THIS is Footscray’s tramways as you’ve never seen them before.

A new DVD details the history of Footscray’s now-defunct Russell St, Ballarat Rd and Williamstown Rd lines and chronicles the system from its inception to its closure in 1962.

The 80-minute DVD includes lots of amateur vision taken by tramways enthusiasts in the 1950s and ’60s, plus vision from the driver’s seat of the old Footscray routes.

“When Footscray Municipal Council got the idea for a tramway, they couldn’t have picked a worse time…by the time they got into it, World War I had progressed and industry was busy making bombs, not tram rails,” documentary maker Roger Greenwood said.

Despite starting construction on the tramways in 1915, Footscray’s first trams did not run until 1921. In yet another blow, the system was overtaken by the newly-formed Melbourne and Metropolitan Tramways Board before the lines were up and running.

Mr Greenwood said Footscray’s tramlines were unique at the time for being exclusive to the area and not linking up to Melbourne or anywhere else.

The lines were joined to the main Melbourne network in 1954 to transport World War II supplies to and from munition factories around the City of Maribyrnong.

The DVD is selling at the Footscray Historical Society. Enthusiasts can also order the DVD by emailing Mr Greenwood on efftech@bigpond.com