Hundreds of people turned out for the 50th anniversary of electric trams operating at the Sydney Tramway Museum at Loftus on Sunday.
The first historic tram to offer public services at the museum was tram No. 154, which ran from Rockdale station down Bay Street to Brighton-Le-Sands for a number of years.
The tram was preserved in 1950 and became part of the collection in 1955 when the museum was established.
It offered its first public service at the museum on March 13, 1965, driven by then deputy premier of NSW, Pat Hills.
Sydney Trains chief executive Howard Collins was invited to drive the tram through a commemorative gold ribbon last Sunday.
Heathcote MP Lee Evans and Sutherland Shire deputy mayor Carmelo Pesce also participated in the celebrations.
Some of the museum’s original collection of early trams, including the classic toast rack trams, were also given a run.
The 50th anniversary organiser Peter Kahn said the museum is still a wholly volunteer organisation and has been a leader in the preservation of an important era of Sydney’s urban passenger transport heritage.
‘‘We are planning another celebration in August to mark the museum’s 60 years of operation,’’ he said.
Mr Kahn has a long-running interest in trams. He told the Leader in a story in 2008 that his dedication goes back many years to when his family had a poultry farm at Milperra. (See video below)
''I noticed the local bus going past our house regularly and my interest started there. When trams were being replaced by buses, my interest grew.
"I have always had an interest in being able to show other people what it was like back then,'' he said.
"It's all part of our history, and transport is part of our day to day history. For older people who remember the time of trams, it brings back memories.''
What are your favourite memories of visiting the museum or the old Sydney trams when they were operating?
