The Christchurch tramway system is a small tramway network serving the inner city of Christchurch, New Zealand. Historically, it was an extensive network, with steam and horse trams from 1882 and then electric trams ran from 1905 to 1954, when the last line from Cashmere to Papanui was replaced by buses. In 1995, a central city loop heritage tram was reopened in the central city as a tourist attraction. This has now been extended with a loop down to High Street which was opened in February 2015.
The tram museum at the Ferrymead Heritage Park overhauls and restores the trams used on the Christchurch Tramway, and itself also runs operating trams on its site.
History
Background
The difficulty experienced by Christchurch's early residents in conveying them and their export goods to Lyttelton brought about the first proposal for a tramway at a meeting held on 26 September 1855. The merits of both wooden and iron-based tramways were discussed and a resolution was passed in support of the construction of either a tramway or a railway.
The issue arose again at a Provincial Council meeting on 16 October 1855 at which it was proposed that a line be built to Sumner and goods could then be transported to Lyttelton by boat. A couple of leading and influential figures spoke out against the proposal and it was voted down.
It was not until 1858 that the matter once again gained attention in official circles. Despite a general belief that the idea itself was good, the Provincial Engineer's estimate of £6,000 was enough to ensure that the idea was not acted upon. The provincial council eventually opted to construct a railway line; the first section between Christchurch and Ferrymead opened in 1863, and the Ferrymead to Lyttelton section opened in 1867.
A meeting of prominent local citizens on 20 September 1872 discussed the matter of a tramway and concluded that it would be desirable to construct a line between Papanui and Christchurch railway stations, especially in light of the north railway having opened to Rangiora earlier that year. Estimates had been prepared and it was suggested that the company be called "The Christchurch and Papanui Junction Tramway Company". The city council, however, was opposed to the idea and declined to support it, saying, "That in the opinion of this meeting a tramway … is objectionable … for the following reasons: (1) A tramway is not required, (2) The streets are not wide enough, (3) A tramway would retard the railway station being brought into a more convenient place for the citizens".
White's Little River tramway: 1861–1872 A partnership was formed in 1861, including well-known bridge engineer William White, with the aim of constructing a wooden tramway from Christchurch to Little River. The goal was to make it cheaper to cart timber from Little River and other building materials from the Halswell Quarry to Christchurch. The plan was for a line of approximately in length, starting in what is now Moorhouse Avenue, travelling to Birdlings Flat where it would roughly follow the present state highway to Little River, then on to an area now known as Puaha. The gauge was to be and the estimated cost was £1,023 per mile.
White began construction in 1863 and by year's end had built of the line. The project ultimately failed, due largely to a lack of capital, but animosity from the line's neighbours also disrupted business. Work on the line had ceased by the end of 1866 by which time the Christchurch–Halswell Quarry section had been completed and work had started at the Little River end. The line to the quarry remained in use until 1872. Little River was eventually served by rail when the Railways Department's Little River Branch opened to its namesake terminus in 1886.
Horse and steam era: 1880–1906 The idea of building a tramway did not gain widespread support until 1876. By this time, the city had experienced significant development and the need for improved transport had become evident. With the passing into law of the Tramways Act in 1872 and the city council dropping its opposition to the idea, the political environment had become more agreeable to the formation of tramways.
Trams became a reality for Christchurch on 9 March 1880 when the first revenue services commenced on a line from Cathedral Square to Christchurch Railway Station via Colombo Street. The company behind the venture, the Canterbury Tramway Company, had been formed in 1878 then spent the next two years negotiating with the various councils involved, purchasing equipment, constructing its lines, etc. After the first day, issues with the track were identified which resulted in a suspension of services until 16 March.
The Company opened several other lines that same year including: Christchurch Railway Station via High and Manchester Streets (24 July); Papanui Railway Station (24 June); Agricultural Show Grounds (6 August) and later in the year to Devon Street. Orders were also placed with local coachbuilders for more tramcars.
In later years, other lines opened by the Company included: Addington Railway Station (5 January 1882) and later the Addington Show Grounds (28 October 1887); Woolston (7 July 1882) then to Heathcote (9 December 1882) and finally Sumner (1 November 1888). The lines to Papanui and Sumner were the most lucrative.
It was not until 1884 that another player joined the Canterbury Tramway Company in the tramway business. The city council decided that it needed its own line from the central city to serve its cemetery and Reserve. It intended to run the municipal services on the line itself and to contract out the carriage of people. Construction began on 26 November 1885 at Latimer Square and was completed by March 1886. The line was officially opened on 23 April 1886 and was to have passenger services provided by private contractor Charles O'Malley who had earlier secured a three-year lease. He proved to be unsuitable and was replaced in August 1886 by the Canterbury Tramway Company. The lease changed hands again after 18 months and was picked up by the New Brighton Tramway Company who remained the leaseholder until municipalisation.
Buoyed by the prospect of a tram connection to New Brighton following the opening of the city council's Corporation line, the New Brighton Tramway Company was formed in 1885 with the intention of constructing and operating a line from a junction with the Corporation line to a terminus at New Brighton. Construction began in 1886 and was completed by January 1887. The first service on the line was a trial run on 8 January 1887, which proved to be a success, and was followed on 15 February by the commencement of revenue services. The Company's acquisition of the lease for the Corporation line at the end of 1888 proved to be fortuitous, giving the Company control over the entire route from the central city to the New Brighton terminus.
The last entrant to the Christchurch tramway scene was the City and Suburban Tramway Company, formed early in 1892 with the intention of constructing lines to Springfield Road and New Brighton from its base at the corner of Manchester, Lichfield, and High Streets. Only the latter of these lines was built, on which construction began on 1 May 1893. The Company ran into financial difficulties during construction that held up progress until the contractor secured a debt over the Company and completed the line in August 1894. Revenue services commenced as far as Stanmore Road on 1 September 1893 and it was not until 25 October 1894 that trams were able to run the full length of the line to New Brighton Pier. A deleterious financial position, brought about in part by the Company's need to rent both horses and rolling stock, resulted in the collapse of the Company in 1895. It was purchased by the contractor who built the Company's line and run under the same name.
The Canterbury Tramway Company had earlier had its own financial difficulties resulting in its collapse in 1893. After various options were explored the Company was recapitalised as the Christchurch Tramway Company. Various measures were implemented to remedy the issues that plagued the old company including the closure of the Manchester Street route to the railway station, the use of horses in preference to steam motors, and the renewal or replacement of some of its assets. During its time, the Company also extended two of its lines: the Addington line reached Sunnyside Asylum at the end of 1895 with revenue services commencing in the New Year, and the Sydenham line was extended to the Cashmere Hills and opened on 7 December 1898.
When the concessions under which the lines of the private tramway companies were operated came up for renewal from the late 1890s, the various local bodies involved saw it as an opportunity to consider municipalisation of the whole system. The tramway companies, which were seeking to extend their concessions to give them some certainty over the future of their business, were rebuffed and eventually the Christchurch Tramway Board was formed to bring the tramways under public control.
Electric era: 1905–1954
Early years Political pressure and public agitation for a modern tramway system resulted in the formation of the Christchurch Tramway Board in late 1902. It proceeded to create its own network by purchasing the lines of the private tramway companies and also establishing its own new lines.
Work on the Tramway Board's lines began in September 1904 at the intersection of Fitzgerald Avenue and Ferry Road. It required a great many men using only basic tools with the assistance of horse-drawn drays and traction engines and attracted considerable interest from the public.
Installation of tramlines sometimes led to improvements of the roads on which they were built. Because as was standard practice at the time, single-track tram lines were laid in the middle of the road requiring some roads to be widened to allow vehicles to pass trams on either side. Also, any undulations in the road were smoothed out so the track could be laid flush with the road surface.
Private operators were contracted by the board to provide alternative transport while tramlines were unavailable due to construction. These services were run using horse-drawn drags.
The electrified tram network was inaugurated on 5 June 1905 when an official opening day was held. After speeches at the board's car shed on Falsgrave Street, the official party departed on a procession of seven electric trams bound for Papanui. After an accident en route required the withdrawal of two of the trams, the rest of the party reached their destination where the festivities continued. Revenue services commenced on the Papanui–Railway Station route the following day.
The first tranche of work was completed by September 1906. Figures provided by The Press in June 1906 show that materials used included 2,400 poles, of trolley wire, of feeder cables, of telephone and other wires, 80,000 sleepers, 26,000 electrical bonds, 90,000 yards of metal, and 5,500 tons of rails.
Lines built and electrified by the New Zealand Electrical Construction Company were mainly those that had been acquired from the private tramway companies and included: Papanui to Christchurch Railway Station (6 June 1905); Sumner (steam, 6 June 1905; electric, 25 April 1907); Cashmere (16 August 1905); Riccarton (steam, 2 November 1905; electric, 12 March 1906); Lincoln Road (8 February 1906); New Brighton (Linwood, 26 March 1906; New Brighton, 6 August 1906).
Heyday
The trams quickly became popular with the public and revenue exceeded the board's expectations. Rolling stock consisted of 27 electric vehicles supplied under the initial contract and the 7 steam motors and 42 trailers acquired from the Christchurch Tramway Company. Twenty-two trailers from the New Brighton and City and Suburban tramway companies later augmented the fleet.