Steam and Model Railway Club Waitakere's loss is Whangarei's gain with two 1924 electric trams that first serviced passengers in Lisbon now taking up residence in the district.
The two trams will soon be taking passengers around the Whangarei Museum and Heritage Park grounds in Maunu after they were given for free to the Whangarei Steam and Model Railway Club by the West Auckland Group of vintage machinery and building enthusiasts.
The two trams, built in 1924 to take passengers around the hilly areas around Lisbon, Portugal, have a colourful history, West Auckland Group leader Dave Harre said.
Lisbon donated eight of the trams to Aspen, Colorado, USA, where after 20 years they ended up in a field, with some used as target practice - one of the two that ended up here had bullet holes and shot out windows.
Mr Harre had earlier restored a tram that was donated to Wanganui and when he heard the Aspen ones were up for sale - for the princely sum of US$25 each - he bought two, then spent $55,000 bringing them to New Zealand five years ago.