December 2006 the 2006 COTMA Conference

We had it (relatively) easy & Metropolitan Tramways Board . The Recently, Warren Doubleday, in his Museum was able to develop its own December 2006 capacity as Chairman of COTMA, asked if systems, the tram driving part of which was validated by its drivers being examined by the Museum could assist member mus eum News from the Ballarat Tramway Museum Launceston Tramway Museum in the officers from the Melbourne training centre. By the time the Museum went its development of their tram driver training program. The last tram operated in own way due to the lack of Melbourne The 2006 COTMA Conference Launceston on 13 December 1952 and examiners qu alified in our type of tram the there was always going to be a shortage of Museum had some fifteen years of qualified local staff! In arctic conditions experience and a member who was (the coldest Novem ber day ever!) in my professionally qualified as a trainer and capacity as driver training officer I spent examiner. Wednesday 15 th with Launceston members In 1998 when safety regulation was John Binns and Robert Quinn taking them mandated in Victoria the BTM had policies through the first day training program. and procedures in place which were based They then spent the following day with on twenty five years of operation. Richard Gilbert continuing to dr ive in Although time consuming it was a Wendouree Parade. The intention of the relatively easy process to establish a safety exercise was to provide experience which system acceptable to the new Regulator. In could be taken back to Launceston so that a the current environment any museum driving program acceptable to the planning to develop an operating tramway Regulator can be developed. or railway is faced with hurdles which must When the BTPS was established in 1972 at times seem insurmountable. We wish Safety Regulators did no t exist in the rail our friends at Launceston well in their Conference delegates at Haddon on Sunday 19 November 2006 Photo: Jeremy Honeyman industry. The Museum was also fortunate endeavour to commence operations and in having a core of experienced tram hope that our contribution will assist them The Council of Tramway Museums of Australasia biennial conference was held to achieve their aim. drivers from Melbourne and a very from 17 November 2006. Titled “Celebrating 100 year s of Melbourne’s Electric Peter Winspur supportive management at the Melbourne Trams” it was held in Melbourne to mark one hundred years of Melbourne’s electric trams. One hundred and twenty people attended the various events. The location was the Batman Hill on Collins Hotel, on the corner of Spencer and Collins St, a great tramway watching location. It was an outstanding success. Hosted by COTMA, the BTM and the MTPA, a number of our members were involved in organising and running the Conference. Regular Conferences are a great meeting point for friends from the various tramway museums and enable Fares Please! is published by the Ballarat Tramway Museum Inc. (A0031819K) six times a year valuable business to be conducted. Workshops on a great variety of topics lead to in alternate months commencing in February. It is distributed to members and friends. useful learning and friendships are rekindled and cemented. (continued page 3) For further information regarding the Museum, its activities and publications please contact: The Secretary, P.O. Box 632, Ballarat, Vic, 3353. Phone / Fax 61 3 5334 1580. E-mail: [email protected] Our web page: http:\\ww w.btm.org.au Ballarat Trams are Ballarat History

Conviviality ….. and Music ! Where is it Now?

Lindsay Richardson Peter Khan Stephen Butler and Richard Gilbert enjoy a Pre-Conference dinner drink on Tuesday 21 st November 2006 Photo: Richard Gilbert collection

Earlier this year the Ballarat Lions Club wrote to the Museum to see if we could shed some

No Conference would be complete without the opportunity to get together over a few drinks. light on a structure which sits on the boundary between the SES building a nd the Apex and

Was the live music provided before the dinner by “The Saxophone Sam Big Band” a first? Lions sheds in Abattoir Street, Alfredton. One of the photos enclosed is shown above.

Within days Dave Macartney had sent them the following photo he took on 23 July 1961.

Behind tram No 32 it shows the substantial waiting shed at Lydiar d Street North terminus.

The tram was on a Victorian School Railway Clubs Association Tour.

BTM member Sam Boon and his musical partner Olaf Scott strike up some well appreciated tunes during the welcoming drinks Photo: Richard Gilbert

In the Workshop The 2006 COTMA Conference With tram No 40 finally handed back to overhead troughing with new steel brackets. (continued from page one) reviewed, concerns of Member traffic, work has proceeded quickly on the The new lighting makes the whole area overhaul of No 14. During November the The Opening Address was presented by organisations gathered and future directions much more inviting for visitors and adds ascertained. Warren Doubleday, the wheels and motors were both shipped to greatly to the presentation. Geoffrey Claydon, Vice President of the Melbourne for work to commence on Tramway Museum Society (based at Crich BTM’s Manager Museum Services, was re- re conditioning. In the meantime attention During the past week, work has in the UK) who spoke about the nature and elected as Chairman of COTMA for a has turned to repainting the roof and the commenced on a major refit of our display value of umbrella bodies such as COTMA. further two years. cream paintwork around the windows as and sales area, the intention is to provide a Winstan Bond, the recently retired The Official Dinner was held at the Savoy well as overhauling all of the brake gear more complete experience for visitors with Treasurer of the TMS (UK) prepared a Hotel in Spencer Street, Melbourne and and mechanical components. It is hoped high quality photo displays, interactive paper looking at achieving sustainability in this grand occasion was topped off with that No 14 will prove to be a relatively exhibits and audio visual presentations. independent museums such as ourselves. music supplied by ‘The Saxophone Sam quick overha ul as inspection has shown that The first stage of the project, which is Unfortunately he was unable to attend due Big Band” where the talents of one of our most items are in quite good condition, planned to take around two years in total, to health problems. His paper was members, Sam Boon, and his musical unlike some previous jobs. involves closing the existing sales area and presented by Howard Clark, Chairman of partner, Olaf Scott, played selections in the undertaking some structural works on the the Sydney Tramway Museum. Also foyer whilst the guests arrived and partook The weekday crew at the depot recently floor, walls and roof. A full article spent several days painting all of the attending was Mikael Lund of the Danish of drinks. detailing the plans will appear in a future Tramway Museum, the proud custodians of metalwork in and around the workshop pits issue of “Fares Please”. This dinner was attended by officials from in bright yellow, this dramatically e nhances ex Melbourne W6 965, the Royal Danish Yarra Trams, the Department of safety in the pit area for both staff and As the end of another year approaches, I Tram. He reported that the tram is very Infrastructure, our COTMA overseas guests visitors. would like to take the opportunity to thank popular with visitors and ran virtually every from England and Denmark as well as the all those that have assisted in making 2006 day during the operating season. As part of the process to reorganise the conference participants from New Zealand a very productive and rewarding year and A visit to our tramway was included i n the and around Australia. depot and workshop facilities to provide a wish you all a safe and happy festive better overall environment for volunteers program and two bus loads of Delegates The following day saw a tour in Melbourne sea son. I look forward to seeing you in arrived on the busy Springfest day, which and visitors, a major clean up was held at 2007. using trams VR 53, SW6 909 and D2 5006 our Bungaree property durin g October to on its own normally taxes our resources – the latter two painted to celebrate 100 Garry Wood fully, but when combined with the COTMA make room for a truck load of parts and years of Electric Trams in Melbourne. materials to be moved from the depot to the visit became quite a task. We rose to the Yarra Trams are thanked for their co- Bungaree storage sheds. The intention is to occasion. operation in enabling the trip. That night, relocate many parts that, while needed, are We wish all our Each Museum is encouraged to present a over fifty people travelled on the rarely used and are more suited to off site “Brag” of what it has achieved since the Restaurant Tram and had a great time. The storage, this will free up valuable floor members and friends previous conference. This year the BTM’s following Thursday saw trips by about space within the depot to allow Brag was a DVD presented by Richard seventy delegates to the Tramway Museum improvements to proceed. a Merry Christmas Gilbert. It was in the style of a Movietone Society Victoria’s venue at Bylands and to Also on the improvement front, the Newsreel, once such an integral part of the Bendigo Tramways. The final event appearance of the old depot area, which going to the movies in Australia. It was was a two day tour to Portland organised provides most of our public viewing area, and a very well received. by Richard Gilbert to visit Portland Cable has been enhanced with the addition of new On Tuesday, 21 November, the Conference Trams. Some fifteen took part in this trip high bay lighting and t he replacement of Happy New Year General Meeting was held at which the and had a great time. (continued page 4) the old wooden beams which supported the work of the COTMA Executive was

started and working with Melton Foo to Springfest & the visit by COTMA Conference delegates Vale Neville Gower gain the body of No 1 for the BTM. Whilst ensuring that there were no “cornfield After the Begonia Festival, “Springfest” is On Thursday 9 November 2006 Neville I’ve never driven or conducted I’ve meets”. the busiest time for the Museum. It is Gower, the Museum’s foundation enjoyed helping in such admin struggles another day when we provide a public Our thanks to those who worked to make it Secretary, lost his long battle with cancer. with the City of Ballarat with former transport service to the public in addition to another successful day. We later received He was almost sixty nine. Rig ht up to the Presidents Hal Cain and Maurie Calnin a Museum experience. This year Sunday the following letter: end Neville was active in promoting better and the valuable work of Warren 19 November was also the day chosen for Dear Stephen public transport to Ballarat and he recently Doubleday with the Museum records, etc. the COTMA Conference delegates to visit I am writing to thank the museum for the wrote to the Museum with a new idea for the Museum. The day dawned warm and Thanks for letting me be part of the BTPS, enjoyable time I was able to rece ntly spend extending the tramway. sunny and by ten o’clock market stalls had BTM etc all these years” at the site with the COTMA conference A note with Neville’s proxy vote for the been set up all along the lakeside through Austin Brehaut represented the Museum at team. I was impressed with the facilities recent AGM stated in part: the Gardens and beyond. Trams 661 and Neville’s funeral and he wrot e later “By that the tramway has developed over the 40 (for the first time in several years) p lied “Just a brief note to sa y, despite my design or accident I’m not sure, but as we years and how professionally the operation up and down enabling tired visitors to rest continuing sickness, the highlights of BTM left the church, the clergy and alter servers of the service cars was managed. their legs. The fine weather enticed a large was being able to see the completion and preceded the hearse as far as Pleasant St crowd to the edges of the (almost empty) I especially liked the turnout of the cars launching of Alan Bradley’s book and the along the old tramway alignment. lake. Just before two, ninety five COTMA and the uniforms that the crews wore. privilege of taking the grandchildren for a Someone remarked to me that it would delegates descended. Sufficient time was My previous visit to Ballarat was shortly ride on the horse tram. Both projects have been appropriate also to have had a allowed for them to enjoy several sp ecial after work on the current depot had begun being dear to my heart – helping Alan get tram in the procession”. We extend our tram rides and to explore the Museum or and before the tramway was connected to condolences to Helen and family. the 'old' street running line. It was a even the gardens. Len Millar was on hand pleasant surprise to see the growth (and to operate Newstead Tramcars’ No 466 and this was of particular interest to the the tramcar restora tions) that had delegates. The scrubber car was also a hit. occurred over the intervening years. The Two Trammies Meanwhile many rode the service cars or Kind regards wa tched and photographed the day’s Colin Perfect Recently the Museum was very pleased to operations. The Officer in Charge was Past President, Wellington Tramway receive a donation of the photograph shown particularly busy at depot junction handling Museum, Board Member, Rail Heritage on the left. the numerous run outs and run ins and Trust of New Zealand The photo shows two Ballarat trammies during the mid 1940’s. Feat ured in the The 2006 COTMA Conference continued photo is Conductress Sylvia Mitchell and Driver Tom Young. We all had a great time at the Conference moved from our Bungaree site the Sylvia won the “Most popular and came away refreshed and enthusiastic following fortnight. This is a fine example Conductress” fund raising competition held by the amount of business conducted and of the fruitful business that can be through the Victorian tram depots in 1944. social events attended. conducted at Conferences. The fund raising was to support the Red After offering some years ago a surplus (The Conference Papers can be viewed on Cross Prisoner of War Fund. The photo cable tram truck and tramcar end platform the COTMA web site – www.cotma.org.au shows in very good detail, the uniforms and aprons to the Portland Cable Tramway, the Click on the Proceedings tab There is also aspects of the tramcars at the time.

Conference gave us the opportunity to a high quality image of the group photo at finalise the gift and the equipment was re- Haddon)