The group behind a bid to re-establish High St's cable car route hopes to open its temporary display museum by Christmas.
The Dunedin Heritage Light Rail Trust is applying for funding and building consent for its temporary 72sq m display museum after securing a lease in Mornington Park from the Dunedin City Council last month.
The museum would house a trailer and two grip cars in a bid to raise funds for a proposed $2.5million future facility, trust member Neville Jemmett said.
"This is what we are calling our elephant step, because it's the first time we have got a foot on the ground. Everything has been in folders and papers before now,'' he said.
The museum would comprise a three-door steel garage with a track for Mornington trailer No111 to be rolled in and out to allow for access and to display it.
"It's only temporary, that's why it's not a fancy building,'' Mr Jemmett said.
"It's to basically show people that we mean business.''
To that end the trust hoped to open the museum by year's end.
"We have got to go for building consent which we probably will do next week,'' he said.
"Hopefully, we'll start construction by October and, hopefully, open before Christmas so the kids can go through.''
The temporary museum was expected to cost $25,000 to construct and would be funded by the trust and from community grants.
There would be other displays within the temporary showcase but he could not discuss details of those at present.
The lease for the site has been secured for five years. Two further terms of five years would be available to the trust if the project lived up to expectations.
The longer goal was to build a permanent two-storey museum which would cover a larger footprint and one day act as the terminus for a re-established cable car route up High St from the Exchange.
"When it's built we believe it will be one of the top tourist attractions in Dunedin.''
When asked when plans for that building would unfold, Mr Jemmett said: "When we get the money.''
"If we got the money tomorrow we'd do it tomorrow,'' he said.
"But a rough calculation was $2.5million for that one, so the idea is to get this one here, get people coming to it and raise money.''
The city of San Francisco, which operated the only cable car system with drivers in the world, had pledged its support to the trust.
"The community of San Francisco are right behind our operation and are going to be right behind us when we get further down the track,'' he said.
"They are going to train our drivers.''
The trust would hold a public meeting in the Dunedin South Presbyterian Church hall later this month to update the community on its progress and announce the formation of the High Street Cable Car Society Inc, which would take over much of the work of the trust, he said.
The meeting is scheduled for July 28.
Dunedin Heritage Light Rail Trust museum
•Temporary facility will cost $25,000 to build in Mornington Park, Eglinton Rd.
•Trust has secured a five-year lease with options of two further terms of five years.
•Temporary museum site is part of a larger site the trust one day hopes to secure a lease to build an expansive $2.5million museum and terminal facility before relaunching the Exchange to Mornington cable car route up High St.
