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Sydney Steam Tram Motor No.103A Valley Heights Steam Tramway |
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Builder |
Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania USA |
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Builder’s Number & Year |
11676 of 1891 |
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Wheel Arrangement |
0-4-0ST |
The NSW Government
Tramways had an extensive steam tram network in Sydney at the beginning of the
20th Century, with operations provided by 122 Steam Tram ‘Motors’ hauling bogie
passenger trailers. Other steam tramways were established around New South
Wales in Newcastle, Maitland and even far-flung Broken Hill! In addition, Steam
motors & trailers provided passenger services on some routes that were
later upgraded to suburban railways, notably the Sutherland to Cronulla line.
Over time Sydney’s steam trams were replaced by electric tramcars, with steam
operations retreating to isolated routes such as Kogarah - Sans Souci. Many
surplus steam tram motors were disposed, finding further use at construction
projects or as industrial shunters. (Refer to Steam
Tram Motor No.1A for a broader overview of Sydney’s steam trams.)
Steam Tram Motor No.103A
was among those based at Kogarah at closure of the route to Sans Souci, which
was converted to electric trolleybus operation in 1937. Together with 31A and
131A it was sold to Waddingtons / Commonwealth Engineering Co at Clyde where it
worked as a workshop shunter until 1953. Fortunately, it was saved for
preservation by the formative Steam Tram & Railway
Preservation Society at Parramatta Park, where for many years it shuttled
up and down on their operating line to the park gates near Old Government
House.
No.103A received a
thorough rebuild and repair under contract at the NSW Rail Transport Museum,
Thirlmere in the late 1980’s before returning to service at Parramatta Park.
Tragically, an arson attack at the Parramatta Park site on 7 June 1993
destroyed their significant collection of historic wooden rolling stock; I have
never forgotten being greeted by this shocking news on return from a
train-spotting holiday in Tasmania. Among the stock destroyed were original
Sydney Tram Trailers 74B and 191B, together with a magnificent antique railway
carriage that had served on the NSWGR’s tramway-style operations. No.103A's
wooden cab was totally incinerated but the locomotive itself was salvaged from
the ashes, together with steam loco 1022,
with both delivered to the NSWRTM Thirlmere for refuge and assessment.
The Parramatta Park
site was abandoned after the fire, with the Steam Tram & Railway
Preservation Society relocating to the former NSWGR steam locomotive depot at
Valley Heights. Here a new locomotive shed and workshop has been constructed,
and a beautiful and accurate replacement cab prepared for No.103A as part of
its restoration to service – a literal phoenix rising from the ashes!
Replacement steam tram
trailers were also sought out by Steam Tram & Railway Preservation Society
volunteers. Trailer 44B was retrieved from a Newcastle suburb and transported
to Valley Heights for restoration. In a cruel irony, this trailers was destroyed
by ember attack as a bush fire swept through the Blue Mountains. Undeterred,
volunteers located another two steam tram trailers Nos.93B and 72B which had
been incorporated into a house in Berowra. Trailer 93B has now been restored
for use at Valley Heights, while the restoration of 72B is steadily progressing
(together with a wonderful reproduction double-desk trailer built in 1951 on
the frame of electric tram K 746 for the Waratah Festival parade). The Valley
Heights Steam Tramway website provides good information about the history and
restoration of Steam Tram Motor No.103A, the two tram trailers salvaged from Berowra, and the double-deck trailer.
Shown on this page are
several photos dating from my visit to Valley Heights during the running day of
8 October 2006. I also have fond recollections of happy days visiting the
original Parramatta Park site prior to the disastrous 1993 arson attack, and I
would greatly appreciate the contribution of additional photos of No.103A and
indeed the ST&RPS collection in those days for addition to this website.
No.133A
Among the eclectic
collection at Parramatta Park was No.133A, a rather curious addition to their
‘Steam’ Tram exhibits! No.133A was a reproduction Steam Motor built by the NSW
Government Tramways Randwick Workshops in 1957 – apparently using a road-wheeled
float or similar tyred chassis - for use in the annual Waratah Festival,
replacing the historic No.1A which had previously been displayed on a float in
the festival parade. No.133A passed to the Steam Tram & Railway
Preservation Society, Parramatta Park in 1975, where the road wheels were later
replaced by a simple 4-wheel chain-driven rail chassis. I wasn’t aware of the
existence of this odd vehicle until I encountered it one day at Parramatta
Park; walking towards the depot as the tram was approaching - “ah, No.103A” I
thought – but as it got closer, I observed an unusual chugging sound, the clank
of a chain drive and the oily smell of diesel fumes! Such was my discovery of
No.133A.
Alas No.133A
was destroyed in the 1993 fire but the chain-driven 4-wheel underframe lingers among
the charred steel remnants now stored at Valley Heights.
This information board
at Valley Heights provides historical information for steam tram trailers Nos.93B and 72B.
The two steam tram trailers Nos.93B and 72B were recovered
from a house in Berowra, as detailed in this information board.
This earlier view (courtesy of Mark Newton) shows 103A in
steam at Parramatta Park, coupled to an original steam tram trailer.
Alas the Parramatta Park operation and collection of historic
wooden tram and railway rollingstock was destroyed by arson in May 1993.
103A hauling happy visitors at the ST&RPS Parramatta
Park, Sunday 16 March 1975.
The passenger stock comprises an early
Sydney C-class electric tramcar followed by a more historically appropriate
bogie steam tram trailer!
The tramway destination roll at the front
of 103A reads ‘Old Govt House’.
This photo was kindly contributed by & copyright to
Stephen Moulton from his wonderful Images
of Railways Elsewhere site.
1022 shuffling around the shed fan at ST&RPS Parramatta
Park on Sunday 16 March 1975, with No.103A alongside.
The loco appears to rolling forward,
having uncoupled from the steam tram trailer behind.
This photo was kindly contributed by & copyright to
Stephen Moulton from his wonderful Images
of Railways Elsewhere site.
References
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a |
N. Chinn
& K. McCarthy ‘New
South Wales Tramcar Handbook 1861 – 1961, Part Two’ Published
by the South Pacific Electric Railway Co-operative Society
Limited, Sutherland, NSW, 1975 ISBN
0959865977 |
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b |
Burke, D ‘Juggernaut!
A Story of Sydney in the Wild Days of the Steam Tram’ Published
by the Kangaroo Press, 1997 ISBN 0
86417 902 2 |
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c |
Wikipedia
page for Baldwin Locomotive Works, |
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d |
Baldwin steam tram No.1A, 1879 2021, Museum of Applied
Arts & Sciences, accessed 15 December 2021, |
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e |
Model of Sydney steam tram and cars by Bob Cutcher 2021, Museum of Applied
Arts & Sciences, accessed 15 December 2021, |
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f |
Information provided by Mark Newton via email, 18 February 2002. |
Page updated: 25 March 2024
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