The Camden line

One of the exhibits at the New South Wales (NSW) Rail Museum at Thirlmere is the Camden tram in one of its incarnations, with a 20 class steam locomotive No. 2029, an LV milk van No. 20274 and CCA car No. 1273. This combination or similar was the mainstay of trains on the line between Campbelltown and Camden. Even with the introduction of the 30 class steam locomotives in 1957 nothing much changed.

Tramways and the NSW Railways

The line was originally built by the Public Works Department, of which the railways and tramways of NSW were branches. The Camden line was one of several tramways built in this period. When the NSW Railways Branch took over operation of the line from the Tramway Branch, the name ‘Camden tram’ continued to be used.

The railway line from Sydney reached Campbelltown in 1858, just over two years after the first line was opened to Parramatta on 26 September 1855 and had been completed to Goulburn in 1869. The benefits produced by a railway were immediate and many towns pushed for a railway to connect them with the main line to nearby major towns and to Sydney.

Tramways had been authorised for Sydney streets by a bill which was passed on 28 April 1880. Fifteen tramways were authorised by the bill, all Sydney –based except one. The bill provided for street tramways to be constructed in suburbs close to the city and they were to be operated by the Tramways Branch of the NSW Railways, which