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Ballarat J No 17

Ballarat No 17 at Bylands. Photograph Clive Mottram.

No 17 was built in 1915 by the Meadowbank Manufacturing Company of NSW for the PMTT. It was one of an order of 20 J class single truck drop end open California combination tramcars, and held their fleet No 73.

This car was taken over by the M&MTB in 1920, and disposed of in 1931 to the SECV for service in Ballarat, where it became No 29. It was subsequently renumbered to No 17 in 1935 when Geelong No 29 was transferred to Ballarat. On delivery to Ballarat it was modified to one-man condition, and it underwent further modification to make it more suitable for one-man use between 1935-7.

It remained in service until closure of the Ballarat system in 1971, when it was acquired by the TMSV and transported direct to Bylands. It was operated on the first day of powered operations at the Bylands site, but was not first tram as that honour went to W3 667.

This tramcar has been out of use for some years due to electrical problems. It is intended to retain this tramcar in mid 1930s condition, but with the SECV livery of that time of SECV green and cream, including cream rocker panels, rather than the current late 1960s livery.