Tramways Department

Descriptive Data

TypeAgencyDate Range1 October 1900-1948DescriptionThe Wellington City Council Tramways Department was established on October 1, 1900. It operated under the Tramways Act 1894 and the Tramways Bylaw 1900.

Wellington City Council involvement in public transport began following the purchase of the Wellington tramway network from the Wellington Tramway Company in 1900. The Wellington Corporation Tramways Department, as it was then known, was responsible for development and operation of Wellington's electric tramway, covering the development of the routes, including details of points and tracks, road and surface details, intersections and tunnels etc, and the construction and maintenance of tramways buildings and rolling stock (WCC produced its own tram cars), and along with the Electricity Department, the delivery of direct current to the new overhead tramways system.

The Tramways and Electricity Departments were run under one General Manager, headed by an engineer for each Department. The Tramways Manager was responsible for the operation of the trams, equipment, horses and staff, which included an inspector, conductors and drivers. (The City Engineer was responsible for mechanical matters and equipment and reported to the Town Clerk and Council on these.)

The electric tramways system began operating in 1904, taking over from the old horse-traction tramway system. In the following decade it was extended to most suburban areas around the city. The department also purchased the cable car operating between the city and Kelburn in 1946 from the Tramways Company. From the 1920's there was inclusion of the motor omnibus in city transport services.

The City Council initially used the Tramway Company's depot but, following the decision in 1902 to introduce electric trams, it was decided to build a new depot and workshops. Located in Mansfield Street, Newtown, these were completed in 1904. The Kilbirnie tram barns were built 1915 following the extension of the service to Lyall Bay, and held 42 cars. They were extended in the mid-1920s, and from 1930 superseded the Newtown Depot as the Tramway Department's main depot. Kilbirnie tramway workshops were under construction in 1923. Built next to the original tram depot from 1915, the new sheds were brought into use in 1924, and could hold up to 100 trams. When not in service the trams and buses were stored in these depots at Kilbirnie, Newtown, Thorndon, Chaffers street and Karori, where they were inspected and serviced by maintenance staff. The construction and overhauling of vehicles and ancillary equipment was undertaken by the main workshop in Kilbirnie and required the employment of a large variety of skilled tradesmen and was overseen by a Workshops Superintendent.

Also staffing the Tramways Department was: A Traffic Manager who oversaw the tram and bus services, and employed Motormen, Conductors and Bus drivers and Traffic office "inspectorial staff" who undertook supervision of services such as driver training, ticket checking, ticket office staff, compilation of rosters, timekeeping, fare and route schedules. A Permanent Way and Overhead Equipment Superintendent who oversaw the installation and maintenance of overhead wiring for trams and the laying of tram tracks.

The Tramways Department operated the first city observation service in New Zealand. The service began in 1911 operating initially with tram cars. Competition saw this service being discontinued until 1926 when it had a number of is buses spare between 10am and 4 pm daily.

The Tramways Department became the Transport Department in 1948 to more appropriately cover the changing nature of the public transport service it provided.

General Managers of the Tramways Department: 1900-1912 Stuart Richardson 1912-1914 Board of Management 1914-1923 W H Morton 1923-1941 M Cable 1941-1948 L B Hutton

Series

WCC, Tramways Department publication, Tramway Journals

WCC, Tramways and Electricity Department's maps and plans

WCC, Tramways Department's Accidents and Collisions Register

WCC, Traffic Department, Employment Register

WCC, Tramways Department, Employees Record Register

WCC, Electrical Tramways Engineer's orders book

WCC, Tramways Department's Job Register

WCC, Tramways and Electricity Department's combined file series

WCC, Traffic Department's Weekly Bulletins

WCC, Tramways Department, Electrical Tramways Engineer's reports book

WCC, Tramways Department, Public Transport brochures and ephemera

WCC, Electric Lighting and Tramways Department contracts and specification books

WCC, Electric Lighting Department and the Transport Department, Annual reports

WCC, Wellington City Electric Tramway (WCET) Permanent Way Route System Showing General Information and Location of Various Types of Construction by Mr Marchant

WCC, Tramways and Electricity Department photographic prints

Role

Traffic Manager, Wellington City Tramways

Traffic Superintendent, Wellington City Tramways

Agency or Organisation

Board of Management

Controlling Agency or Organisation

Controlling Agency or OrganisationWellington City CouncilControlling Agency or Organisation Date Range1870-

Related Agencies

Successor Agency or OrganisationTransport Department

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Tramways Department