"The night I was running back to the barracks late from leave I jumped off the tram and I still owed them a penny for the fare," Mr Pomeroy said.

"I had been to a friend's place in East Melbourne, and I was trying to catch a train from Spencer Street station back to the barracks.

"The girl who was working as a conductor waved me off and said 'don't worry dig'."

Mr Pomeroy said the Melbourne tram network became a backbone for the war effort.

"I look upon the trams as one of the things that carried the second world war," he said.

"The trams became the workhorse for the war effort, because all of the petrol had been confiscated for the war effort."

"The trams carried 20,000 people to the munitions factory every day, working 24-hours to cover the three eight hour shifts."

"They are just as valuable now as they were then."

Veteran Sam Wiltshire lived in Melbourne after finishing his service as a medic in the navy during WWII and said it was great the city has kept the tram network rolling.

"It's the best thing they are still running," Mr Wiltshire said.

Mr Wiltshire and his wife Kay have donated a painting of a St Kilda Road tram, with the Shrine of Remembrance behind and a single car, to the RSL.

"It is just like the war with no cars on the roads," he said.

"The painting hung in our lounge, but when we heard about the RSL getting a tram we decided to donate the painting."

Terang RSL president Steve Bloxham said the tram would be open to view during the Remembrance Day service, but some finishing touches to be added.

"The service will commence at 10.45am, with a minute silence at 11am," Mr Bloxham said.

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