Döbeln Tramway
Encyclopedia
The Döbeln Tramway or Döbelner Straßenbahn is a tramway
in the German
town of Döbeln
. It is the only horse-drawn tram
line to operate on its original urban route in Germany, and one of only a handful in the world.
The Döbeln Tramway was built in 1892 and connected the town's railway station with its market square until 1926, when it was replaced by a bus
. Throughout its period of operation it remained horse-drawn, and was one of the last such of such lines to remain in operation in Germany. Even after it ceased operation, some of its tram track remained in place and served as a reminder of the old line. Occasional suggestions to restore the line surfaced over the years of closure but, until the beginning of the 21st century, no action was taken.
In 2002 flooding in the centre of Döbeln caused serious damage and required significant restoration work to restore the town's streets. As part of this work, the opportunity was taken to relay 800 metres (2,624.7 ft) of track from Obermarkt to Theatre. A former Meißen tram dating from 1899, and used for the last 30 years as a henhouse
, was acquired and restored as Döbeln Tramway 1. The line reopened on 9 June 2007.
The line is operated by the Traditionsverein Döbelner Pferdebahn e.V. and, in 2011, was scheduled to operate on the first Saturday of each month from May to October.
Tramway
Tramway may refer to:* Tramway , a lightly laid railway for uses such as logging or mining * A system of trams * Aerial tramway...
in the German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
town of Döbeln
Döbeln
Döbeln is a town in the Free State of Saxony, Germany, part of the Mittelsachsen district, located at both banks of the river Freiberger Mulde.-History:It was founded in the 10th century, the first written proof of its existence dates back to the year 981....
. It is the only horse-drawn tram
Horsecar
A horsecar or horse-drawn tram is an animal-powered streetcar or tram.These early forms of public transport developed out of industrial haulage routes that had long been in existence, and from the omnibus routes that first ran on public streets in the 1820s, using the newly improved iron or steel...
line to operate on its original urban route in Germany, and one of only a handful in the world.
The Döbeln Tramway was built in 1892 and connected the town's railway station with its market square until 1926, when it was replaced by a bus
Bus
A bus is a road vehicle designed to carry passengers. Buses can have a capacity as high as 300 passengers. The most common type of bus is the single-decker bus, with larger loads carried by double-decker buses and articulated buses, and smaller loads carried by midibuses and minibuses; coaches are...
. Throughout its period of operation it remained horse-drawn, and was one of the last such of such lines to remain in operation in Germany. Even after it ceased operation, some of its tram track remained in place and served as a reminder of the old line. Occasional suggestions to restore the line surfaced over the years of closure but, until the beginning of the 21st century, no action was taken.
In 2002 flooding in the centre of Döbeln caused serious damage and required significant restoration work to restore the town's streets. As part of this work, the opportunity was taken to relay 800 metres (2,624.7 ft) of track from Obermarkt to Theatre. A former Meißen tram dating from 1899, and used for the last 30 years as a henhouse
Chicken coop
A chicken coop is a building where female chickens are kept. Inside there are often nest boxes for egg laying and perches on which the birds can sleep, although coops for meat birds seldom have either of these features....
, was acquired and restored as Döbeln Tramway 1. The line reopened on 9 June 2007.
The line is operated by the Traditionsverein Döbelner Pferdebahn e.V. and, in 2011, was scheduled to operate on the first Saturday of each month from May to October.