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Ballarat P No 36

Ballarat No 36 in service at Ballarat. Photograph TMSV.

This tramcar was one of eight built for the HTT by Duncan & Fraser in 1917-8, due to the unexpected expansion of traffic on its routes after opening in 1916. It is a maximum traction bogie drop end drop centre combination configuration, and was originally numbered 26 in the HTT Fleet. Basically similar to the PMTT tramcars of the same era, it can be differentiated from them by having four entrance door ways in the drop centre rather than the PMTT cars’ three.

On take-over of the HTT by the M&MTB in 1920 it was renumbered 132. As built, these tramcars had full width seats in the drop centre, but they were modified in 1924-6 by having a centre aisle cut through them.

During its M&MTB career it was allocated to Hawthorn and Glenhuntly Depots.

This car was sold in 1945 to the SECV for service in Ballarat, where it was modified by having four seats in the drop centre removed for carriage of perambulators and shopping jeeps. When it entered service in Ballarat it was number 15 in the fleet, but in 1953 in was renumbered to 36.

On closure of the Ballarat system in 1971, it was acquired by the Hawthorn City Council, and donated in the same year by them to the TMSV, after a short period of operation in Melbourne.

This tramcar will be retained in its 1971 condition. It is notable for retaining the etched glass HTT monograms in two of the four saloon doors.