| Established | 1981 |
|---|---|
| Location | Whiteman Park, Perth, Western Australia |
| Type | Heritage tramway |
| Public transit access | Whiteman Park railway station (from 2024) |
| Website | www |
Perth Electric Tramway Society | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The Perth Electric Tramway Society (PETS) is a tram preservation society in Western Australia. It operates a heritage tramway in Whiteman Park.
Following the closure of the Perth trolleybus system in August 1969, [1] [2] the Western Australian Transport Museum was formed. [3]
However, in 1981 this organisation split into two societies, the Perth Electric Tramway Society, and what would become the Bus Preservation Society of Western Australia. [4] In 1982, PETS found a permanent home in Whiteman Park, with public services commencing over their entire network in 1986. While initially operating former Melbourne trams, the society has gradually restored Western Australian trams to service. [4]
In 1992 the society hosted the Conference of Australasian Tramway Museums. [5]
The Australian Collections Network [6] designates the operation as Western Australia's Heritage Tramway. [7]
PETS owns a fleet of 29 trams and 3 trolleybuses, mainly former Perth and Melbourne trams. Examples of former Fremantle and Kalgoorlie trams also form part of the fleet. [8] Notably, the society's tramway is standard gauge, requiring West Australian trams to be regauged from their original narrow gauge when restored for operation. [4]
The PETS tramway operates regular services within Whiteman Park along a 2.5 km route between Village Junction and Mussell Pool. Trams connect to the Bennett Brook Railway at both ends of the line. [9] [10]
While trams used to also operate to the Dumpellier Drive entrance to Whiteman Park, this section of the tramway has been disused for a number of years. [4] As part of the development of Whiteman Park railway station, Metronet has planned for the reactivation and partial realignment of this section to connect to the Morley-Ellenbrook line at the station. [11] In February 2024, it was announced that the tramway would be extended to the new station. This would involve the provison 1.3 kilometres of rails, 3,900 sleepers and 3,000 tonnes of ballast, as well as other assistance in the development. [12] [13] [14]
Conservation and restoration of rail vehicles aims to preserve historic rail vehicles. It may concern trains that have been removed from service and later restored to their past condition, or have never been removed from service, like UP 844, the only U.S. steam locomotive to never be retired. They are often operated in present-day service as moving examples of living history, as opposed to static exhibits. The majority of restored trains are operated at heritage railways and railway museums, although they can also be found on the main lines or branch lines of the commercial working railway, operated by specialist railtour companies or museum groups.
The Sydney Tramway Museum is Australia's oldest tramway museum and the largest in the southern hemisphere. It is located at Loftus in the southern suburbs of Sydney.
Whiteman Park is a 4,000-hectare bushland area located 22 km (14 mi) north of Perth, Western Australia. The park is in the suburb of Whiteman, in the Swan Valley in the upper reaches of the Swan River.
Until 1958, trams formed a network spanning most of Adelaide, South Australia, with a history dating back to 1878. Adelaide ran horse trams from 1878 to 1914 and electric trams from 1909, but has primarily relied on buses for public transport since the mid-20th century. Electric trams, and later trolleybuses, were Adelaide's main method of public transport throughout the life of the electric tram network. The tram network was progressively closed down through the 1950s with the last lines closing in 1958; the Glenelg tram line was the only line to survive these closures and has remained in operation ever since and has been progressively upgraded and extended since 2005.
Trolleybuses in Wellington were part of the Wellington public transport system from 1924 until 1932 and again from 1949 until 2017. It was the last trolleybus system operating commercially in Oceania and the last major system operating in a country where driving is on the left side of the road.
Transport in Perth, Western Australia, is served by various means, among them an extensive highway/freeway network and a substantial system of commuter rail lines and bus routes. Public transport is managed by the Transperth agency.
Trams in New Zealand were a major form of transport from the 19th century into the mid-20th century. New Zealand's first (horse) tramway was established in 1862 (Nelson), followed by a steam tramway in 1871 (Thames), and the first electric tramway in 1900. In New Zealand railway terminology a bush tramway is an industrial tramway, which usually did not carry passengers.
The earliest trams in Australia operated in the latter decades of the 19th century, hauled by horses or "steam tram motors". At the turn of the 20th century, propulsion almost universally turned to electrification, although cable trams lingered in Melbourne. In cities and towns that had trams, they were a major part of public transport assets.
Transperth is the public transport system for Perth and surrounding areas in Western Australia. It is managed by the Public Transport Authority (PTA), a state government organisation, and consists of train, bus and ferry services. Bus operations are contracted out to Swan Transit, Path Transit and Transdev. Ferry operations are contracted out to Captain Cook Cruises. Train operations are done by the PTA through their Transperth Train Operations division.
The Perth tramway network served Perth, the capital city of Western Australia, from 1899 until 1958. The network was initially run by a private company but was taken over by the state government in 1913. From a single line along Hay Street, the network expanded north as far as Osborne Park, east as far as Welshpool, south as far as Como, and west as far as Claremont. The tramways were gradually replaced by buses after World War II.
The Fremantle tramway network linked the central business district of Fremantle, the port city for Perth, Western Australia, with nearby suburbs. Small but comprehensive, it operated between 1905 and 1952. It was not connected with the larger Perth tramway system.
The Perth trolleybus system in Western Australia linked the capital Perth's central business district with its inner suburbs on the northern side of the Swan River. It was the first permanent trolleybus network to open in Australia, in 1933, and also the last to close, in 1969.
The Adelaide trolleybus system formed part of the public transport network in Adelaide, South Australia from 1932 until 1963.
The Hobart trolleybus system operated in Hobart, Tasmania, Australia from 1935 until 1968.
The Bus Preservation Society of Western Australia (BPSWA) is a bus preservation society in Western Australia. It operates a museum in Whiteman Park.
The Kalgoorlie tramway network served the Western Australian city of Kalgoorlie from 1902 until 1952.
The Tramway Museum, St Kilda is Australia's principal museum of the 19th and 20th century trams of Adelaide, South Australia. It is situated at St Kilda, 24 kilometres north of the centre of Adelaide. It is operated by the Australian Electric Transport Museum (SA) Inc., a not-for-profit volunteer organisation affiliated with the Council of Tramway Museums of Australasia. It is dedicated to the study, conservation and restoration of trams that were used in Adelaide or built there, and likewise with a small bus and trolleybus collection.Trams provide unlimited free rides for visitors on payment of the entrance fee. They operate along a 1.6 kilometres purpose-built track between the museum and a large adventure playground.
The Morley–Ellenbrook line is an under construction suburban rail service between the Perth central business district and Ellenbrook in Western Australia. Construction began in 2021 as part of Metronet, and it is planned to open in late 2024.
Whiteman Park railway station is a bus and railway station on the Morley–Ellenbrook railway line in Perth, Western Australia as part of Metronet, serving Whiteman Park and the suburbs of Henley Brook, Dayton, West Swan, and Brabham. The station is currently under construction, with opening scheduled for 2024.
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