I drive a 55-year-old tram at the museum | DÜWAG GT 8 (2024)
YouTube name: IC-lokomotivfører.
Date: .
City: Hannover (Germany).
Hannoversches Straßenbahn-Museum (HSM)
Open regularly
Hannover Hohenfelser Wald: Straßenbahn-Haltestelle - Omnibushalle
Summer operation only
Hannover articulated tram 711 (ex Düsseldorf articulated tram 2664), manufacturer Düwag/Klepe, series 2651-2673, width 2.35 m, length 25.64 m, weight 26.0 t, manufactured 1969, with 57 seats and 106 standing places.
A welcome change from my daily work as a train driver is volunteering at the Hanover Tram Museum. There, I can drive vintage trams in my free time—and maybe you can too!
Becoming a member is worth it and greatly supports the organization: https://www.tram-museum.de/verein/mitarbeit-im-museum/
Check out the website if you'd like to drive a historic tram yourself: https://www.tram-museum.de/besucher/strassenbahn-selbst-fahren/
You can find more insights into the daily life of a train driver at DB Fernverkehr AG on my Instagram channel: https://www.instagram.com/ic_lokfuehrer/
Welcome to the driver's cab of a Duewag articulated tram (GT8) from 1969, now preserved as a museum tram. I want to take you on a tour of the Hanover Tram Museum in Wehmingen, where the vehicle has been based since 2020. The museum, situated just outside Hanover, houses approximately 140 railway vehicles and features two routes totaling around five kilometers. At the subsequent junction, the routes split into a circuit through the museum and an external route leading into the open fields. We switch to the circuit and take a lap around the historic museum area, which has a fascinating history. Separation points are regularly built into the overhead wire to segment it into sections that can be switched off individually. The external route branches off to the left and leaves the museum grounds shortly afterward. It has been electrified since 2013 and is usable by trams. Several stops are scattered throughout the museum grounds. Our first stop is at the Hohenfels Mitte station. While I can independently open and close the first door, all other doors can only be operated by passengers. However, I can open the doors to allow passengers to use the door buttons, after which the doors close automatically. From above, the track resembles a prominent figure 8; here, the two parts of the route intersect in a short, single-track section.
We are in tram car 711, nicknamed "Helmut," which was delivered to Düsseldorf Rheinbahn in 1969 as car 2664. After 42 years of service on the Rhine, the vehicle arrived in Poznań, Poland, in 2011, where German cars were named after former Chancellor Kohl. A damaged section of track requires a temporary speed reduction to 5 km/h; this is communicated to the driver with the speed signals G 2 and G 3. The stop "Hohenfels Haus 20" is only served during major events and is also known as the cemetery on Reformation Day. The scary train with Halloween characters, which has been set up and popular for years, runs on the neighboring track. When all doors are closed and the vehicle is ready to depart, the green "Departure" indicator light turns on. In February 2020, due to hurricane "Sabine," a tree fell on car 2304 parked underneath, a Düsseldorf Duewag GT 6, which was destroyed beyond repair.
By a fortunate coincidence, the Poznań GT 8 was scheduled to be parked almost simultaneously; just a few months later, the former Düsseldorf car, which had been painted green and yellow, was transferred to the Tram Museum. The vehicle was put into visitor service just in time for the start of the 2021 season and has been popular with both staff and visitors from the beginning. We have arrived in the southern area, which features a spacious, open space and an impressive collection of buildings. The building houses the worlds of technology, including the Telecommunications Museum and the North German Museum of HiFi and Studio Technology. During major events at the museum, the bus museum also opens its doors, with the Solaris bus, which is not part of the museum's collection, explicitly on display. On visiting days, the trams run according to the schedule so visitors can take the train to the worlds of technology and back. We have reached the southernmost point of the museum and are now traveling through the relatively narrow southern loop, heading back toward the northern area. The southern part of the museum, located in the forest, was initially built during World War II as a munitions factory and hospital. In the barracks and buildings, the Wehrmacht sewed parachutes and manufactured ammunition, which were also temporarily stored here. During the war, the area expanded significantly, becoming a hospital for wounded soldiers and civilians. The confusing intersection behind the corner of the house is marked with a bell sign; the speed limit sign is no longer relevant after the repair work on the superstructure. Most of the barracks today house trams, which may be refurbished someday or, more realistically, serve as spare parts suppliers, since the club lacks the volunteer workforce to restore all the vehicles, which are already involved in maintaining operational vehicles and are busy. The tram museum always welcomes volunteers; membership is inexpensive and provides significant support to the club. Depending on their interests, active members can participate in the workshop, the bistro, the driving service, track construction, etc.