We are all well aware of the tram as one of the types of urban transport. Its history goes back almost two centuries. Having appeared in 1828, trams gradually gained popularity in the world, and are still an integral part of the transport network of many cities. For many years of its existence, this type of transport has constantly changed and improved. Various types of trams appeared, including horse-drawn, electric, pneumatic and gasoline-powered. The features of each of them will be discussed in more detail below.
Equestrian
It is with the advent of the equestrian type of urban transport (or horsecars) that the countdown of the history of the tram begins. She is quite interesting and entertaining. We will tell it in the article.
The first tram was a closed or open carriage, drawn by one or two horses, and sometimes by mules or zebras, and moving along rails. The horse-drawn carriage was driven by a coachman, also init was always attended by a conductor, who (in addition to selling tickets to passengers) often helped the coachman in driving on difficult sections of the road. The first tram appeared in 1828 in the American B altimore, and a few years later in other cities. But this type of transport gained real popularity only after the invention of grooved rails in 1852, which did not protrude above the road, and thus the horse-drawn trams ceased to interfere with the movement of other vehicles.
Already at the end of the 19th century, horse-drawn trams became popular in Russia, and in our country two types of such transport were used: one-story and two-story horse-drawn trams, the so-called imperials.
But the heyday of horse racing was short-lived. Significant inconveniences in its use, for example, low speed, fast fatigue of horses and the need for their regular change, led to the fact that already at the end of the 19th - beginning of the 20th century, horse-drawn trams were replaced by electric ones in almost all major cities. And it happened both in America and Europe, and in Russia.
Electric tram
The ideas that later formed the basis for the creation of electric transport were voiced by Russian scientists back in the 40s of the 19th century. However, it took another half a century for these ideas to be put into practice, only in 1892 the first electric tram was launched in Kyiv. Later they also appeared in Nizhny Novgorod, Moscow, St. Petersburg and other large cities. A few years earlier, the first electric trams appeared in Europe. But in general one can speak ofalmost simultaneous development and implementation of this type of transport in the Russian Empire and European countries. This type of tram was distinguished by a higher level of comfort and significantly higher speed compared to the horse tram.
Other types of this mode of transport in history
Several more types of this urban transport are not widely used in the world. So, for several decades in Paris there was a pneumatic tram. The movement of the car was carried out by a pneumatic engine, and compressed air was in special cylinders, the total supply of which was enough for a trip in both directions. Cylinders were refueled with compressed air at the terminal station.
In Russia (and later in the USSR) in a number of cities there were gasoline-powered trams. There is little information about how they looked to this day. It is only known that they were trolleys without a roof, which were driven by light motor locomotives. They did not receive wide distribution, this is mainly due to the fact that the level of noise they created was many times higher than the permissible norms.
Tram in the 20th century
Speaking about the fate of the tram in the 20th century, it should be noted that during this period there were both ups and downs in its development. The time from the beginning of the 20th century to the period between the First and Second World Wars is considered the so-called golden age of trams. During this period, it gradually became practically the main type of urban transport. By this time, horses had almost completely ceased to be used, andbuses and cars have not yet received significant distribution. However, already in the middle - at the end of the fifties, cars gradually began to replace trams on city streets. Also by this time, trolleybuses and buses began to seriously compete with this type of transport, the trips in which were much more comfortable, because the repair of tram tracks was practically not carried out, so the movement was no longer smooth and soft. All this led to the decline of this type of urban transport.
Trams taking off
As the history of the tram says, its new “take-off” refers to the end of the seventies. By this time, large-scale motorization led to such negative consequences as traffic jams, smog, lack of parking spaces. All these factors have led to the need to revise the transport policy almost all over the world, the advantages of the tram as an environmentally friendly mode of transport have again become apparent. In addition, the technical improvement of tram networks has helped reduce the number of cars and buses in cities, which has contributed to fewer parking spaces and more parks and gardens.
Tram in the modern world
Today, city trams not only continue to perform their direct function - the transportation of passengers along the established route, but can also be used for sightseeing purposes, to attract tourists or as an advertisement for a particular institution. So, double-decker trams run through the streets andconvertible trams, and in some cities they also serve as cafes or hotels.
There are also trams used for technical and service purposes: for example, for repairing rail coverings or snow removal, for transporting goods.
Speed view
Speed trams are widely used in a number of cities. In general, any type of this urban transport is considered to be high-speed, the speed of which is or exceeds 24 km / h. In practice, of course, the speed of modern trams can be several times greater. So, in France, a high-speed tram running between the city center and the airport can reach speeds of over 100 km on some sections of the route. If we talk about our country, then, for example, a whole tram system has been created in Volgograd, which includes 22 stations and partially passes underground to ensure the highest possible speed.
The most interesting trams in the world
The Santa Teresa in Brazilian Rio de Janeiro is considered to be the world's oldest functioning tram. Back in 1896, he was transferred from horse traction to electric, and since then he has been driving through the streets of the city without any changes or improvements. Used to entertain tourists and conduct city tours.
In Lisbon you can ride the so-called musical tram. Traveling on it, tourists seem to be transported into the past. Like a hundred years ago, this tram is made of plywood, and along the way, local performers create a livemusical accompaniment. If the passenger wants to get out, he must pull the special cable located on top.
The world's highest tram route passes through the French Alps. Tram rails were laid here at the beginning of the 20th century, then this road was used mainly for purely practical purposes, that is, for transporting peasants from one village to another. At present, this is a very popular route among tourists, since a trip on such a tram allows you to see the Alpine beauties with your own eyes, and the highest point of the route is at an altitude of almost two and a half kilometers above sea level.
Tram Museums
As discussed above, over the years of its existence, the tram has undergone many changes, one of its types was replaced by another. The history of the tram is extremely interesting, therefore, both in Russia and in the world, there are a number of museums of this type and electric transport in general. One of them is located in Nizhny Novgorod. This is no coincidence, because it is the Nizhny Novgorod tram that is considered the first in Russia. The museum has a significant number of trams and trolleybuses, and since the museum is aimed at families with children, all the exhibits here can be touched and examined very carefully.
Another museum of the history of trams and trolleybuses is located in Yekaterinburg, its opening was timed to coincide with the 275th anniversary of the city. It details the history of urban electric transport.
As for the tram history museumsabroad, the most interesting organization dedicated to this type of transport is located in Amsterdam. The museum presents about 60 wagons brought from several European countries and belonging to different eras of the existence of this type of transport. In order to fully experience the atmosphere, you definitely need to ride in an old carriage, the route of which passes by all the main sights of the city. At the same time, the smallest tourists are also allowed to actively "help" the movement of the tram: for example, call the stops and ring the bell. Another service provided by the museum is the rental of historical carriages for weddings, graduation parties and just photo shoots, which is very popular among locals and visitors.
