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VR drop-centre No 34

VR No 34 at Brighton Beach (1955). Photograph Bob Lilburn.

VR No 34 at Brighton Beach (1955).
Photograph Bob Lilburn.

This tramcar was built in 1918 by the VR’s Newport Workshops for use on the St Kilda to Brighton Beach tram route, as part of an order for 20 broad gauge tramcars that was later reduced to 16 due to lower than anticipated patronage. Another four tramcars of the same type were built for the standard gauge Sandringham to Black Rock and Beaumaris line.

These tramcars were notable for being the first four motor drop centre tramcars built for service in Australia, setting the trend for the design of tramcars built in Melbourne until 1956. They were also notable for sharing many body components with the PL series of country rail carriages built at Newport during the same period.

This particular tramcar was notable in that it was partly modified for use on the standard gauge Black Rock line, but it was never used for this purpose. It remained in service on the Brighton Beach line until closure in 1959, when it was acquired by the TMSV. The broad gauge Brill 77E trucks were later disposed of to New Zealand.

It is planned to restore this tramcar to its original livery of Tuscan Red with white roof and rocker panels and canary yellow trucks. The Brill 77E trucks acquired with L No 102 will be used for its restoration.