Bendigo tramway images

The State Electricity Commission of Victoria, the former State-owned electricity generator and distributor acquired the tramway systems at Ballarat, Bendigo and Geelong as part of the acquisition of privately-owned electricity companies in a number of centres. The State Electricity Commission operated the small tramway system at Bendigo until February 1972, when the trams were replaced by privately operated buses.

Bendigo was founded on gold mining and the city has many fine examples of extravagant Victorian era architecture.

The Bendigo tramway system comprised four routes, which were through-routed through central Bendigo. They were Golden Square to North Bendigo and Quarry Hill to Eaglehawk. A section of the Golden Square to North Bendigo line has been preserved by the Bendigo Trust. The Trust operates a tourist service along this line.

The Bendigo tramways had some of the last remaining examples of the United States designed "Birney" one-man operated trams in regular service in the world. Here is a small selection of pictures of the Bendigo system as I remember it.

Images of Bendigo Trams

Bendigo 19 was photographed at the Golden Square terminus in about 1967. The crewman is reversing the trolleypole prior to the tram departing for North Bendigo. The line to Golden Square was on the Calder Highway which connected Melbourne to Bendigo. Bendigo 19 was a single truck California combination tram. It was purchased second hand by the State Electricity Commission from the the Melbourne and Metropolitan Tramways Board. It was subsequently modified for one man operation in the "Geelong style" rather than the "Ballarat style". This meant that the rear passenger door was not adjacent to the drivers cab, and that wire rather than solid passenger barrier doors were installed.

Bendigo 17 was photographed on the long route to Eaglehawk. Bendigo 17 was a bogie maximun traction tramcar purchased from the Melbourne and Metropolitan Tramways Board. It was originally built for the Prahran and Malvern Tramways Trust (P&MTT) in Melbourne. The ex-P&MTT bogie trams were distinguishable from the ex-Hawthorn Tramway Trust trams by having three rather than four centre doors and only three side windows in each end compartment.

Bendigo 28 is one of the Birney trams which is now operated by the Bendigo Trust on the the preserved tourist line that operates from the Central Deborah Mine to the Joss House (formerly North Bendigo). It was photographed bound for the Joss House. Bendigo 28 was one of the Birney trams originally built for service on the Port Adelaide tramway system before being bought by the State Electricity Commission of Victoria originally for service on the Geelong tramways and later in Bendigo

Bendigo Birney tram numbers 11 and 28 were photographed on a Tramway Museum Society of Victoria tour in the late 1960's when the four Bendigo Birney trams were hired for a special tour. They were photographed on the Quarry Hill route, near the Bendigo railway station.

Bendigo Birney 11 was photographed at Eaglehawk, west of the normal terminus location,while on a Tramway Mueseum Society of Victoria special tour. Number 11 was orginally built for service on the Geelong tramways and was later transferred to Bendigo. Number 11 differed from the ex-Adelaide Birney trams in a number of respects, the most obvious being the even level of the driver's windscreens and the longitudinal seating.

The unnumbered Bendigo track cleaning tram was photographed at the Bendigo tramway depot in the late 1960s. This tram has since been converted back to a toastrack design by the Bendigo Trust.

Acknowledgements: Special thanks to David Wilson for scanning the black and white images from the original negatives.

visitor.