Built in 1905 Cardiff 131 is the only Welsh tram in the collection at Crich and originally ran as a water car that would have been used to water the track in order to maintain electrical contact between the wheel and rail at a time when motor vehicles were scarce, city streets were filled entirely with horse drawn traffic and the consequences had to be dealt with! When Cardiff Corporation Tramways closed in 1950, 131 was presented to the Museum Committee of the Light Railway Transport League from which emerged the Tramway Museum Society. It was initially stored in Cardiff and was the very first tram to arrive at Crich back in 1959. Since then the tram has been in off-site storage awaiting the necessary sponsorships and workshop space to restore it to its former splendour.
“It was a colossal task moving a 7 tonne tram through the winding Derbyshire roads.” Said Rolling Stock Engineer, Peter Bird who is charged with restoring the tramcar. “It was rescued by enthusiasts from the scrap-heap back in the 50s and has remained untouched since then. Now begins the painstaking but fascinating task of stripping back over 100 years worth of history.”
Thanks to money raised by volunteers and enthusiasts, work on restoring the tram to its former glory can now begin. Visitors to Crich Tramway Village can see the tram and others like it being restored and maintained via the Museum’s Workshop Viewing Gallery.
