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Read more about the article The steam trams of Maitland

The steam trams of Maitland

The steam trams of Maitland are fast vanishing from memory, but at one time there were high hopes that a tramway system might link Maitland, Kurri Kurri, Cessnock, Homeville and Rutherford. The government of the time, however, didn't think the idea made economic sense, and nor did it want to invest in electric trams for Maitland, offering reconditioned ex-Sydney steam trams instead. The limited routes helped make the service unviable, of course, and competition from private buses eventually killed it. The following article was written by transport enthusiast Ken Magor. . From The Newcastle Morning Herald,…

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Read more about the article Old trams became Depression housing
Old Waratah tramcars being towed to the bush as accommodation for single men in the Great Depression.

Old trams became Depression housing

DURING the Great Depression hundreds of Hunter people lived in makeshift humpies cobbled together from whatever materials their owners could scrounge. Some of the camps were Nobbys Camp near Horseshoe Beach, “Texas” in Carrington, “Hollywood” (also known as “Doggyville”) at Jesmond, “Coral Trees” in Stockton and Platt’s Estate and “Tram Car” at Waratah. A Ralph Snowball image of the opening of the Waratah tramway in 1901. Thirty years later the trail cars became housing for unemployed men. According to researcher and author Dulcie Hartley, writing in her book The Hungry Thirties, Tram Car camp housed 17…

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