Remuera Tram 44 at MOTAT is adopted!

Remuera has had a long connection with trams from the Auckland city centre to Remuera via Parnell and then as far as Meadowbank from 1904 to 1930. Trams were finally withdrawn from Remuera by 17th August 1956.

Built in 1906 from mostly kauri timber at the Auckland Electric Tramway Company’s Ponsonby depot, this tram was a quick solution to a shortage of trams. The tram’s passenger body was mounted on the running gear of a freight tram numbered 44, and with its four-wheel truck, travelled along at speed like a “Dinghy” in rough seas.

Tram No. 44 served the city from 1906 to 1931, but its journey didn’t end there. After retirement, it was repurposed as a greenhouse in Royal Oak before being donated to the Museum of Transport and Technology (MOTAT) in 1964. Thanks to 8,000 hours of careful restoration work, this 118-year-old tram was returned to its former glory in 2006. (Source MOTAT website). 

The Remuera Tram, which is used on the run from MOTAT past Western Springs and Auckland Zoo to the MOTAT Aviation Hall, is notable for its green and gold livery and open front window.

Remuera Heritage has adopted Remuera Tram 44 as part of MOTAT’s programme to preserve the trams and the railway. In addition to receiving a plaque, we have been offered a tour of the tram barn and four vouchers for a family day out (two adults and four children) at MOTAT, valid until the end of 2025. More to come in January…