Led by John Shanks, the group campaigned to ensure the preservation of the CTB's last two remaining tramway assets, 1887-built horse tram 50 and 1881 Kitson steam-tram engine 7.

During 1964, the Association decided to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the closure of the Number 1 tram route to Papanui, which had been one of the final two lines to close in 1954.

At the time, contractors had not yet sealed over the tracks between Blighs Road and the former terminus, and so horse-tram 50 was restored to its Christchurch Tramway Company appearance as tram 43, and transported to Papanui where it ran for a week in August 1964.

Beyond this, work continued to extend the tramway to the new Ferrymead Heritage Park development, with the current track layout being completed in 1984.

A new substation was built in 1988 to power both the THS' trams, trolley-buses, and also the Canterbury Railway Society's preserved ex-NZR locomotives and electric multiple units.

It also owns a number of buses and trolley buses from Auckland, New Plymouth, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin along with an AEC Regent III double-decker bus, from London Transport, which was brought to New Zealand in 1974 to support the British Commonwealth Games team, and was purchased following the end of the games with the help of a generous donation from Farmers Trading Company.