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This project successfully funded on 31st October 2025, you can still support them with a donation.
A reminiscence of Dundee's lost tram heritage
Dundee, United Kingdom
Aim
Trams ruled Dundee's roads for almost eighty years (1877-1956). DMofT now wants to create a major new exhibition to celebrate their memory.
We are seeking your support for the creation of a new exhibition for Dundee Museum of Transport (DMofT), one which celebrates Dundee's long association with this once essential form of transport. We hope to launch this exhibition in 2026, the 70th anniversary of the last trams leaving the city's bustling streets.
The dawn of trams in Dundee
Dundee's journey with public transport began with horse-drawn and steam-powered trams. The first horse-drawn trams appeared in 1877, running from Albert Square to Windsor Street. These early trams, operated by the Dundee and District Tramways Company, were small, double-deck vehicles pulled by teams of horses. The system quickly expanded, connecting more of the city and providing a vital new way for people to travel between homes, workplaces, and markets.
As Dundee grew, so did the demand for greater capacity and reliability. In 1885, steam-powered trams were introduced, replacing many of the horse-drawn vehicles. Steam tram locomotives, pulling trailer cars, offered more power and could tackle longer routes and steeper gradients, helping to extend the reach of public transport across the city.
This era of innovation laid the groundwork for the modernisation of Dundee’s tramways, setting the stage for the arrival of electric trams at the turn of the 20th century.
The Story of Dundee’s Electric Trams (1900–1956)
When you stroll through Dundee today, it’s hard to imagine the city’s streets once echoed with the hum and clang of electric trams. Yet, from 1900 to 1956, trams were the lifeblood of Dundee’s public transport—a symbol of modernity, connection, and community.
The Electric Revolution Begins
Dundee’s leap into the electric age started on 12 July 1900, when the first electric tram trundled along Perth Road. The city quickly embraced this new technology, swapping out the old horse and (short-lived) steam trams for a sleek, fully electric network by 1902. These new trams, built by top British manufacturers, offered a smoother, faster, and more reliable ride, linking Dundee’s bustling centre with its growing suburbs and industrial districts.
Golden Years on the Tracks
For decades, trams were at the heart of Dundee life. They carried workers to the mills, families to the seaside, and shoppers to the city centre. By the 1920s and 30s, the network was thriving, with millions of journeys made each year. The tram system wasn’t just about transport—it was part of Dundee’s identity, woven into daily routines and city folklore.
Twilight and Farewell
After the Second World War, things began to change. Buses and cars became more popular, and the cost of maintaining the tramways soared. Gradually, the old tracks were lifted, and the familiar trams made their final journeys.
On the night of the 20th of October 1956, more than 5,000 people witnessed Tram No 23’s final journey from Maryfield to Lochee, ending an era that had shaped the city for over half a century.
All of the electric trams were piled up and burned, without tears or ceremony, in a field at Marchbanks.
A Lasting Legacy
Today, little remains of Dundee’s tramways, but their impact still lingers. The Maryfield Tram Depot, soon to be the new home of Dundee Museum of Transport, stands as a proud reminder of this golden age. Through stories, photos, and a few surviving artefacts, the spirit of Dundee’s trams lives on, connecting us to a time when the city moved to the rhythm of the rails.
A celebration and a transition
As Dundee Museum of Transport prepares for its move to the Maryfield Tram Depot in early 2027 it is focused on developing a new exhibition that will truly celebrate the city's transport heritage. While working through this process we want to acknowledge 2026 as the 70th anniversary of the last tram journey in the city, and we need your support.
Through this campaign we want to develop a new exhibition that celebrates the importance of the tram era in shaping the city. Initially going on display at the museum's current location in Market Mews the exhibition will ultimately move to the Maryfield Depot, a very fitting, permanent, home.
In addition to donations we are also seeking the loan and donation of tram related objects from the city and to capture the stories of Dundonians who recall using the trams during their daily lives.
Funding method
Keep what you raise – this project will receive all pledges made