COUNTERWEIGHT DUMMY

The counterweight system was introduced in 1903 to allow trams to descend the 12,1% grade in Darling street Balmain, from Nicholson Street to the wharf.

The system consisted of a counterweight trolley running in a tunnel beneath the road, connected by a cable, which passed around a large underground pulley at the top of the hill,
to a grip dummy running on the roadway.

A tram descending to the wharf would propel the dummy down the hill, thus pulling the counterweight uphill. Then the tram started up the hill the dummy would follow behind, raised by the counterweight, and assist the tram to climb the hill.

The dummy was built using cable tram parts. It was placed out of use when the line to the wharf was closed in 1955.