INSIDE: BYLANDS RUNNING ACKB NEWS

Tramway Museum Society of Victoria News from Victoria’s Original & Biggest Tramway Heritage Centre No. 203 / 2011 $2*

TOUCH ON, TOUCH OFF. HM USES THE ROYAL . Photo courtesy magazine’s “Beeching” special Knowing her love of the horses, perhaps the Queen would have preferred to travel on the Beaumaris tram we’re featuring inside this edition of SEASON’S Running Journal. No doubt the Duke would have been happy to take the reins. But on the evidence of these GREETINGS pictures (courtesy the London Daily Telegraph) Her Majesty PLUS A BIG THANK YOU TO ALL WHO HELPED MAKE 2011 SUCH A was totally relaxed and GREAT YEAR AT BYLANDS. AND YES, HERE’S CHEERS FOR 2012. comfortable in the refurbished and special-liveried Z3 158 with Joyleen Smith, a driver with many years experience, at the controls. The Queen almost never travels by public transport, so she and her historic few minutes on a St Kilda Road IN ISSUE NO. 203 tram deserve a mention in Running Journal. • TMSV/MTM 2011 review • Beaumaris car update No doubt, eventually, we’ll be able to do the same for our first • A guernsey for Essendon President. • TRAMORAMA • That royal tram ride Finally, maybe somebody should send the Queen the tee- shirt in the bottom picture. • RUNNING BACK She’s certainly qualified to wear it these days. NOT A MEMBER? JOIN US NOW! www.tramway.org.au

*suggested donation for non-members © 2011 Tramway Museum Society of Victoria Inc. Design © Tony Miles/Perceptioneering®. All Rights Reserved q ® 8 Running Journal No. 203 / 2011 RUNNING JOURNAL is produced by PERCEPTIONEERING : CHANGING PEOPLE’S MINDS. 0408 345 728 2011. THE VIEW BEAUMARIS HORSE CAR. FROM THE CHAIR THE LATEST NEWS. Although it’s little more than a of view and financially for the building together with the month since I took over the role of museum. Eastern annex. Chairman from Mal Rowe, I thought it Ÿ Needing crushed rock for our Ÿ As mentioned at the AGM in worthwhile briefly to list for members drive we approached Galli November the Friends of Black the main achievements of the year. Quarries at Kilmore East who Rock House have decided to Mal has covered many of these, but I very generously donated 26 relinquish the Beaumaris horse will remind you of some of them again. tonnes and have agreed to car and have offered it to us become a permanent sponsor. which we have accepted. It Ÿ Commencing in May Ÿ We have purchased a stereo comes to us with a grant in the accreditation committee system for the Exhibition Hall, excess of $4000 for which we has been meeting regularly a small fridge for soft drinks at are grateful to the Bendigo and is progressing well with reception and an overhead Bank. Ÿ the necessary documentation. electronic video projector for are now donating Ÿ Also in May the TMSV use at meetings. half the cost of producing Ÿ participated for the second Most of the Federal Gov’t Running Journal, whilst time in the annual Mitchell grant for members amenities Mitchell Shire are contributing Shire tourism expo held at has been spent this year and half the cost of 5000 Wellington Square shopping purchases have included a gas promotional brochures for the Centre in Wallan. barbeque for use at functions. museum. Our thanks to both Ÿ Ÿ Throughout the year there has A considerable amount of new these bodies for their support. equipment has been obtained been close liaison with the Ÿ Finally, on 3rd November at for the workshop including a Engineers Dep’t at Mitchell the invitation of the Kilmore router, bandsaw and many Shire in relation to matters Agricultural Society we hand tools. Over coming such as drainage of the rail participated in a presentation months we will install many reservation, relations with by local community groups. additional tools which have adjoining land-owners etc. We presented a stand with en route* Ÿ been donated from a Several car clubs have held HO/OO operating model workshop. successful tours to Bylands. tramway, photo display, sales Readers will recall the article in Ÿ We have been involved in No 200 which detailed the role played Among these have been the items and brochures. This was ongoing discussions with the by TMSV/MTM in rescuing the body of a Veteran Car Club of Australia a huge success attracting a single-deck Beaumaris horse car. (* Department of Transport (Vic) early in July. On these huge amount of attention, regarding our accreditation occasions we offer a museum giving us a terrific opportunity and also participated in ) tour and a fully catered to hand out hundreds of barbeque lunch. These have seminars on rail safety hosted It had lain for years in a Black Rock backyard promotional flyers and where it served as a garden shed.. been extremely beneficial by the Registrar Tourist and creating goodwill by being The rescue was organized by the Friends of from a public relations point Heritage Railways. Ÿ active in the local community. Black Rock House; a voluntary body dedicated A curator is about to be to the preservation of an historic property in appointed to the museum to So I think the above is an indication Ebden Street, Black Rock. of a successful year. Thanks to all those oversee conservation and One of the stops on the short-lived Black Running Journal is a publication who have contributed and supported restoration issues relating to Rock - Beaumaris section of the standard gauge of Melbourne Tramway Museum, our efforts. electric tramway was directly 330 Union Lane, Bylands VIC 3762. our collection. Watch for an opposite Black Rock House. However, the coming year presents announcement soon. After removal from the site the body was Melbourne Tramway Museum is a Ÿ The Men’s Shed movement many more exciting opportunities and transported to the courtyard of the stable I immediately accepted on behalf of the • Indirect evidence suggests that this tram developments for TMSV/MTM. TMSV/MTM as we had given an undertaking at was fleet number 9. registered business name of which is now established block at the House. the outset of discussions that we would ensure • As far as is known it never ran in regular the Tramway Museum Society of throughout Australia Watch this space! As detailed in RJ 200 the initial intention the preservation of the tram. was to restore the body and display it on site. service, available only for private charter. Victoria Inc., PO Box 976, approached us early in the Several key members of Bayside City visited Apart from this, set out below are the The car comes with a dowry of $4100 which Ringwood VIC 3134, Australia year. Following discussions John Rawnsley, Chairman Bylands to view our fleet and discuss possible reasons why it is imperative that this relic be will be dedicated to its restoration. ABN 12 739 015 600 options for preservation. preserved. There is an aura of mystery they have leased from us the surrounding this vehicle as it is virtually We are fortunate to have in stock all the Bristol portable building In late 2010 we held a committee meeting unrecorded in known historical sources.. original components of a suitable Stephenson Victorian Registration A0001864E followed by a shared information afternoon at truck. This originated from the double-deck adjacent to Union Lane and Black Rock House to enable members from Note that these details are presented in Beaumaris car which was rescued by the TMSV www.tramway.org.au are now well established. They both groups to view the tram body and good faith and if any reader is able to provide many years ago but subsequently lost. email: [email protected] further information it will be gratefully received. are completely refurbishing the participate in a presentation on the history, The car will be transported to Bylands over building including establishing present and future of the TMSV. • The only Melbourne horse car surviving the next few weeks and probably placed on in original form and only car from Running Journal planting outside. The museum Late in August 2011 I was contacted by the display in the Exhibition Hall for the time being. President of the society who informed me that Beaumaris. Editor: Tony Miles will have use of the front ( Our thanks are due to The Friends of Black Design: perceptioneering® the committee had reached a decision that The • Single deck vehicle almost certainly built Rock House and their President, Carolyn Brown, Northern) section of the main Friends would not proceed further with plans by Duncan & Fraser. for entrusting us with this important relic. email: [email protected] for the future and offered the tram to us. John Rawnsley with Brian Weedon

q 2 q Running Journal No. 203 / 2011 Running Journal No. 203 / 2011 7 ESSENDON GETS A GUERNSEY

4 The Essendon Tramways are the oldest surviving electric tramway services in Melbourne. Essendon tramways were mostly within the city’s boundaries, but started in Melbourne at the Flemington Bridge terminus of the MT&O Co and skirted the boundaries of Essendon before heading to the heartlands. Notable features on the 2 1915 map opposite include 5 the Puckle St - Moonee Ponds branch, the Victoria St. line in Flemington and 6 the side of road running in Mt Alexander Rd north of Essendon station. These images are mostly from early North Melbourne Electric Tramway and Lighting Company days. They built and operated the system and were the oldest part of Pic 4: NMET&L car at Flemington Pic 6: Moonee Ponds junction in the system and the last to be Bridge. Passengers transferred here from NMET&LCo days with a car entering the absorbed into the MMTB - holding North Melbourne cable trams or the junction heading north to Keilor Rd out until1923. Flemington Bridge railway station. As the while another enters the junction from Pic 2: Essendon roundabout - then driver ‘swings the pole', the conductor Puckle St. at right. It's likely that the pic and now. At Essendon Station, the sees passengers aboard. They may well was taken on a Moonee Valley race day 3 NMET&LCo line swerved on to be on their way to "Henley on the Mar- with the trams running a shuttle between 7 the western side of the road and ibyrnong", a premier early 20th century the Moonee Ponds Station and the stayed on that alignment up to the sporting and social event. They are Junction - not far from the racecourse. original terminus at the corner of heading to "Saltwater River" - or Maribyr- The hotel at left was demolished for road Keilor Rd. One reason for this was nong River as it became known after it widening, but the hotel at right remains that the centre of the reservation returned to a version of its original abo- to this day. currently used in that location was riginal name some time around 1913. Pic 7: This (slightly boring) picture then occupied by a Fire Station. This car became V class 214 freight car probably illustrates the 'ceremonial first 17, then V214 and is currently painted rail' laid in Mt Alexander Rd a short The present track occupies a more as NMET&L Co 13 again and on normal centre road alignment. distance north of the tram depot. As was display at Hawthorn Depot. typical of the period, the tramway was Pic 3: The roundabout - looking Pic 5: This old and rather battered ballast laid in an unsealed roadway. Depot and north. The building at right pre- trailer at MTM Bylands was once a trailer tramway remain. dated the trams and is still there, as of the NMET&L Co. Trailer use was Pic 8: Essendon 13 was a 'camera hog' are several others in these two shots. discontinued after a fatal accident in the early days, featuring in many Here, Napier St. runs due north involving V214 and a local boxing hero pictures. (away from the camera). In in the early 1920s. The trailers were 50 years later it was still hanging around between the dates of the two recycled for civil engineering purposes. at Essendon depot in its role as No 17 8 images a footy traffic siding was This truck is one of a very few surviving freight tram. installed - and removed. Brill 74T trailer trucks in the world. Mal Rowe

q 4 Running Journal No. 203 / 2011 Running Journal No. 203 / 2011 q 5 Why Q? Many fellow enthusiasts are happy times were spent on board This was, as I recall, always a Q astonished when I tell them that my ringing the warning gong and the and one of the group stabled at Kew favourite Melbourne tram is the Q. communication bell. depot on the open east road At Bylands, its final passenger- It was the life of a conductor or connecting to High St. carrying guise is 199. These straight- driver until enraged depot staff This allowed me to talk to the sill combinations are not much threatened us with a dire fate. I can’t driver and to watch his driving admired. recall when I last saw 190 but it still technique. I fell in love very early indeed. ignites a lifelong interest in old Finally, I especially remember that Reclassified (together with F, G, K vehicles, regardless of type. the track from Bulleen Road to ,& R classes) by the M&MTB in My next encounter, a few years Balwyn Road was worn and in poor 1928 as G, I still call them Q. later, was as a morning paper boy in condition. Pictures on Christmas My first encounter was as a small North Balwyn. The riding quality of the single cards traditionally showed boy when, with a group of friends, I My round was the largest. There truck was … er … interesting. Dickensian scenes, many went to Saturday matinees at the were three morning papers and Rivoli cinema in Hawthorn. almost every household had the with thatched cottages paper delivered. John Rawnsley laden with snow and rosy- After the show, guess what, we wandered the streets . I covered the north side of cheeked, well-to-do Doncaster Road, near route 48’s families whose lives the Wonder of wonders, I discovered on a spur in the northeast corner of North Balwyn terminus. rest of us could only Camberwell depot, an unusual tram. Many streets were unmade and to imagine. Four wheels rather than the eight say that they were appalling would Here are views of Collins to which I was accustomed and, most be an understatement. Street that could have been intriguing of all, a unique chocolate A bike was of no use. So. as I just before Christmas (note and cream livery, albeit rather faded . didn’t have a tractor, I decided to the bananas in the top This, of course, was the illustrious walk the round. picture). Can anybody spot no 190: last car surviving in the I found that if I left the shop in North Balwyn village at the right time an Aussie Tiny Tim? And original colour scheme. It was a child’s delight. And many I could catch the all-night tram to surely that’s Scrooge. Balwyn Road. q 6 q Running Journal No. 203 / 2011 Running Journal No. 203 / 2011 3