Tramway memories awakened

Merania Karauria | 27th July 2010

Arthur Winterburn says they did not
have much when he was growing up in
Wanganui and riding on trams as a boy
was a cheap way of getting around.

The 82-year old now lives in Hawke's
Bay, and his visit to the Tram Shed
yesterday brought back all the memories
of a time he "wishes were still those
days".

Richard and Olive, Mr Winterburn's
parents, lived in Pitt St, Wanganui East,
and later at Castlecliff.

For a day at the beach, the young Arthur
would hop on a tram at Pitt St, pay his
penny a section to Guyton St, then
change to the Castlecliff tram, which
would take its passengers to the Kiosk at
Rangiora St.

The Kiosk was moved to the hospital
grounds, where it was used as a health
clinic for undernourished children
before being moved to its present
location on Puriri St where it is the base
for Braves Softball Club.

Mr Winterburn said the tram would go
over the railway overbridge at Spriggens
Park.

"We hoped our tram would not meet
Puffing Billy [the city's famous steam
tram], but we were always there at the
same time."

In those days the sea at the Rangiora St
beach was only about 100 yards from the
bathing sheds.

Mr Winterburn held on to the strap for
standing passengers and reminisced
about standing for the elderly when he
travelled on the trams, only sitting if
there were no adults on the trams that
were packed with about 60 people at a
time.

On the Aramoho route, the trams used to
travel under the railway bridge then
along the riverside.

 "The driver used to open up the
controller to increase the power and
everyone would enjoy going down the
dip.

"It takes me back, all right."