Pre-WW2 stock in regular service

[30907]

View attachment 84693They were the sole occupants of the Selketalban when I first visited it in 1973. I took this photo when the stasi weren't looking!
[QUOTE="StephenHunter, post: 4819772, member: 50741"

[/QUOTE]
Think it would have been VoPos (normal police) who would have given you grief.
I first visited in 2000 by which time the Mallets were rarer and the VoPos gone

BTW something has gone wrong with the reply-to system in your post as I am definitely myself and not Jamesrob637. Not that I mind....

 

[StephenHunter]

Trapos, actually. There was a dedicated section of the VoPos that covered railways in particular. They had small arms and RPG-7s, which I suppose would be a bit overkill on fare evaders.

 

[52290]

Think it would have been VoPos (normal police) who would have given you grief.
I first visited in 2000 by which time the Mallets were rarer and the VoPos gone

BTW something has gone wrong with the reply-to system in your post as I am definitely myself and not Jamesrob637. Not that I mind....
[/QUOTE] Sorry for that, probably due to my technical incompetence. Anyway here's one of the mallets I photographed ex-works on a test run down to Nordhausen carrying the number 13. This was around 1991.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

The Petit Train Jaune (Villefranche - Latour de Carol) still operates in France with pre-WWI (!) metre-gauge rolling stock built between 1908 and 1912. Although there are certainly many enthusiast passengers, especially in summer when open top coaches are used in the train consist, it is a regular TER service. Probably the oldest rolling stock in continuous service in Europe, although significantly refurbished at least twice.

Not only is that stock older than the 483s (and the 485/486 units they replaced), it's also an older example of 3rd-rail DC electric stock. The covered cars even have compartments, which being a pale redhead was a better option for me than the open cars when I rode in the middle of summer 1999!

 

[Robertj21a]

Nobody mentioned the Volks electric railway in Brighton ?

 

[riceuten]

If this ever re-opens. it will qualify

Trieste–Opicina tramway - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[ChiefPlanner]

LNER - or ex LNER buffet cars were in regular service (albeit in reduced numbers) on secondary cross country services until around 1979. Plenty of pre-nationalisation parcel vans of GWR and SR origin later than that.

Ex GWR mineral wagons from the 1920's also , easily identifiable. Ex LMS stone hopper wagons on stone flows from Buxton.

 

[jumble]

Following my recent trip to the Island Line on the Isle of Wight, which we all know has the oldest rolling stock in the UK (the Class 483, ‘1938 stock’), it has got me wondering if there is anywhere else in the world which has pre-WW2 stock in regular passenger service (well technically, the remaining units operating the Island Line were built in 1940, which was during WW2, not before).
Any thoughts?

Heritage railways largely don’t count, but of course there may be some heritage railways which might have a regular passenger service aimed at commuters, so those ones could count.

If you count trams the charming Sintra Tramway in Portugal uses lovely old Brill open trams from the early 1900s

 

[Gloster]

The SR Queen Mary brake vans lasted until the late 1990s, if not into the 2000s.

 

[30907]

The SR Queen Mary brake vans lasted until the late 1990s, if not into the 2000s.

True enough, but the OP originally asked about regular passenger service. Though I suppose the QMs were a follow-on to conversions of LBSCR power cars

 

[Gloster]

The SR Queen Mary brake vans lasted until the late 1990s, if not into the 2000s.

Apologies, I had rather lost track of where the thread had started and was just using the title.

 

[Fireless]

The german Chiemseebahn still serves the purpose it was built in 1887 (transporting tourists between Prien station and Prien harbour) using the original coaching stock built in 1887/1888 with either the original steam locomotive (built in 1887 and their sole locomotive until 1982) or a "modern" (built in 1962 and purchased secondhand in 1982) diesel.

 

[philthetube]

Hythe Pier Railway uses WW1 locos.

Lynton Lynmouth Cliff Railway still serves its original purpose since opening in 1888, although not sure of the age of the rolling stock.

with the exception of the Isle of Wight I think these two are the only ones which fully fit the op's criteria, at least in the UK.

Lynton even run an RRB when service is suspended.

 

[30907]

with the exception of the Isle of Wight I think these two are the only ones which fully fit the op's criteria, at least in the UK.

Lynton even run an RRB when service is suspended.

They fit for the UK, but the OP posted in International Transport and said anywhere else in the world, so there are a few more.

 

[JonasB]

Not pre-WWII and not regular service, but pretty close to.

To test some new tracks at Roslagsbanan (narrow gauge suburban railway north east of Stockholm) and help with the delivery of the new Stadler EMUs, SL has borrowed a small 1947 diesel from the nearby heritage railway Lennakatten. Mentioned on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Lennakatten/posts/3612254818836979

 

[Dunfanaghy Rd]

Since Racing Roland in Ruegen uses the same stock as Harz Schmalspurbahn, as do a couple of other narrow gauge railways near Dresden, I presume some of their stock will be pre WWII

That would be tricky. The Harz is metre-gauge, Ruegen is 750mm. I believe some Ruegen engines are pre-2nd WW, and it certainly was busy shifting people up and down the coast on my visit a couple of years ago - just like a 'proper' railway.
Pat

 

[Gloster]

SL has borrowed a small 1947 diesel from the nearby heritage railway Lennakatten.

The tractor is back on the line that it was built for by Kalmar.

 

[30907]

That would be tricky. The Harz is metre-gauge, Ruegen is 750mm. I believe some Ruegen engines are pre-2nd WW, and it certainly was busy shifting people up and down the coast on my visit a couple of years ago - just like a 'proper' railway.
Pat

According to German Wikipedia, the only post War steam locos on Rügen are the 3 DR "standards" (which are unsurprisingly very similar to the Harz ones).
The railway's own website claims the coaches date back to 1907-28, and a luggage van to 1895 but as they have been modernised and have new bogies, there's not much of the originals left!

 

[Journeyman]

Nobody mentioned the Volks electric railway in Brighton ?

It's a heritage railway, which the OP suggests doesn't count.

 

[JonasB]

The tractor is back on the line that it was built for by Kalmar.

It's been there for quite a while, Lennakatten and Roslagsbanan are two remaining parts of the same large 891 mm-network in Uppland.

 

[Bungle158]

The Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway perhaps?

I appreciate that the RH&DR is a member of the Heritage Railways Association, and that they rely heavily on volunteer and seasonal staff. However, when running, the railway still provides a Kent county recognised transport link. They even operated school services until 2015.

They have a plethora of pre war steam loco, some dating back to 1925, and some interesting coaching stock.

Depends on the recognised description of a heritage line. Although l would respectfully argue that it at least has some semblance of a commercial concern.

 

[Jamesrob637]

The "Gleichenberger Bahn" (Feldbach-Bad Gleichenberg) in Austria still use their original (early) 1930s stock. The line is still public transport until the december timetable change.

Now open until January so a little more opportunity to get there.

 

[williamn]

I think most of it is *just* postwar but VIA Rail in Canada operates a LOT of carriages from the 1940's.

 

[superalbs]

Milano's trams are up to 93 years old.