Help needed in tracking down trams

That’s the message echoing from the Launceston Tramway Museum as committee member Garry Dodds has taken up the challenge to find two trams thought to be ‘‘somewhere around Karoola’’.

‘‘We’re confident about Karoola, but we’re struggling to find the trams and thought we would call on the community’s help,’’ Mr Dodds said.

Locating the trams would allow the museum to mark as ‘‘complete’’ the set of trams that operated throughout Launceston until 1952.

‘‘There’s a growth of interest in trams,’’ said Mr Dodds, who usually offers carpentry skills to the volunteer restoration team.

‘‘This has been recorded as one of our best years yet in terms of visitor numbers.’’

At present the museum’s team of volunteers are close to having fully restored the No.1 tram, which travelled the Elphin Road route to the city, and another three are in various stages of repair.

The No.29 and No.6 trams already ride the Inveresk track twice a week on Tuesdays and Saturdays.

‘‘Looking for the trams is proving to be a fun job,’’ Mr Dodds said.

‘‘I’ve been sent on a couple of wild goose chases, and while we know where another couple of trams are, they won’t be coming to the museum.

‘‘There’s one at Diddleum Plains on Corkerys Road near The Sideling, but it’s in use as part of a family’s house, and then there’s the well-known No.8 tram, which is what gave the Tram Bar at the Great Northern hotel its name and continues to operate as a bar some 35 years on.

‘‘The trams we are looking for a No.15 and No.21. The last we knew of one of them was when it was being used as a sheltershed for the tennis courts at St Thomas More’s school.’’

If anyone can help, please call 0427292345.