Tram 16 when under restoration
(Photo courtesy of Peter Barlow)
Tram 16 restored.
Sunderland Corporation Tramways No 16 was built in Preston in 1900, originally as an open-top vehicle, and then, after the Great War, fitted with a cover to the top deck. Many other modifications followed in the 1920s and 1930s, such as new trucks, staircases, seating and more.
When the Sunderland tram system closed in 1954, No 16 escaped the fate of many others in the fleet. Instead of the usual burning in a scrapyard, the tram found a new use as a football changing room. After a spell on the football field, the lower saloon of Sunderland 16 found its way to Westwood Farm, near Hexham, where it spent more than 30 years as a tool shed and apple store.
Now fully restored to its early 1900 splendour, in the Sunderland Tramway livery, it has joined the Beamish fleet and will help to carry the museum's 300,000 visitors each year.
The three-year restoration project was undertaken by the Beamish Tramway Group, with much of the work being carried out within the region.