It is well known throughout tramway circles, that the late Ian Stewart was very much the man with the plan behind the creation of the Western Springs Tramway at the Museum of Transport and Technology (MOTAT).
Every MOTAT volunteer who was involved with the construction of the Western Springs Tramway, its operation and restoration of tramcars will remember the words 'I have the drawings' as something Ian would say every now and then, particularly when it came to the black art of reconstructing and restoring tramway heritage.
Ian's collection of well over 10000 items includes everything from car maintenance records; to blue prints, tracings, photographs, slides, microfilms, aperture cards, specifications, tender documents, tramways interdepartmental correspondence from the 1920's, home movies (of trams naturally), rule books and timetables.
A very small portion of the collection has been already digitised, however there is a great deal of work required to properly catalogue, interpret, digitise and care for the collection. It is the trust's intention to bring as much of Ian's collection as practical into an online environment and provide access to this incredible resource for future generations to come.
Graham and Ian Stewart - Western Springs Tramway Opening Day December 1967. Photographer unknown.