The Ridge Street Depot originally a cable tram depot and winding engine house had opened on this site in 1886 and on the conversion to electric operation the depot was extensively rebuilt in 1902 to enlarge the tram shed to twelve roads.
| Ridge Street Tramway Depot | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Operation | |
| Locale | North Shore Tramway System |
| Open | 1902 |
| Close | 1920's |
| Operator(s) | New South Wales Tramways |
| Infrastructure | |
| Track gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge |
| Depot(s) | Ridge Street Tram Depot |
Design
The front elevation of the shed had a parapet with recessed panels. Design included: [1]
- 12 tracks
- Panelled front parapet
- Side walls - not known
- Roof orientation - not known
Operations
The original cable depot served a short cable line to the ferry wharf at Milsons Point. A typical cable tram consisted of two vehicles, a leading open tramcar known as the ‘dummy’ or ‘grip’ car. The second car was an enclosed saloon tram or trailer. [2]
The system was powered by a large steam winding engine in Ridge Street . The engine’s flywheel hauled an endless steel cable lying beneath the road between the rails in a shallow channel along the tram route. Cable trams were replaced by electric trams in 1902 and the new electric depot served the isolated North Shore Lines
Demise
The old cable shed and winding engine house was converted to a cinema (and is now the Independent Theatre) while the electric tram sheds were closed in the 1920s and demolished in the 1990s for residential development.
References
- ^ "Comparative Analysis" (PDF). City of Sydney.
- ^ Simpson, Margaret (2004). On the move: a history of transport in Australia. Sydney: Powerhouse Publishing.
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