Tram Car #8 saved from the scrap yard

Tram Car #8 has been saved from the scrap yard! We are relieved it is now safe and awaiting its next chapter. The plan is to remove the Coca-Cola wrap, patch up rusty spots, reattach the overhang with new posts, and return it to the blue and yellow color scheme. The finished product will be moved inside the Wildwood Historical Museum where patrons can sit inside, hit the “watch the tram car please” button, and have their photo taken. We have already begun making space inside for the finished tram car.

This is one of the 1963 fleet that was fabricated in Camden, NJ and commissioned by Gilbert Ramagosa,  son of Sebastian Ramagosa who was responsible for bringing the first five tram cars to Wildwood in 1949. Previously they were part of the 1939 New York World’s Fair. There are several traditional tram car engines still in operation on the boardwalk from all eras: 1949, 1963 and 2007. While we will get engine #8 looking spiffy for photo ops, it will not be fit for operation. It was retired at the end of the 2025 season.

Many thanks to Pat Rosenello, president of the Special Improvement District for donating Tram Car #8 to the Wildwood Historical Society, Righter’s Towing and the tram car maintenance team for carefully transporting it to us, ABS Signs for the pending restoration, Cape May County Herald for your coverage, and to everyone who has made a purchase or donation on our website, wildwoodhistoricalmuseum.com.

We still have a long and expensive road ahead, so please consider doing your holiday shopping with us. We are an independent nonprofit trying to preserve history as best as we can. There are still plenty of our popular 2026 Wildwood history calendars left at https://www.wildwoodhistoricalmuseum.com/product-page/the-official-2026-wildwood-historical-society-calendar.

Thank you again for your support, and we are excited for the next phase of our tram car restoration project!