Hannoversches Strassenbahn Museum
The Hanover Tramway Museum (HSM ) is a museum of streetcars and related vehicles in Wehmingen, a district of Sehnde southeast of Hanover. The museum is operated under private ownership and by volunteering Hannoversches by the Association tram museum eV. Location is the site of the former potash mine and Bundeswehr site Hohenfels in Wehmingen.
History
The sponsoring organization, founded in 1987 attacked the construction of the museum many times on a program begun already in the 1970s, vehicle collection of bankrupt predecessor association German tram - Museum Hannover eV back. Originally more than 350 trams, buses, trolley buses and commercial vehicles were available. By early 2006, the stock has been reduced to around 120 railway vehicles. Many vehicles were transferred to other museums, transport companies and private collectors, but also many vehicles were scrapped. This was partly controversial, but by downtime outside of sometimes more than thirty years, many vehicles were in poor condition. But there were also a number of duplicates. Meanwhile, the museum has many restored and operational vehicles. Mid-2010 were 55 vehicles presentable and exhibited. Of these twelve cars railcars and five sidecar are ready and approved for passenger services, as well as some working car. For the operation and maintenance of this, and also the restoration of another car to the museum is an extensive stock of spare parts available, the parts mostly from the scrapped car.
Despite the very large collection ( in addition to the tracks also some trolley buses, a diesel bus and of course the indispensable for the operation of commercial vehicles such as autotowers exist) and 'new' are procured vehicles if they have a historical gap in the collection fill, replace a bad got similar vehicle or can be used for the visitor operation.
Was a major limitation of the museum are missing and protected parking spaces for exhibits that get quickly clear signs of weathering and damage in the open. In early 2006, an open-sided steel lightweight hall was built as a carport. Thus, there are now approximately 95 vehicles under cover.
Operation
From the museum for the most part be used in standard gauge ( 1435 mm), the old railway tracks of the former mine. The tracks were supplemented by its own new-build. Finally, the first section of the new turning loop was opened in 2004, connects the old Kalibahn - track with a curve, and in 2005 the gap closing the overhead line complete, so that the first loop was completed. The second, necessary for the operation of equipment car turning loop is under construction. Is included in the route network and the earlier link to Algermissen station on the railway line Taught - Nordstemmen, which is currently being electrified on a section and so will serve the visitor operation. Currently ( early 2013 ) there is no catenary available and the route can be used only by vehicles with internal combustion engines. These are the diesel-electric railcars Dortmund and Kassel 904 722, the former Üstra - 811 diesel and heavy small car in 2040 at the Frankfurt tram. Also some road vehicles that have a rail -drive system, such as the two tower car may use the route.
Vehicle collection
The vehicle collection focuses on German Trams from all eras of the tram service. It is supplemented with a number of foreign exhibits, working vehicles and related vehicles, including horse-drawn trams, a car of the Wuppertal suspension railway, as well as a restored copy of the first series of the Budapest subway, the second oldest after the London Underground subway in the world.