Home | Members | Site map | Glossary | Credits | Contact  

Collections
 > Our tramway heritage
 > Tramcars
    > Collection policy
    > M&MTB tramcars
    > Service tramcars
    > Other electric tramcars
    > Cable & horse tramcars
 > Motor vehicles
 > Buildings
 > Ephemera
 > Archives
 > Machinery

Tramcar collection policy

The primary emphasis of the TMSV is to obtain for preservation an example of every major type of tramcar that operated in Melbourne, either by the M&MTB or its successor bodies, VR and the pre-M&MTB trusts and private companies.

The TMSV also wishes to display examples of Victorian provincial city tramcars, with particular emphasis on Geelong tramcars. The TMSV has also acquired a number of Ballarat tramcars as part of its collection of Victorian provincial tramcars.

The TMSV is also interested in acquiring a very limited number of non-Victorian tramcars, primarily to act as a contrast against Victorian tramcars, and to show the variation in tramcar design that existed between these two extremes. One of the major objectives of the TMSV is to display the development of Victorian tramcars through the many different types extant.

The TMSV also wishes to display a wide variety of authentic tramcar liveries, in order to exhibit the changing nature of tramcar colour schemes that have been applied. However, it is also the intention of the TMSV to ensure that tramcars are restored to a condition that they were in during some period of their operating lives, so authenticity is a prime concern.

It is also an objective to ensure that tramcars are restored to a operable condition, using as many original parts as possible, but taking advantage of new technology where appropriate and ensuring that any such restored vehicles can be operated safely.

It is the preference of the TMSV that tramcars are restored without external advertising, unless there is funding available from sponsors requiring such advertising.