A TOPIC ABOUT STREETCARS (TRAMS) IN ROMANIA (Eastern-Europe)
Interurban streetcar line between SIBIU and RĂŞINARI
Once, Muncipium of Sibiu, administrative center of Sibiu county (in Romania, Eastern Europe) had an extensive streetcar network. Unfortnley, in the '80’s Sibiu was a city where trolleybuses almost killed the streetcars. All streetcars in the city where dismentle, but the one conecting the city with Village of Răşinari (Răshinari) remained - most probably it was very expensive to install trolleybus line on quyte a long distantance and since the streetcar line was there…
I managed to ride a streetcar on that route in 1997. I like it becuase of the narrow guage (1,000 mm guage) - the only other cityes in Romania that are using narrow guage streetcars are Iaşi (Jassy) and Arad; Galaţi (Galatzi) used narrow guage form 1900 (first steetcar lines) untill the '70’s, when they bought P.C.C. type “Tatra” T3R and T4R streetcars - they use now standard guage (1,435 mm). The streecar that I’ve ryde was a painted one. All the streetcars that runed on that rute after the 1990 where some '50’s Swiss Made Be 4/4. All the older streetcars where massaccred. Talking about Swiss stuff and the streetcars killer named the trolleybus, back then (I dind’t know at the time) in Sibiu runed an 1960!!! Swiss articulated!!! trolleybus “F.B.W.” 3GTr (I’ve mentioned this vehicle becuase it’s very old; it last runed in 2002 or 2003; now it’s in the trolleybus garage). I was lucky to ride the painted one. After I got down this streetcar entered the barn and another one got on the route.
Well, the trolleybuses “bussines” wasn’t enough; now the last streetcar line is thertean by the “sharks”. What are this “sharks” (or “rechini” called in Romanian): drivers with private owned cars, that are taking passangers along the streetcar line, but they don’t
This thread will serve the purpose and you don’t need to start a new one.
I rode a Duwag articulated, probably second hand from a German or Austrian city, in Bucharest in 1994. Bucharest seems to have a large and varied tram system. A Metro also.
In Bucharest we never had articulated “Duewag” streetcars. The only 2 second hand articulated streetcars where a couple of “Rathgeber” P3.16 + p3.17 (P3.16 was the motor car, p3.17 the trailer).
Did they look like this stuff?
LET’S BEGAN.
The Romanian word for streetcar is tramvai (at plural tramvaie). The word is coming from the Briths words “tram” and “way”. In pre 1940 books you may find tramway or tramvay (at plural tramvayuri). NOTE! In the Romanian language the word “troleu (trolley)” is used for the trolleybuses!!! All streetcars in Romania are using pantographs.
Here is a list of Romanian cityes that are runing streetcar systems.
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Arad. In Arad area was opened the first electrified railroad in Romania (1906). It was narrow gauge (1,000 mm). Up untill 1966 was the only electrified railroad in the country. More than half of this route was dismentled. First streetcars in the city where horse drawn and introduced in 1869 and runed untill 1916. The streetcars where reopened in the city, on 29th of Nov, 1946 (1,000 mm guage).
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Botoşani (1991). Gauge: 1,435 mm
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Brăila (1901). Gauge: 1,435 mm. In the past (1989-1999) operated trolleybuses too.
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Bucureşti (Bucharest) : horse drawn (28 dec. 1872 - 1929), electric (December the 9th, 1894), steam (1906 - ?). Gauge: 1,435 mm Operates trollyebuses and subway too.
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Cluj-Napoca (1st 1987). Gauge: 1,435 mm. Also operates trolleybuses.
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Constanţa (Constantza): 1943-1944 (the streetcars where stollen from Soviet Union - City of Odessa, but afrer turning weapons against Germany they where return to the Soviet Union). Reintroduced in Nov. 1984. Guage: now 1,435 mm. In 1943-1944, since the streetcars where bought from Soviet Union, it probably used the Soviet guage of 1,524 mm. Operates trolleybuses too.
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Craiova (1987). Gauge: 1,435 mm.
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Galaţi (26th of May, 1900). Gauge: originally 1,000 mm, but strating with 1971 all lines where covreted to 1,435 mm gauge; last narrow gauge line closed in 1975. Also operates trolleybuses.
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Iaşi (Jassy) (March the 1st, 1900). Guage
Useful information. Thanks. I guess you are right and they were not Duwags. Somewhat similar, though.
Well, in Romania there are some reasons that streetcar survieved
- In the countryes that buses replaced, they had auto indutsry tradition (both automobiles and buses). In Romania, the first buses where mass produced in 1955 (they where so “good” that probably dind’t last more than 10 yrs.) - a small number of buses where produced by “Marta” (later “Astra”) railroad cars plant in Arad in the '10-'20’s; the first automobile was produced in 1969 (jeeps where produce starting 1957). In stad, cityes like Bucharest and Timişoara where producing or modernizing streetcars since the '20’s. Other cityes, like Arad, Iaşi and Galaţi produced streetcars too. Except for the streetcars made in Bucharest, no other city “exported” streetcars into other Romanian citye. In the '30’s, when some Europanen and U.S.A. cityes arleady replaced all streetcars by buses, some cityes in Romania never heared of urban buses.
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In Timişoara, untill Nov. 1942, when first trolleybuses where introduced, the streetcars where the only mass public transporation vehicles. Buses camed in 1948. Timişoara still haves the 2nd biggest streetcar network in Romania (and the 2nd biggest trolleybuses network too)
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Galaţi introduced buses only after W.W.2. - in 1945 the City Council decided that should be no more buses in the city center. Another thing it was this city suffered big damages because of air bombings (is an port city - ship yards too) and was hard to rebuiled streetcars lines
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Iaşi. I don’t think they have buses untill '40’s or '50’s
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Sibiu I think like Iaşi too
- Automobile where expensive (even up to mid '90’s). In 1935 where about 40,000 automobiles in Bucharest (to a city population of about 700,000-800,000 people) and in 1959 about 30,000 to a population about 1,000,000. The '50’s buses where small capacity and wheren’t avaible in big numbers. In stad, the streetcar networks w
Well, let’s began with Bucureşti (Bucharest), the Romanian capital.
At the time, Bucharest was the first Romanian cityes to introduce streetcars (Timişoara and Oradea introduced streetcars before Bucharest, but the 2 cityes where back then part of the Austro-Hungaryan Empire).
The first line was opened on 28th of December 1872. It runed from Barierea Moşilor - Bis. Sf. Ion Moşi (St. John Old Men Curch) near the end of Calea Moşilor (Way of the old men) * and the intersection of it with Şos. ** Ştefan cel Mare (Steven the Great Ave) + Şos. Mihai Bravu (Michael the Brave) Av, on Calea Moşilor, Str. Lipsacani (Lispcani Street), passed by Bis. Sf. Gheorge Nou (New St. George Curch) ***tr. Colţei (Coltzea’s Street) - now part of the North-South Axis **** passed by Universitate (University), continued on Str. Biserica Enei (Ienii) *****, passed by at Bis. dintr-o zi (Curch made in one day), Str. Regală (Royal Street) - now Ion (John) Câmpineanu Str., passed by Biserica Luterană (Lutheran Curch), continued Str. Lutherană, passed on the street whic us called today Str. General Berthelot, Str. Manea Brutaru (Manu the bread maker) - today G-ral Constantin Budişteanu, continued on Cal. Târgoviştii (Way of Târgovishte) - now called Cal. Griviţei (Way of Grivitza) ****** and ended at Gara Târgoviştii (Railroad Sation of Târgovisthe) - the station is called since 1888 Gara de Nord (Nothern Railroad Station) - and is the main station in Bucharest.
- The name cames in fact after two days of celebrating the death (one in spring, one in autumm). Barieră was an Medieval custom at entring the city. They where took out in 1903.
** Şos (şosea) in fact means in Romanian road. The 2 streets where in the past ring roads that separated Bucharest from the sorounding communes
*** There is now new or old St. George, but since they are 2 curches with name quyte close one to each other they named them after theyr oldness
Do you have a Map or a link? I am looking at a puzzle.[%-)]
I’ll try to put some maps. I don’t have maps back from 1890.