Despite limited track access, this year’s annual Vintage Tramway Festival was another successful day! The trams operating included cars from interstate in conjunction with our Sydney toast racks, resulting in coupled Sydney O class trams 1111 and 805, Brisbane Drop Centre 295, Ballarat Bogie car 37, Melbourne W2 249, Sydney R1 2001 and Sydney P class tram 1497 all seeing use in service.
Owing to the closure of the National Park line, a rail replacement bus service was in operation from Loftus to Sutherland and to National Park. This service was provided by the Sydney Bus Museum in their Leyland double decker 2186. The SBM also provided services in their vintage Holden FC yellow taxi, with visitors enjoying the option of trips to Sutherland or our North Terminus. We offer many thanks to the SBM for assisting us once again in this year’s festivities.
We are also most grateful to Sydney Trains for making available the four car vintage electric train set F1. The train service operated 2 trips from Central Station to Loftus, with 320 visitors in total enjoying rides on our coupled O class and R1 trams between the museum and Sutherland. We offer our gratitude to both THNSW and Historical Electric Traction who provide volunteer assistance for the event.
Thank you also for the participation of the MV Cape Don Society, Taskforce 72 Model Boat Builders, Model A Ford Club, Recycology and 1st Loftus Scouts during the festival.