Summerlee Transport Group, based at Summerlee Museum Of Scottish Industrial Life in Coatbridge, restores and operates a small fleet of trams, much to the delight of the thousands of people who visit the museum each week.
A mix of tram fans and skilled engineers, the volunteers carry out maintenance on the trams and drive them around Summerlee's tracks on what is Scotland's only working tram line.
The group look after the Lanarkshire 53 and the Glasgow 1017 – both of which have a rich history.
And the group is hard at work restoring a stunning Coronation 1245.
The museum's celebrations for today's 50th anniversary of the closure of the tram system in Glasgow – it was the last major city in Britain to withdraw trams from service – sees it holding a special themed open day.
Summerlee Transport Group (STG) chairman George Broom, 61, said: "The Coronation 1245 was the last tram to move under its own power in Glasgow.
"It needs a lot of work done to bring it back to its former glory and we are working on it now.
"We have had to deal with woodworm and rust, but we are getting there.
"The STG is always looking for more skilled people who want to volunteer.
"There is a lot of work to do and it is very rewarding when the tram is back up and running."
The Coronation 1245 started life in 1939 at the Parkhead depot before transferring around the city as various depots closed. When the tram system was closed, the tram was sold for £75 and sent to Lord Montague's Midland Motor Museum.
It spent time at museums in East Anglia and Blackpool before arriving at Summerlee in 2002.
While the 1245 has a rich history, the story behind the Glasgow 1017 is even more remarkable.
It was built as a double-decker in 1904 and started life on Paisley's tram system. But in 1912 it was involved in a crash that saw it leave the track and smash through the wall of a shop in Johnstone, where the Thorn Inn bar now stands.
After the accident, it was left in a workshop before finally being modified into a single decker tram and used to teach trainee drivers.
It then had a spell as a shunting car in the early 1960s before being sold to a tram enthusiast, who used it as a club house in his back garden!
Mr Broom said: "After a very interesting life, it came to Summerlee in the early 1990s and we got to work restoring it.
"We got new parts from various places, including Portugal, and it is now in fantastic condition."
Mr Broom and his fellow members at the STG all share a passion for trams that is about more than just nostalgia.
Few people would realise just how incredibly efficient they are as a mode of transport, with the motor only ever running for a portion of each journey.
The trams 'freewheel' a lot of the way under their own weight and momentum, which is why so many modern cities still use them.
Amsterdam has a huge tram network and Edinburgh is working hard to introduce trams, although not without some high-profile hitches.
Mr Broom said: "When trams were introduced they were the transport of the future – and I believe they are still the transport of the future.
"They are very efficient. They use power only when needed and they also generate power when braking that can be used later.
"They were very cleverly designed. There is even a system on these old trams which meant that if someone fell in front of one, they would be scooped up by a simply safety device rather than run over.
"I have always loved them and being part of the STG allows me to work on them and drive them, which is great fun."
Events planned at today and tonight's celebrations include showing progress on the restoration of a 1930s Coronation tram to 9pm.
There are also Penny Squash sessions on the tram tracks at 3pm and 7pm, free tram rides, film screenings and tram driver taster sessions, children's tram-themed craft activities.
To find out more about the Summerlee Transport Group, see the website: www.monklands.co.uk/stg
stef.lach@ heraldandtimes.co.uk
