Erfurt articulated tram 538

Erfurter Verkehrsbetriebe (EVAG)
Operational

1982: Delivered as Erfurt articulated tram 538, manufacturer Tatra, type KT4D, length 18.20 m, weight 22.0 t, power output 160 kW.

Thüringerwaldbahn und Straßenbahn Gotha
Operational

2001: Taken over by the company as Gotha articulated tram 307 (ex Erfurt articulated tram 538), manufacturer Kiepe/Talbot, type KT4D-MOD 8 Gotha.

12:36

Documentary Thuringian Forest Railway and Gotha Tram - Part 1 (2020)An excellent documentary about the Gotha tram and the Thuringian Forest Railway. The documentary was very well-structured, engaging, and informative, especially since the Gotha tram is exciting both in terms of vehicle operation and the routes. The quality of the documentary was also excellent. Thumbs up, stay healthy, and LG Beni. The tram is the most important means of transportation in Thuringia's fifth-largest city and connects it via the Thuringian Forest Railway to the Thuringian Forest. In this documentation, you will learn more about the route network and its more than 100-year history. We hope you enjoy it. As early as 1800, the idea of establishing a horse-drawn tram was considered. However, these plans did not gain support, so it wasn’t until 1893 that the city council decided to build an electric tram. The route runs from the central station to the election—now the road. The Gotha tram is 127 kilometers long and has been electric from the start. After the tram was sold to Index ITC AG in 1897, which now belongs to RWE, there were major plans to expand the route network to a railway via rural roads. Of the six routes considered, only today's line 4 was ultimately built. Bad Tölz was developed in 1812. The depot on Waltershäuser Straße was opened and is still in use today. Two years later, construction began on the line via Waltershausen to Tabarz. However, due to World War I and its aftermath, construction was suspended between 1915 and 1928, and it was only completed in 1929. Similar to World War II, traffic was regulated between 9:45 and 9:47, then was nationalized and placed under municipal utilities. In 1954, the tram received new vehicles from the Gothaer Wagon Factory, the only tram manufacturer in the GDR. As a result, this freight car remains a household name for many today. In 1971, the inner-city line in Waltershausen was opened. After Gotha’s tram production stopped in 1967 in favor of importing Tatra trams from Czechoslovakia, Gotha received its first KTV railcar, which was a war trophy. Some of these were still running in 1981. Interestingly, freight traffic on the interurban routes occurred between 1982 and 1988. After reunification, the state-owned company was transformed into a limited liability company operated by municipalities along the route. To modernize the vehicle fleet, used trains began operating in the following years. The six trains from Mannheim were introduced in the 1990s, and routes were gradually modernized. Simultaneously, it was necessary to improve connections to the city, so 62 six-axle Bogestra trains were purchased for line 1 from the central station to Sunthausen. This also enabled direct turnarounds at the Gleisdreieck in Waltershausen. However, aside from one example, these vehicles are no longer in service today. In 2002, line 1 was extended from 2000 to the new terminus at the hospital—the first and last extension of this route. Regarding the vehicles, the fleet includes three preserved original units: cars numbered three, four, and six. Additionally, cars 3, 107, 117, and 319 were acquired from the Herforder Straße coal plant in the early 2000s. Vehicles 207, 308, and Traut 11 still have their accelerator controls. Tett 1617 vehicles also feature accelerator controls on both side doors as they are used on line 6, which ends at the Gleisdreieck cinemas. In 2012, the first low-floor vehicles, Bottas 4 g/t Achten, were acquired from Mannheim, with three still operating today, representing the only low-floor units in the fleet. To replace the Tatras, which were delivered directly according to quota, six B4 models from the Basel tram system were also added in 2009–2010, and they are still in operation. Besides planned vehicles, a few preserved historic tram lines mark the beginning of this network's ongoing history. For example, line 71 RB 20 runs on a two-hourly schedule from Dresden via Leipzig, Frankfurt, to Wiesbaden, with stops as noted in 2007. Now, let's look at line 2, which runs up to Rote Straße and shares the same route as lines 1 and 4 up to that point. It operates Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. every 20 minutes, then until 10 p.m., and runs all day on weekends approximately every 30 minutes. The 3-kilometer route takes about 12 minutes. Shortly after leaving the central station, it passes through Bahnhofstraße to the same stop. West of this is the over-500-year-old Cutter Castle Park, covering 37 hectares, leading up to the next stop, the Orangery, which continues onward. The landmark that gives the hotel its name was built in 1700 and is planned to be the German Orangery Museum in the future. Also, here is Friedenstein Castle, built in the 17th century, serving as a gateway to the city center.By Regionalzugverband - July 4, 2020.

16:36

Documentary Thuringian Forest Railway and Gotha Tram - Part 2 (2020)Welcome to the second part of our guide about the street bank robber and the Thuringian Forest. Today, we focus on routes of lines 1, 4, and 6 toward Tabarz and Waltershausen. We hope you enjoy our journey. We will stop again because lines 1 and 4 here share their first stops with the route of line 2, which we already covered in part 1. We will take you directly to the Rote Straße stop, where the routes split. At this stop, you can easily reach the mothers' center in Macht as well as the Margarethenkirche. While the vehicles on line 2 go straight ahead, those on lines 1 and 4 turn left into Gartenstraße. Later in the evening, we will follow this route ourselves, starting from the middle of Main Street. We will circle the Gotha center, then reach the Gartenstraße and Bertha von Suttner Platz stops. After Miconos Platz, we cross Waltershäuser Straße and pass stops 18 at Bergstraße and Ernst Straße near the local Wagenhalle, which is the depot of TBS B. Further toward Sunthausen, the line runs single-track through Schöne Aussicht and Inselberg Straße to Sunthausen. This district has a village-like atmosphere, with small single-family houses along Sunthausen Weg. At the Gleisdreieck junction, lines 1 and 4 split toward the hospital loop. Then they continue on the interurban route toward Boxberg. The stop at the district hospital is the terminus. The Streifen is the newest part of the Gotha tramway. From here, line 4 reaches the interurban section toward Boxberg and Werdershausen. At Boxberg, there's another turning loop. The journey continues along the interurban route to Leine. In Mauthausen’s urban area, we arrive at the small Obershausen stop. Welcome to the Gleisdreieck. What does it mean here? The city is connected to Sondershausen by six lines. Each side has an ascent, making all travel directions possible. Here, it’s daytime. Earn six is coordinated with the four routes, allowing seamless transfers. We want to take a quick detour with line 6 to Mauthausen. Tram line 6 mostly runs along Goethestrasse, passing through Northstop for Goethestrasse and Albrechtstrasse. My house was near the city train station. The South Thuringia Railway connected Fröttstädt to Friedrichroda. In the past, the Waltershausen station’s turning loop was still in use. Today, the line 6 traffic is handled in two directions at the square. Below, it still doesn’t feel like another country—judge and relatives at the Körpers station are back at Waltershäuser. At Gleisdreieck, we continue by line 4 toward Bad Tölz to Das Haus Schnipsen. From Schnitzen, the Thuringian Forest Railway runs parallel to the South Thuringian Railway to Fröttstädt, passing through stops 100 ICE to Friedrich or Reinartz station. Besides Waltershausen with 10,000 residents, Friedrichroda with about 700 inhabitants is the third largest town along the Thuringian Forest Railway. It’s recognized as a health resort. The charming buildings create a beautiful setting in the heart of the Thuringian Forest. The journey on line 4 ends soon. It passes Marin Glashülle and reaches its final stop in Bad Tölz. The Thuringian Forest Railway has now arrived at its destination, Bad Tölz. This town, with a population of 5,000, lies below Großes Insel Berg. The train begins its return. If you haven’t visited yet, you should go to Gottéron, a peaceful little town in the Thuringian Forest accessible by country roads. The scenic trip through the forest and neighboring Gotha is a must for every tram enthusiast, mainly because of the historic carriages. This concludes our documentation. Thank you for watching and listening. Have a great day, and see you next time here on the regional association channel.By Regionalzugverband - July 18, 2020.

Gotha tram line 1 with articulated tram 307 near Huttenstraße (2012)By Lars Engraf.
July 23, 2012.

Gotha tram line 1 with articulated tram 307 near Orangerie (2012)By Lars Engraf.
July 23, 2012.

17:34

Trams in Gotha (2012)By choppernachladung.
July 9, 2012.

9:34

Gotha Tram city line (2018)The Gotha tram is one of the smallest German tram companies. Tatra KT4D trams still dominate the operation. They could soon be replaced by used trams from Switzerland. At the time the photos were taken, the section of the line to the main station was out of service due to renovation work.By worldtradesurfer - March 23, 2018 - March 25, 2018.