Description
The Box Car No. 11 tram celebrated her 120th birthday in December 2023. She was built by the J. G. Brill Company in Philadelphia, USA and imported to New Zealand by Noyes Bros Engineers, the Sydney-based contractors to the Dunedin City Corporation in the building of the Dunedin tramway system in the early 1900s.
Box Car No.11 was part of the Dunedin tramway system’s original fleet that commenced operations in December 1903. The fleet comprised 43 Brill 4-wheel trams including 14 Box cars, 14 “Californian Combinations” and 15 open, cross bench “toast rack” cars. Many of the Brill trams ran throughout the 53-year life of the Dunedin tramway’s operation, after which tram operations across the whole of New Zealand were demobilised in favour of the bus and motor car which became the primary and more popular modes of city public transport. Most trams were subsequently auctioned off, and purchased for a variety of uses including accommodation, holiday homes, greenhouses, and storage facilities to name but a few. Box Car No. 11 was acquired by W Hastie, a horse breeder in Pine Hill, Dunedin, and used as a storage shed. After 11 years her remains were tracked down by Christchurch’s Tramways Historical Society (THS) and donated by Mrs Hastie.
Restoration commenced in ernest in 1981, using parts recovered from other Dunedin Box Cars, a 21E truck from Brussels, controllers from Glasgow and other equipment from Melbourne. An estimated 9,000 man-hours of dedicated work saw her restoration completed in December 1986.
Box Car No. 11 operated as a passenger service at Ferrymead Heritage Park until 1994 when she was withdrawn, further refurbished, and set up to operate on Christchurch’s central city tramway. The original Dunedin City Corporation insignia was replaced with Christchurch Tramway insignia in similar Edwardian style, as evidenced on the model. Christchurch locals and visitors alike are delighted to be able to experience travelling around Christchurch’s city streets inside Box Car No. 11, New Zealand’s oldest operating tram.
This Select Edition model of Box Car No. 11 is one of the first offerings of Trams4U Limited. The model is diecast in zinc and built to HO (1/87) scale measuring 101 mm (excluding tow bars) x 25mm x 45mm and weighing 74gms.
