Trams at Rutherford?

Geoffrey Hansen

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Apr 21, 2026, 10:07:01 PM (8 days ago) Apr 21

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Does the Sydney Tramway Museum have any trams stored at Rutherford? Or did they have any stored there?

If so does anyone know where abouts?

What type of trams were they? Were they from the Newcastle tramway museum?

Regards Geoffrey

Matthew Geier

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Apr 21, 2026, 11:58:17 PM (8 days ago) Apr 21

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I have an idea that what was stored there was in poor condition and then succumbed to bush fire.

I could be wrong about that - certainly there was stuff stored there that DID burn, but I can't be sure if any of it was SPERs.

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Dale Budd

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Apr 22, 2026, 12:12:40 AM (8 days ago) Apr 22

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The former Newcastle Tramway Museum was forced into liquidation in 1995. Its trams at Rutherford were acquired by the Sydney Tramway Museum; see the November 1995 issue of Trolley Wire, pages 26-27. The collection has since been widely dispersed.

Dale Budd

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TP

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Apr 22, 2026, 12:54:11 AM (8 days ago) Apr 22

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My memory is failing me. Where at Rutherwood was this railway museum? Or am I confusing it with Sandgate? I remember visiting some such venue up there many years ago and it was on a disused branch off the main line. The day I was there, there was some local jail day labour working on the line and one of them tried to make a break for it down the track in a steam crane, with guards running after him - not at a great rate of knots as one could imagine. That part sticks in my memory, but not the exact location.

Tony P

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Apr 22, 2026, 1:11:24 AM (8 days ago) Apr 22

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I seem to recall some trams and a shed in a paddock on the NE Hwy, east of Maitland?

Brian

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Dale Budd

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Apr 22, 2026, 1:44:29 AM (8 days ago) Apr 22

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The Rutherford branch left the Main North line at Rutherford Junction where there was a station, west of Farley. Rutherford Junction was 122miles 51 chains from Sydney; Rutherford (or Rutherford racecourse) was 123 miles 56 chains from Sydney. See attached map dated 1950. The terminus at Rutherford, which is where the trams were located, abutted the New England Highway.

Not to be confused with the Sandgate Cemetery branch.

Dale Budd

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Railways near Maitland 1950.png

John Radcliffe

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Apr 22, 2026, 3:49:02 AM (8 days ago) Apr 22

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Proceedings of the Council of Tramway Museums of Australasia (COTMA) Conferences establish that Newcastle Museum and Park Limited was admitted as a member of COTMA in 1986. A listing of COTMA museum tramcar holdings presented at the 1988 Conference listed the Newcastle Tramway Museum as having four operational Melbourne cars and one other car and in future hoped to add an operational “local” (Newcastle) car and five operational Melbourne cars. There was one car listed for parts. The museum was shown as based at Rutherford, with a post office address at Jesmond NSW 2299. Subsequent biennial Conferences were attended by Jack and/or Lewis Nyland on behalf of NTM&PL. The 1994 Conference was advised that the Newcastle Tramway Museum had established a “short line service on Lee Wharf Road adjacent to Central Newcastle with complementary exhibitions in the adjacent former Wharf foreman’s office”. The 1996 COTMA Conference was sadly advised that the Newcastle Tramway Museum had ceased to be a member caused by the liquidation of the assets of the group following the appointment of an official receiver to recover debt.

John Radcliffe