On June 3 & 4, visitors had the opportunity to get a behind-the-scenes look at the restoration project of Tram Car 1220. The Steveston Tram had an eventful weekend during Doors Open Richmond with over 800 visitors.
A huge thank you to volunteers Paco, Meribeth and Gordon who took time out of their busy schedules to share their stories about their experience with the restoration project. They were part of the dedicated group who spent three years restoring Tram Car 1220, known as Richmond’s largest artefact. Guests gathered to hear their stories and view photographs of the Tram as it was being restored.
Younger visitors enjoyed the hands-on activities and a scavenger hunt to explore the Tram building and its exhibits. The activity stations explained how volunteers and staff members helped to restore and preserve the over one hundred-year-old tram. Visitors also tried a paint colour-matching activity, and found that it to be actually quite difficult to tell the different shades of “Tram red” apart.
There was always a crowd around the “Dusting Off Decades of Dirt” station where visitors learned how volunteers cleaned the Tram without damaging its original pieces. The “Rust & Tea” station was particularly popular as participants scrubbed the rust off metal objects using tea. See below for the before and after photos:
A display of actual materials from the restoration process was also available for viewing over the Doors Open weekend. This was a unique opportunity to see the difference between the original tram pieces and the replicas, along with other pieces not usually shown to the public.
Thanks to all who joined the Tram’s Doors Open weekend – the next time you board Tram Car 1220, or visit other heritage sites, take a moment to think about the hours of care and work that went into the restoration and preservation of these very special artefacts.
