By Jessica Micallef
A retired W-class tram will be transformed into a miniature train passenger waiting area
in New Gisborne.
The Gisborne Vintage Machinery Society was one of more than 100 organisations across
the state to receive a W-Class tram. The state government ran expressions of interests in June 2018, calling for interested community groups and schools to apply for a tram.
More than 1500 applicants were received for 134 trams.
The Gisborne Vintage Machinery Society received the classic vehicle last month. Society member Len Redway said the tram first went into operation on June 2, 1955.
“Our tram is rather unique in the sense that it is one of 10 that they consider to be fully illuminated trams,” he said. “It had about 400 sets of lights and at night they would glow.
“In February 1987, it was converted to an advertising tram and that’s when it started to
look different.
“It was placed in storage in 1994 and it came to us in 2020.”
The society is well known for running its miniature and model railway run-day once a month at the Gisborne Steam Park.
Mr Redway said the plan was to transform the vintage tram into a waiting room for passengers to board the miniature trains.
“People can wait in there and watch the trains go by,” he said. “We may also use part of the tram as a meeting room for ourselves.
“We see it as quite a major tourist attraction and we would hope that it becomes that. It is
visible from the freeway.
“It’s currently blue and white so it’s not the normal green you would expect to see on a
Melbourne tram.”
