Tram [No.252 ('Fiducia' type)]
Maker and role
Wellington City Corporation Tramways Department, Manufacturer
The British Thomson-Houston Company Limited, Manufacturer
Production date
1940
Object detail
Accession number
1964.113
Production period
Description
Wellington Electric Tramcar
Fiducia type. No.252
Semi-streamlined body, double truck, single saloon end loading, air-operated folding doors and steps.
Seating capacity 39. Upholstered.
Height: 10' 5½", Length: 39' 5¾", width: 7' 0"
Trucks: NZ made Brill 69EW copies.
1219 mm (4 ft.) gauge
Motors: 2 x British Thompson Houston BTH510 @ 52 HP
Controllers: BTH510 with rheostatic electric /magnetic track braking.
This tram was the official last tram to run in Wellington and New Zealand.
Fiducia type. No.252
Semi-streamlined body, double truck, single saloon end loading, air-operated folding doors and steps.
Seating capacity 39. Upholstered.
Height: 10' 5½", Length: 39' 5¾", width: 7' 0"
Trucks: NZ made Brill 69EW copies.
1219 mm (4 ft.) gauge
Motors: 2 x British Thompson Houston BTH510 @ 52 HP
Controllers: BTH510 with rheostatic electric /magnetic track braking.
This tram was the official last tram to run in Wellington and New Zealand.
Brief History
Tram No. 252, built in 1940, is a member of the ‘Fiducia’ (Latin for trust, reliance and assurance) class of Wellington tram. These were the most modern trams to operate in New Zealand and all were built by Wellington City Corporation Tramways with prototype No. 232 entering service in 1934. Fitted with upholstered seats and chrome-framed opening windows, these trams had a modern appearance and were Wellington’s first full single saloon trams in service. They were fitted with air-operated doors, steps and brakes, along with a 'dead man's handle' (a lever which acts as a safety device by shutting off power when not held in place by the driver) which made them perfect to operate as a one-man car, although in service they always had a crew of two. The Wellington Fiducia class fleet numbers were 232 to 260 (29 trams).
No. 252 began service on 7 March 1940 and was the last tram to run in New Zealand on 2 May 1964 when the Wellington tram system came to an end. Wellington was the last city in New Zealand to bring an end to its tram services.
The tram was donated to MOTAT in 1964 by the Wellington City Corporation Tramways Department.
No. 252 began service on 7 March 1940 and was the last tram to run in New Zealand on 2 May 1964 when the Wellington tram system came to an end. Wellington was the last city in New Zealand to bring an end to its tram services.
The tram was donated to MOTAT in 1964 by the Wellington City Corporation Tramways Department.
Media/Materials
Other name
Fiducia
Credit Line
Wellington City Corporation Tramways Department et al. 1940. Tram [No.252 ('Fiducia' type)], 1964.113. The Museum of Transport and Technology (MOTAT).
![[New Zealand's last tram no. 252 on the corner of Thorndon Quay and Mulgrave Street]; Graham Stewart; 02 May 1964](https://collection.motat.nz/records/images/medium/842/131c957ad61fd3cddc8bceef547b41051b55bcfb.jpg)
![[Tram barn at night with trams 252, 237]; Graham Stewart; 1955-1956](https://collection.motat.nz/records/images/medium/50031/9c740b597de494b2d1bba93b48a1b1d66b67e572.jpg)
Public comments
Be the first to comment on this object record.