Reconstruction of C37

This tram – an 1899 North Sydney C car and relic of the Byron Bay Jetty line – is being restored for operation at Loftus. Whilst originally intended for use on the Christchurch tourist tramway in New Zealand, these plans have since changed. As there are already 2 authentically restored C cars in the STM fleet (29 and 290), some ‘improvements’ have been made to the running gear to make the tram better suited to day to day running and to make maintenance simpler. While the tram will look original to the best of the workshops ability, some of the technical items will not be true to the class.

While work on this tram started in 2010, this photo log only picks up from September 2012.

26th September 2012

C37’s body is about to be lifted with the workshop cranes using spreader bars that originally came from the Randwick workshops. Many trams and buses have probably been under these spreaders.

tra
Mick Duncan

C37 is carefully reunited with it’s rebuilt truck.

tram
Martin Pinches

Now easily moved again, C37 is moved out onto the traverser so the workshop tram can admire their handiwork in the sun.

tram
Mick Duncan

Note – this milestone means that C37 can roll again. It currently has no electrical wiring what so ever. Still some way to go yet before it will operate again.

22nd December 2012

As the year draws to a close, multiskilled Shipwright/Carpenter Rod paints the roof with ‘Navy Dressing’. Much of the carpentry to restore this car has been Rod’s work, although he has been helped by many others over the course of the restoration on this vehicle.

tram
Matthew Geier

September 2013

C37 left the workshop on the 7th of September and swapped places with P1729 who’s paint job is almost complete. C37 will now be painted.

tram
Matthew Geier

January 2015

After a period of sitting in the ‘paint shop’ with various carpentry works being carried out by Rod, the car was moved on the 17th of January over the 2 road pit of the running shed to allow a ‘burst’ of work to be undertaken by Rod and Steve from Christchurch on the wiring and plumbing (air system) on the car. With Ballarat 37 sitting partially wired over the workshop pit, using the running shed pit was far easier for this short period of works. The car will be moved back when Steve returns home. A 2nd visit by Steve is planned later in the year to finish off the car.

tram
Matthew Geier

October 2018

Restoration works on this car have until recently, been put on hold whilst other projects took priority. However on the 20th October, the tram was moved out of the top shed and back into the workshop so that rewiring works could commence.

27th April 2019

The re-wiring of this car has reached a stage where the remaining work required needs to be done over a pit. As the workshop pit is occupied by other projects, the tram was moved out of the workshop and into road 2 of the running shed, where re-wiring can continue over the maintenance pit.

May 2019

January 2020