Shows & Meetings

2015 June - Tram Museum Bylands Run

Another cracking sunny day, two months on the trot!

We started off outside the Ford Factory, Broadmeadows . A bit eerie and quiet, maybe a sign of things to come in a few years unfortunately.

The drive itself wasn’t too strenuous, more or less due north, to Bylands (before Killmore), plenty of space for all cars top park. A larger number than anticipated, but not a problem, two separate groups got a great tour, with a lot of history on the trams. A very knowledgeable guide as well.

Unfortunately their society, like so many others, has succumbed to government rule changes. Meaning too much paperwork, too many improvements to the grounds and sheds, and lord knows what else they’re demanding, has meant they’re no longer allowed to run the trams on their own section of tracks. Which is a great shame, as that means less people drop by, and obviously less funds flow into their kitty.

The vast majority of trams have therefore not moved in the last 6 or so years, let alone have any restoration work done to them. A great shame.

There’s about 6 main sheds, most are filled with trams. The back shed also has plenty of historic busses in it. The trams have been measured to the millimetre to fit in behind each other in the shed. That alone is a major achievement.
The main shed we entered in, the work shed, dates back to the era when the Royal Exhibition buildings where build. Despite the corrugated outside shell....it looks just like the Royal Exhibition building itself! And it was mean to be! You’ll see on the inside photo that the internal structure looks remarkably similar to that of the Exhibition building. The structure itself is still original, the shell has been updated. So it’s more than just the trams that have historic value! The tracks themselves are also original, from the Bendigo lines. So a lot of history out there in the country.

Note: To enlarge pictures just click on them