An historic tram depot in Dundee, built in 1901 is set for a new lease of life as the home of a collection of historic vehicles, including the Scottish city’s last surviving horse-drawn tramcar. The former Maryfield tram shed had been owned by Scottish Water but now, after four years of trying, it has been secured for use by a local museum group.
The city’s new transport museum on Market Street only opened earlier this year, but is already set to relocate with plans existing to open the new attraction in 2017, although funding will be required to renovate the existing tram depot for its new role. This will need to be sympathetic as it is a Grade 2 listed building, although as its history makes it an ideal home for a transport museum this should not be too great an issue. Despite these exciting future plans, the current Market Street site will remain open throughout 2015 with some new attractions planned and the museum group has recently secured a licensed replica of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang – the car from the film of the same name – for a new long-term display, which should be a good crowd puller next year. It is certainly pleasing to see an apparent growing interest in Britain’s tramway and transport history with the Dundee project just one of a few schemes currently progressing, and this active organisation deserves much praise for putting a valuable part of the city’s heritage to such good use.
Grade 2 listed? In Scotland! Scottish Heritage has no such listing!