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M&MTB tram ticket. Graham Jordan collection.

TMSV news

40th anniversary of the TMSV (12 April 2003)

HTT No 8 and X No 217 on 12 April 2003 in Bendigo. Photograph Graham Jordan.

The TMSV celebrated its fortieth anniversary with a tour to the Bendigo Tramways on 12 April 2003. The tour coincided with the celebration of the one hundredth anniversary of electric tramways in Ballarat, and saw the unveiling of a plaque to commemorate that event, as well as the launch of the restored X1 class tram 466 at Bendigo Depot.

The Minister for Transport, the Hon. Peter Batchelor MLA, sponsored our celebration by transporting HTT 8 to Bendigo at our request. He also sponsored X 217 to be present for the Bendigo celebration, leading to the first occasion where the seven surviving Australian Birneys have all been in one place.

HTT 8 and X 217 were used as the TMSV tour tramcars, driven by TMSV members Keith Kings and Len Millar. It was particularly appropriate that Keith drove HTT 8, as he was involved in the acquisition of this car (formerly Bendigo 3) by the AETA in 1956. By happenstance, one of the service cars for the day was M&MTB No 122, which was also numbered Bendigo 3 after it was transferred from Geelong in 1956. Thus, the two former Bendigo number 3 cars passed each other on several occasions on the day.

A good day was had by all, and the TMSV thanks those members who gave their time to run the tour, and those members who supported it.

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