The Valley Heights Steam Tram Rolling Stock has been added to the State Heritage Register.
Comprising two carriages and one locomotive, the rolling stock has been given State Heritage status because it is a rare working remnant of the government provided steam tram network in NSW, which operated between the 1880s and the 1930s.
“The steam trams supplemented the rail networks in Sydney and Newcastle, providing a greater reach for the public transport system and broadening social outlets and employment opportunities,” said NSW Environment and Heritage Minister, Mark Speakman.
“In its heyday in the 1920s, the NSW steam tramway network was the biggest in Australia and the second largest system in the world.
“The Valley Heights Steam Tram Rolling Stock also has significance as a rare showcase of both imported and locally manufactured technology, with two of the pieces being designed and manufactured in Sydney.”
Being fully operational, the collection gives a live sensory experience today of what street transport was like for Sydneysiders of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
The Valley Heights Steam Tramway is located at the Valley Heights Locomotive Depot Heritage Museum in Tusculum Road.
