The vintage Talking Tram Tour is part of the Bendigo Tramways attraction, based in Australia’s oldest operating tram depot dating back to 1903.
The Tramway started in Bendigo in 1890 using battery powered trams that proved unsuited to the hilly streets of Bendigo. After a few months they were shut down and eventually replaced with steam powered trams.
Steam was replaced with electricity a decade later. Electric trams ran for commuter services for around 70 years with the last service in April of 1972.
The closure of the tram service, then owned by the state, was destined to follow most tramway systems after they closed with little to nothing left remaining.
The Bendigo community wanted to retain the heritage of the tramway and the Bendigo Trust submitted to the council the idea of starting an attraction.
Without The Bendigo Trust knowing, the Australian Electric Tramways Museum in Adelaide was acquiring Birney No. 29. When the trust found out, volunteers pushed the tram into the depot shed, welded iron pipes to the rails and removed the brushes from the motors to make it inoperable. They mayor called for citizens to form a blockade. The local action proved successful with the entire fleet was sold to the Bendigo Trust for $1.
Access to the depot is now free to wander around and view the vintage trams on display. The talking tram tour is an extra that requires tickets to be purchased.
The talking tour takes you through the streets of Bendigo between Chinese Temple Joss House and Central Deborah Gold Mine 
, two other attractions that are also operated by The Bendigo Trust.
The tram stops at the depot northbound (from the gold mine to the temple) but does not stop in the other direction. You can hop off at any stop and catch the next tram which is about 1 hour apart to continue in the same direction.
You can purchase a multiple pass ticket to see one or two of the other attractions operated by the trust.
To get there:
From the Bendigo Visitor Centre, head west along Pall Mall (Midland Hwy) for 750mand turn right into Tramways Ave, with a brown sign 300m before it. Follow Tramways Ave 130m to the end with the entrance to the Tram Depot directly opposite.
