’s Leyland OPD2 double-decker 2186 of 1948 offered shuttles between the main precinct, the northern terminus, and Sutherland station.
The biggest innovation this year was to move many of our supporter stalls and exhibits to the northern terminus and its Substation Display Hall. This created a lively environment that encouraged visitors to jump off the trams to explore attractions at the north terminus, while reducing overcrowding at the main site. The substation precinct hosted groups such as the MV Cape Don Society, the Penrith Printing Museum, graphic artist ‘Barocky Chocky’, the Illawarra Light Railway Museum, the Campbelltown Steam and Machinery Museum, and Illawarra Beekeepers, who had a range of local honey on offer.
Each added to the festival atmosphere and provided visitors with a deeper appreciation of heritage preservation in Sutherland Shire and beyond. A popular first-time participant was food van ‘Tropical Snocones’ of Menai. Oudette and Anthony’s pancakes, light lunches, coffee, shaved ice treats, and ice-cold drinks were really appreciated by our visitors as the day got warmer and warmer. The HO model tram layout, operated by some of our youngest members, was, as always, a popular attraction in the substation hall. The northern terminus has never been busier and its liveliness was helped by offering separate tram services on each line.
Two of the day’s biggest surprises were kept firmly under wraps until the last moment.
The first was the appearance of Sydney Light Rail Variotram 2107 of 1997 performing a series of demonstration runs along the eastern track in Tramway Avenue, providing visitors with exciting and unusual photographic opportunities. It contrasted with the classic era trams carrying passengers on the western track. While the tram did not carry passengers on the day, it was a major crowd pleaser. Special thanks to the dedicated ‘Vario team’ of mostly younger members led by Matthew Geier, whose efforts made this possible.
The second big reveal delighted visitors just as much. During the festival the Museum officially opened its new retail space on the ground floor of the YMCA Building. The new shop area is larger, far more attractive and fully air-conditioned, a real hit on such a hot day, providing a much-improved experience for visitors browsing the museum’s books, souvenirs and transport memorabilia. But the real surprise inside the new space was something few had expected – a full-size mock-up of a Parramatta Light Rail tram.
The display has quickly become a standout attraction. With this addition, the Sydney Tramway Museum now features not only a preserved low-floor tram from Sydney Light Rail dating from 1997, when such vehicles were in their infancy, but also an authentic representation of a modern tram from a line opened little more than a year ago. Few visitors saw that coming, and it proved to be a memorable highlight of an already remarkable day.
A third surprise was unplanned and the Museum could well have done without it. An over-height vehicle damaged the overhead on the Princes Highway level crossing at 12.40pm, which led to the suspension of Royal National Park services beyond the level crossing in the afternoon.
Behind the scenes, the success of the festival reflected many months of volunteer planning and preparation. David Critchley, Fay McCabe, Scott Curnow, and Michael Hatton took leading roles in organising and promoting the event. Special thanks are due to some of our newest and youngest members, who, with expert vacuuming from Adam Greaves, the penny-farthing rider, worked wonders cleaning the dusty Display Hall. Then, along with young volunteers from MV Cape Don Society, they cleaned and dusted the substation and its displays at the northern terminus.
From organising crowd control, tram operations, and coordinating displays, to preparing the site and promoting the event, our dedicated events team worked tirelessly to ensure everything ran smoothly. On the day itself, volunteers filled a wide range of roles including tram crews, traffic management, guides, maintenance support, and visitor services. The enthusiasm and professionalism of these volunteers led by officer-in-charge Scott Curnow and Ian Saxon, created a welcoming and well-run event. Treasurer John McFadden worked well into the evening, ensuring accurate and timely accounting.
Photo Gallery
Most importantly, the festival highlighted the continuing importance of preserving Sydney’s tramway heritage. This was communicated to an audience beyond its visitors through a report on Channel 7 news that night. By bringing historic vehicles to life and sharing their stories with the public, the Sydney Tramway Museum continues to play a vital role in keeping this significant part of the city’s history alive.
