Wellington's 'trackless tram'

We mentioned what was technically the first trolley bus in Wellington in our post on Wellington's 60th anniversary of trolleybuses a year ago, so here is a S.C. Smith picture of the 'trackless tram', outside the Kaiwarra Post and Telegraph Office on 7 October 1924. This we think was its opening day. The line ran from the Thorndon tram barn along Hutt Road to Kaiwarra, or Kaiwharawhara as it is now spelt.

There are two versions as to why it was put in place instead of an extension to the Wellington tramway system: one is that a large watermain on the route precluded tram track construction; the other that the Wellington-Hutt Road Railway Improvement Act of 1905 prevented the city council laying tram tracks along the Hutt Road which the government of the day saw as competition to the state run railway system. However, the law did not prevent the erection of overhead wires.

One bus, a single AEC 602 with a 20 kW motor, was purchased. It was operated until 30 May 1932 when it was replaced by petrol buses.