Sydney Tram Museum - Open Day

Sunday 24th February, 2019

Another great day’s outing for the Model A Ford Club of NSW today. Our Club were once again asked if we could support the Annual Vintage Tramway Festival open day of celebrations at the Sydney Tramway Museum at Loftus.

Lined up on Main Street of the Tramway Museum at Loftus
vehicles from the Model A Ford Club of NSW help recreate the era.

For more than 80-years until 1961, trams were an important part of life in Sydney. The 25th February 2019, will mark the 58th Anniversary of the day that the last tram ran on the Sydney tram network. 

Unlimited tram rides are offered to all paying guests 
on the Museum's Tramway Festival open day

The Sydney Tramway Museum was founded in 1950 to preserve examples of the city’s tramway heritage, the exhibits not only include almost every type of tram which ran on the former Sydney system, but extend to examples from other Australian & overseas cities, chosen to give a National & international picture of the development of tramcar design.

Plenty of colourful characters on the day

This museum has approximately 28 trams, however not all these trams are operational. Here is a list of the Trams that are indeed still in use at the Museum: 2 x C class (1896-1926). 1 x F class (1899-1916). 1 x L/P class (1918-1951). 2 x O class (1908-1958). 1 x P class (1921-1960). 2 x R class (1933-1960).

A variety of trams lined up - all offering tram rides on sections
of the Museum's own incorporated 3.5 kms of tram line

The 626 'O' Class cars serviced the Sydney Metropolitan area… particularly around Easter time, when the RAS (Royal Agricultural Society) held their Annual Show [State Fair] at the Moore Park complex. With a capacity of 80 seats + 80 standing, the famous old cross bench trams, when coupled, could shift a load of 320 people.

The Display Hall houses the Museum's assemblage 
of trams and vast collection of tramway memorabilia.

Sydney’s longest tram route was from the Fort Macquarie Tram Depot, now the location of the Sydney Opera House, via George Street & Pyrmont to Ryde, a distance of 17 km.

The expression “Shooting Through like a Bondi Tram’ comes from express steam trams on the Bondi line, the fastest form of transport a city reliant on horse drawn conveyances at the end of the 19th century.

Plenty of colourful characters to complement the colourful cars,
buses & trams on display.

These wonderful people movers (no pollution) also traveled over the Sydney Harbour Bridge up to the North Shore until 1958.

The standard height of the overhead wire on Sydney’s tramways was 5.8 metres (19 feet), Double-deck buses were 4.4 metres high (14.4 feet).

The Display Hall houses the Museum's assemblage 

of trams and vast collection of tramway memorabilia.

In 1909 a total of 564 trams crossed the Sydney CBD intersection of King & George Streets between 5.00 & 6.30 pm - a tram every ten seconds.

What do you think the current NSW Gladys Berejiklian's Liberal Government would give to have these statistics.

Operating throughout the day, a tram passes
vehicles from the Model A Ford Club on static display

The last tram to operate in Sydney was in 1961, between the City & La Perouse.

As a child l can remember my Mum taking us kids into the CBD shopping & travelling from one end of the city to the other on board the trams, & for those of you that are old enough we even witnessed Bea Miles a famous eccentric identity of Sydney jumping from one tram to the other as they passed each other.

Wonderful, wonderful memories.

Vintage cars along with vintage buildings, vintage trams & buses
complete the integrated street scene setting on the Tramway Festival day

How fast do trams go? From the advent of four-motor trams such as the Sydney 'O' class, trams were expected to run at around 40 to 45 kmh (or approx 26 mph) on a level track with a full load. On good straight downhill track, speeds of 60 kmh could be achieved. 

Modern Trams being built today for street operation typically will have normal running speeds of up to 70 kmh (approx 42 mph).

The trams carry an amazing authentic array of advertising signage
that convey you back in time to another era

Now with all that useless information, l can highly recommend anyone that is interested in going back to a different era to spend a few hours at the Sydney Tramway Museum located at Loftus, less than 1-hour south of down-town Sydney. 

It's Australia's oldest Tram Museum and the biggest in the Southern Hemisphere. You will really enjoy the surroundings & friendly volunteers that are only too happy to take you back in time.

Until the next adventure, stay safe.

Cheers for now.

Warbo

Classic 1938 Ford Truck with long Australian family history

Sunday 17th February - 2019

At this past weekend's 43rd Berrima District Historic Vehicle Club Rally, I managed to catch up with Stephen & Tanya Chalker-Holz & their son Mitchell.

What a pleasure & honour it was to talk to Tanya about the history of their very rare 1938 Ford 2½ ton truck. This Ford Classic, is renowned for it’s unique shaped grill, which is often referred to as a “beer barrel” grill.

Restored to factory specifications, including the original paint colour.
The timber used in the restoration: The flatbed tray is constructed of WA Jarrah,
and the Toolbox & Headboard are made of Redwood.

The Australian Government purchased 500 of these trucks from the Ford Plant located in Windsor, Ontario, Canada for the war effort. These vehicles arrived in Australia in a knocked down form & the Ford plants here in Australia re-assembled these vehicles to Australian Army requirements.

After the war, the Australian Government couldn’t afford to bring these vehicles home, so they were mostly left in the theatres of war in which they operated, like Africa & New Guinea.

After the end of World War II, in 1946, Tanya’s Grandfather attended an Army Auction in Goulburn, NSW where all surplus military vehicles were being auctioned off. You had to be a Primary producer to put your name down in the ballot to be eligible to purchase a vehicle.

Tanya’s Grandfather elected to put his name down for a truck & this is what he received.

This rare 1938 Ford 2½ ton truck is a family heirloom and has
been in the Chalker-Holz family for the last 76-years.

For many years this vehicle worked on the family farm & later was used as the local fire truck in their district until 1965, then tucked away in a shed on Tanya’s Grandparents farm in Mittagong.

Then in 1999 they brought the truck home to Gosford, to where the Chalker-Holz family now live, where they embarked upon a 10-year restoration.

By now Tanya’s father was in his 80s (a carpenter by trade) did all the timber work to return this vehicle to its former glory. Restored to factory specifications, including the original paint colour. The timber used in the restoration: The flatbed tray is constructed of WA Jarrah, while the toolbox & headboard are made of Redwood.

Since its restoration in 2010 this master piece has driven over 30,000 miles (48,000 kms) to Adelaide, Brisbane, Victoria & appeared in several movies including Hacksaw Ridge directed by Mel Gibson in 2016.

Before Tanya’s father's death he was able to see his father's truck in Hacksaw Ridge on the big screen. Tanya’s Dad just shook his head & could not believe that his father's farm truck & the very same truck he learnt to drive in as a 15-year-old was now in a Hollywood movie.

Restored to Ford factory specifications, including the original paint colour.
The timber used in the restoration: The flatbed tray is constructed of WA Jarrah,
while the toolbox & headboard are made of Redwood.

Stephen & Tanya were telling me that their son Mitchell will eventually inherit this truck which he is very proud of. So it certainly looks like this automotive relic from another era will stay in the loving hands of the Chalker-Holz family for a 4th generation.

Now the best news about to come... 

The Chalker-Holz family have assured me that their pride & joy (this 1938 Ford Truck) will be on exhibition at Cronulla for our 5th Sylvanvale Pre-WWII Car Show on Sunday April 14th, 2019 to help raise much needed funds for the Sylvanvale Foundation to support people with disabilities to reach their potential.

Whatever you do, do not miss this once in a lifetime opportunity to view this this 'Classic'.

As the event organiser, I am delighted that 20,000+ Motor Enthusiasts will be able to enjoy this very, very special part of history right here on the tiles of Cronulla Mall on Sunday, April 14th, 2019.

See you there,

Ken Warburton

Visit to the Sydney Jewish Museum

Wednesday 6th February, 2019

Thirty members of our Model A Ford Club visited the Sydney Jewish Museum in Darlinghurst in inner Sydney today.

We all mustered at a coffee house at Circular Quay before boarding a bus that delivered us to the Museum in Darlinghurst Road. Once we all processed through the security checks we entered into another world.

Part of the facade of the Sydney Jewish Museum
in Darlinghurst

The Sydney Jewish Museum was established in 1992 by the generation of Holocaust survivors who came to Australia. The Museum is an institution that collects and preserves historic objects, commemorates and educates, with a mission to challenge visitors’ perceptions of morality, social justice, democracy and human rights.

The Museum collects and conserves original memorabilia related to the Holocaust, Judaica and Australian Jewish history to make these available for display and research for generations to come.

After recent renovations the Museum offers fantastic displays
and exhibitions of curated items in a modern environment.

Seeing that there were so many of us, we were divided into three groups of 10 people in each group. Our group's guide (Vera) whose parents were survivors of The Holocaust took us all on an informative, but frightening journey for the following one & a half hours.

Our guide Vera [in white, with her back to the camera] conducts
our tour group through the exhibitions and displays.

I was well aware of what to expect, because in 1969 (50-years ago) when I was a young man travelling around the world in a Volkswagen camper van, I visited Dachau the First Concentration Camp, which was established immediately after Adolf Hitler came to power in 1933.

For these people that say the Holocaust never happened, WELL, let me tell you, just allow yourself a few hours one day to visit the Sydney Jewish Museum, I can assure you it would be well worth the visit.

For lunch we headed for the Courthouse Hotel located on
Taylor Square on Oxford Street in Darlinghurst.

Once our guided tour of the Museum had finished all thirty of us made the short stroll to the Courthouse Hotel located in Taylor Square on Oxford Street in Darlinghurst for a Pub lunch & discuss the morning's events.

Our group enjoying lunch inside the Courthouse Hotel after an
enlightening visit to the Sydney Jewish Museum.

Cheers for now.

Warbo.