Erfurt tram lover saves Tatra front piece for eternity!

Erfurt tram lover saves Tatra front piece for eternity!

Gotha, Deutschland - The tram and its fascinating story still captivate people in Erfurt. So also Markus Christophel, who, as a train driver, not only dedicated his professional life of the rail, but also developed a very special passion for the Tatra street railways. These vehicles, which were traveling in Erfurt from 1976 to 2014, have an important place in the city's traffic history. According to Thuringia24 is Markus Stolzer of two original Tatra-Straßenbahnen, which he retains in his collection.

But it is not just the collection that Markus distinguishes. An event in July 2021 brought a special turn to his life. He received a call that informed him that an old Tatra Street Railway in Gotha should be scrapped. This train, which was sold by Erfurt to Gotha in 2016, had never started operating and was only supposed to serve as a spare parts dispenser. In the event of a fire brigade exercise, the vehicle should be finally retired in 2021. Markus decided to save a piece of this story and brought home a front piece of the train.

a piece of history in the living room

He was able to receive the massive front piece, which weighs between 250 and 300 kilograms, for a donation. With the help of friends, this heavy piece of railway history was carried to his apartment and handed over a building work for preparation. Now the front piece proudly emblazoned in Markus' living room and is his greatest treasure. "It is a piece of Erfurt traffic history that I was able to preserve with passion," says Markus. His Facebook post about this achievement was very well received by his friends.

But what makes the Tatra street railways so special? These trams were originally developed in Czechoslovakia in the 1950s and also enjoy an excellent reputation internationally. As one of the largest producers of tram wagons worldwide, Tatra Prague quickly made a name for itself. The Tatra railcars, which were introduced in 1978 in Erfurt, were characterized by their robustness and durability. Strassenbahnen-online describes that over 18,000 cars of the classic PCC system were produced for various trams.

Erfurt tram throughout the time

A look at the history of the Erfurt tram reveals that the first lines were opened on May 13, 1883. At that time horses had to pull the first lanes over a distance of 7.4 kilometers. Electrical operation only started in 1894. The Tatra railcars and the modern low-floor railcars that have been in use since 1994 are the result of a long tradition that has always developed. Already in the 1980s the Tatra-KT4D Wagen 530 was built, which was converted into a city tour car in 2014, as Lars Brügemann

This is how the fascination for the Tatra streams lives on, both with passionate collectors and Markus and the passengers of the Erfurt tram. The history of these lanes is not only a story of vehicles, but also of memories and community that runs through the decades.