Which tramways have you used?

[trebor79]

Krakow, over 20 years ago. Ancient Soviet trams and very noisy uneven track.
We got accosted by a ticket inspector who started to try to drag us off the tram even though we had valid tickets (which were absurdly cheap). Hardly anybody spoke English there in those days and we spoke no Polish. We just ignored her as we didn't know what to do. Later we deciphered what she had been gesticulating about - we were supposed to have bought tickets for our rather large backpacks!

 

[dutchflyer]

My personal score is 321 (or even perhaps 1 or 2 more), whilst using the list published as TRAM in Blickpunkt Strassenbahn ev 10 years. It will not accept tipical touristy/not daily lines/systems as such (like Wirral, Heaton Park, Crich-though I´ve visited them all)
High scores per country: Germany/West 40 (7 since stopped), Germany/East 27 (all remaining since DDR), France and USA 26, Ukrayna 22.
Just 1 in the country (Paraguay,Vietnam, withdrawn since),Luxembourg (brand new, but revived), Ireland (more or less same), (Denmark, same), Finland(second one opened, not yet been), Estonia, Israel, India, Greece, Bulgaria, UAE, South Africa (touristy line Kimberley), Tunisia, Serbije, Bosnija.
Countries where I´ve never (not yet?) been but have trams: Brasil, Equador (brandnew), Algeria(many new ones), Uzbekistan, NOrthKorea. And a few that have opened new trams since my last visit (f.e. Mauritius).
Last one newly visited/used: Lund/Sweden.
A friend of mine has a score >400, he has been on enthusiast trips to nearly all systems in the old CCCP/nowRussia, in what is now Russia I´ve been to 3 only.

 

[railfan99]

As I live in Melbourne that in recent years with downsizing of Moscow has seen my home city become the largest worldwide tram network, perhaps I have an unfair advantage. An hour ago I was on a route 72 Camberwell - Melbourne University that on Saturday morning had a good number of Prahran Market and other shoppers on board. This is one of Melbourne's few cross--suburban routes. See yarratrams.com.au

I have also travelled on:

UK:

Blackpool
Croydon Tramlink
Docklands Light Railway (if valid for inclusion?)
Douglas (horse tram and Snaefell etc.)
Manchester Metrolink: Altrincham line to the terminus, returning to London by rail, changing at a Stockport for the then Virgin West Coast train

Australia:
Adelaide plus its museum at St Kilda, South Australia
Melbourne
Sydney (light rail in the city plus Sydney Tramway Museum at Loftus NSW, accessible by Sydney Trains)
Ballarat (museum but Lake Wendouree streetside running)
Bendigo (museum but operates on public roads)
Newcastle NSW (largest coal port worldwide, short line mostly using former rail line)
Victor Harbor (South Australia - horse tram)

Other nations:
Amsterdam
Ascunsion (so long ago I've forgotten the details)
Basel
Boston
Budapest (one of the most enjoyable!)
Calcutta (in December 2019, seemed to only operate one line as I waited a long time on another route but no tram arrived)
Christchurch (museum line on public streets)
Dresden
Frankfurt
Freiburg (im Breisgau)
Helsinki (enjoyable)
Heidelberg (Germany, not in Melbourne, as trams in latter don't serve it)
Hiroshima
Hong Kong New Territories (ironically on Melbourne-manufactured trams)
Krakow (excellent)
Leipzig
Lisbon (single truck trams on the historic 'old town' route)
Los Angeles (whether suitable for inclusion I don't know)
Munich
Moscow (notorious for being stuck at intersections in traffic jams)
New Orleans
Portland (not Victoria, Australia that has a fake cable tram, but the USA west coast city)
Prague
San Francisco (good variety at the time)
San Diego/Tijuana USA/Mexico
Seattle (two unconnected fairly short lines)
St Petersburg
Tallinn
Toronto (2016, before older trams were withdrawn)
Vienna (like Prague, very good)
Zurich
Vienna

 

[DaveHarries]

Only ones on that list I have used are Amsterdam and West Midlands. In addition I did, when on school exchange trips in the late 1990s, use the expansive network in Cologne (KVB), Germany and have, when on holiday, used the Lisbon ones mentioned by @railfan99 as well as the Lisbon metro and the trams which run between Lisbon and Belém.

Dave

 

[PTR 444]

If the DLR is included in the poll, surely the Tyne and Wear Metro should be too as that also uses similar light rail vehicles? Although personally I wouldn’t consider those to be trams. Same goes for cliff tramways which I think are more commonly known as furnicular railways. I didn’t select this on this on the poll thinking that it was separate from a furnicular, but I actually have been on one - the Lynton and Lynmouth cliff railway.

As for other tram networks, I rode Metrolink for the first time just over a week ago, did Amsterdam in 2019 and Croydon in 2015. I also visited the Seaton and Crich heritage tramways in 2006 and 2007 respectively, and have likely seen more trams at various museums.

 

[alex397]

I can add Sarajevo to my list now, one of the oldest tram networks (well, line) in Europe (and world?).

On my visit last week, the western section was closed and is being completely rebuilt (OpenRailwayMap is the only source which shows the closed section). The depot is isolated from the network, so the railway station branch is also closed and is instead being used for storage, and the station stop used for maintainence.
The tram stock used were unrefurbished Tatra K2YU types new to the city, so would have seen a few sights during the war! There were also ex-Czech Tatras rebuilt and modernised, as well as some 1963 Duewag GT8s new to Cologne and also operated in Kolya, Turkey.l (route maps from their time in Turkey are still on display). All the trams were in an absolutely atrocious state with graffiti inside and out, and most tram windows covered in peeling adverts. New trams are delivered during 2023/4.

A positive though is that they were fun to use (for an enthusiast anyway!), useful for quite a long city, very frequent and was 69p for a single ticket bought from newsstands.

 

[87electric]

Puerto Madero tramway in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The line only lasted 5 years and closed in 2012. I sampled it when a solo Madrid tram worked the line. The 2 Mulhouse ones had already been returned to France.

 

[317 forever]

Dublin and all the mainstream British ones.

Also a handful abroad such as Melbourne & Adelaide (Australia), Cologne (Germany) and Milan (Italy).

 

[Purple Train]

Croydon - between Wimbledon and West Croydon a few weeks ago. Very interesting looking at all the existing relics from its days as a heavy rail line, although the braking on the newer trams isn't half sharp!
Metrolink - I think. I've definitely seen lots of Metrolink trams, but I'm not quite sure whether I've been on one yet - I think I have.
NET - Used practically every week for several years. Frequent, simple, well-integrated ticketing, comfortable, and serves most of the interesting bits of Nottingham.
Crich - I have some photos of me on the Crich trams when I was very small, but obviously I don't remember it, so I can't give my opinion on it.
Cliff Tramways - the funiculars in Scarborough. Am I allowed to use the word "quaint"?
Edinburgh - once, between Princes Street and the airport. I wasn't quite as impressed with it as I am with NET and Tramlink.
DLR - I don't care how good the ride/journey is as long as I can bag the front seat

 

[eoff]

Was on Prague trams last week, notable for being free for over 65s/under 15s and cheaper for over 60s.

 

[Western 52]

Was on Prague trams last week, notable for being free for over 65s/under 15s and cheaper for over 60s.

I was there a few years ago, fantastic system and very cheap fares. Have they still got the Tatra T3s running? I think route 23 was using T3s that were unrefurbished when I was there.

 

[eoff]

I was there a few years ago, fantastic system and very cheap fares. Have they still got the Tatra T3s running? I think route 23 was using T3s that were unrefurbished when I was there.

Sorry I don't know, I was more worried about watching for pickpockets than looking at the trams.

 

[ricoblade]

Off to Edinburgh this Thursday and will be using the tram for the first time

 

[raafif]

Not many tramways where I've been, except Europe. Did ride the big Dreadnaught type in Brisbane, Australia in 1965 when they were in service & again in 2003 at the tram museum when I lived there.

I currently ride a bogie-tram at our local museum in Tasmania, Australia twice a week as Conductor.

Is there a thread here for vintage trams or operating museums like Crich ?
Let's face it, almost all vintage trams are based on British designs.

 

[AM9]

Not many tramways where I've been, except Europe. Did ride the big Dreadnaught type in Brisbane, Australia in 1965 when they were in service & again in 2003 at the tram museum when I lived there.

I currently ride a bogie-tram at our local museum in Tasmania, Australia twice a week as Conductor.

Is there a thread here for vintage trams or operating museums like Crich ?
Let's face it, almost all vintage trams are based on British designs.

Or US streetcars.

 

[Pit_buzzer]

Istanbul
Dubai
Lisbon
Scarborough cliff tramways

Lisbon in particular left a lasting impression on me, a foggy autumn journey as afternoon turned to darkness, probably the most atmospheric journey I've ever experienced

 

[Amos]

Had a trawl through the memory banks and came up with the following.
UK
Blackpool,Edinburgh,Manchester,Nottingham,Sheffield,Douglas,
Birmingham
Europe/rest of the world
San Diego,Dublin,Barcelona,Lyon,Brussels,De Panne(coasttram),Amsterdam,Rotterdam,Den Hague,Stockholm,Helsinki,Berlin,Heidelberg,Munich,Vienna,
Bratislava,Prague,Milan,Luxembourg,Basel,Zurich,Warsaw,Budapest,Zagreb,Tunis,Hong Kong,Riga,Tallinn.
Thanks for the trip down memory lane Smokey Joe.

 

[onlinespotting]

Cliff- Scarborough and I think Bridlington (or filey I may be mistake )

Prague
Brussels

Does the monorail at birmingham international airport count?

 

[Bald Rick]

Does the monorail at birmingham international airport count?

It’s never been a monorail. The first iteration didn’t even have wheels, so classing it as a tram is a little far fetched.

 

[Western 52]

It’s never been a monorail. The first iteration didn’t even have wheels, so classing it as a tram is a little far fetched.

Wasn't it a maglev originally? I travelled on it around 1984 I think.

 

[Ken H]

Wasn't it a maglev originally? I travelled on it around 1984 I think.

Yes. I gave it a few goes.

 

[Bald Rick]

Meanhwhile I have had to have a good think about this. Assuming public transport trams only, and not museum Pieces or funiculars:

Brussels, Amsterdam, Würzburg, Munich, Manchester, Blackpool, Melbourne, Sydney, Sheffield, Croydon, Nottingham, Barcelona, Edinburgh; possibly Berlin, Dublin and Budapest, but in the last three cases I was, ahem, too ’refeshed’ on those weekends and can’t remember!

Wasn't it a maglev originally? I travelled on it around 1984 I think.

Yes, the world‘s first Maglev in public service.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Just realised I didn't list funiculars, cable tramways or cliff railways as the OP requested, so (and I may have forgotten some):
Shipley Glen
Scarborough (more than one of the ones there's been, but can't remember which)
Folkestone
Babbacombe
Aberystwyth
Lynton & Lynmouth

Oh, and a couple at Austrian ski resorts:
Windischgarsten
Spital-am-Phryn

Missed out on the Prague funicular as it was under refurbishment when I was there.

 

[mike57]

Ones on the list:

Blackpool
Sheffield
Manchester
Amsterdam

Plus:
Paris, Montmartre funicular and 'T' lines
Lyon
Reims
Rouen (wiki says its a tramway, but in the city centre its more like a light railway, think DLR)
Budapest
Scarborough cliff funicular
Bournemouth West Cliff Railway (nearly 60 years ago, arrival in Bournemouth was behind a Merchant Navy Pacific, still have some pictures)

I have to say travelling abroad I prefer trams over buses because they tend to be easier to navigate if you dont speak the language, you can always resort to counting stops.

 

[Tetchytyke]

I've travelled on all three active tramways in the Isle of Man- the MER, Snaefell, and the Douglas Bay horse tram.

Also:
Croydon
Sheffield
Manchester
Blackpool
Edinburgh
Beamish Museum
Berlin
Munich
Brussels
Melbourne
Sydney
Dubai
Hong Kong

Funiculars include Hong Kong, Saltburn, and Scarborough.

There's also the terminal transfer people movers at Hong Kong, Dubai and Gatwick airports, but I'm nor convinced I'd count them as trams.

 

[Ken H]

Funiculars:-
Folkestone (1)
Lynton
Bridgnorth

trams are above.

(1) There used to be 2 parallel funiculars at Folkstone. One was taken out of use some years ago. I did both. The one nerest the pier was only used when it was very busy.
In this pic - https://www.flickr.com/photos/trained_4_life/10290510583 you can see the 2 lifts. The one on the left still exists. The floors of the cars are level and you got out at the side. The one of the right is gone (1966). The floors were stepped. you entered at the end, and exited at the other end.
Water operated. I think the water was pumped up for reuse.
The was a further lift at Sandgate but that closed 1916
I find looking now there was one by the hotel Metropole but that closed 1940
Grandparents retired to Folkestone so the cliff railway was important to me as a kid.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Sorry I don't know, I was more worried about watching for pickpockets than looking at the trams.

Funny how Brits will say "ooh, watch out for pickpockets!" if you mention that you're visiting pretty much any city in Europe from Prague to Barcelona... but nobody says it if you're off to London. Guess which major European city is the only one I've been a victim of crime in...

I note that I'm the only poster so far to have ridden the demonstration line at Transperience. Probably explains why the whole thing was a bit of a flop!

 

[Western 52]

Not sure if anyone has mentioned the Oslo system yet. I travelled on that back in 1980 when they still had some pre war trams in use. They were lovely old vehicles, but I guess they're gone now. There were wooden bodied cars on the line to Holmenkollen, with outside brackets to attach skis!

 

[jrail1992]

As well as the votes available Scarborough Cliff Tramway (the one by the Grand Hotel). Also Sumeree Heritage Centre in Scotland and Conwy Valley when the 15" guage Tram operated.
Internationally:
Paris
Mulhouse
Basil
Zurich
Dresden

 

[stuu]

Trams: Birmingham, Croydon, Amsterdam, Bilbao, Bonn, Brussels, Budapest, Cologne, Istanbul, Hong Kong, Kochi, Lille. Milan, Rotterdam, San Francisco

Museums: Beamish and Seaton, possibly one of the 1980s garden festivals?

Funiculars: Aberystwyth, Babbacombe, Barcelona, Corris (Centre for Alternative Technology), Hastings, Hong Kong, Istanbul, Lynmouth, Montserrat, Paris, Penang

The DLR definitely shouldn’t be on this list