WILDWOOD — Instead of blowing out the candles, the Sightseer Tram Car celebrated its 60th birthday here on the Wildwood boardwalk by carrying passengers along the boards for 10 cents for the entire day, the same price it was on June 11, 1949.
And in lieu of a rendition of “Happy Birthday,” Floss Stingel, the voice of the famous “Watch the tram car, please” was on hand to repeat the famous slogan.
A fitting tribute for a phrase that Mayor Ernie Troiano said had become synonymous with Wildwood boardwalk.
“While not everyone has to ridden the tram car, certainly everyone must watch out for the tram car,” North Wildwood Mayor Bill Henfey added.
The yellow and blue trams have cruised the boards, at top speeds of five miles per hour since June 11, 1949. But they were originally built for the 1939 New York World’s Fair and brought to Five Mile Beach by S.B. Ramagosa.
When they were brought into service in Wildwood, Ramagosa formed the Tram Car Amusement Company and hired 18 young women to drive the trams and collect the fares.
“That’s probably why the tram cars survived as long as they have. Thanks to those women,” joked Patrick Rosenello, executive director of the Boardwalk Special Improvement District, which operates the trams.
Pat Gloner-Long, Debbie Sarntoro-McNulty, and Ronnie Priori, former tram drivers, joined the birthday celebration and reminisced about good memories ferrying folks along the boards.
Since their first ride in Wildwood in 1949, Rosenello estimates about 20 million or more have taken a ride in the trams.
For more on this story see the June 18 print edition of the Herald.
Contact Suit at: (609) 886-8600 ext. 25 or lsuit@cmcherald.com
