On track to light the night

BALLARAT Tramway Museum is brightening a dark autumn night with vibrant multi-coloured light this Heritage Festival, as the organisation runs the Neon Tram for another year.

Tram number 13 has been decked out in vibrant LEDs and will colour the cool evening of Saturday, 27 May with warm red, green, blue, and white lights.

Operations manager Sam Boon said the tram will take passengers up and down the Wendouree Parade tracks from 6pm to 9pm.

“Riding a tram at night, and in the cold, is quite an experience, and it reminds people of the old days,” he said.

“When you see the neon tram coming down the road, it looks like a lit-up Christmas tree.

“Last year, people driving along Gillies Street saw the tram lit up in the dark over by the lake and it drew them to come over to have a closer look.

“This year, our new museum is open, we’ll have some neon lights set up in there, and visitors can have a look through at night as part of their ticket price, which is a different experience.

“This is another way for us to engage with more local people, rather than just tourists.”

BTM volunteers installed and programmed the LED lights on tram 13 last week, which Mr Boon said was a complicated process.

“We run on 600 volts, so there is quite a web of wiring,” he said. “We’re learning as we go each year and improving the set up slightly.”

The museum will open from 5.30pm to 9pm, with rides from 6pm. Bookings are essential via bit.ly/3BDGJwK.

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