"Tram-hiking" through Germany
One of our first impressions of Mannheim was something like this: "-Wow, a 12-axle DÜWAG articulated car!". And indeed, there it was, the 38.5m "oldtimer" (1967) of the Rhein-Haardtbahn (RHB), unphotographable due to the evening twilight! We went to sleep that night dreaming about seeing that car again tomorrow, under better circumstances...
You cannot visit Mannheim without seeing trams of the neighbouring cities in the streets, because the operations of Heidelberg (HSB), Mannheim (MVV-V), Ludwigshafen (VBL) and the two vicinals: OEG and RHB form one large meter-gauge network. Being close to each other, Mannheim and Ludwigshafen even operate 3 services jointly, while the two vicinal companies both have routes penetrating these cities.
For starters: a 8-axle VBL tram in the Heidelberger Strasse of Mannheim.
Quite a unique sight is the 6-axle trailer car of the RHB.
The interior of the same 6-axle trailer.
A Rhein-Neckar-Variobahn of the MVV-V.
Although this OEG car looks old, it's from the 1988 batch the company had ordered with the classic DÜWAG design.
A DUEWAG 6MGT partly-low-floor car of the MVV-V near Paradeplatz.
The interior of a 6MGT.
Another curiosity: an old 6-axle converted into a 8-axle car with a low-floor middle piece. As far as I know, Mannheim was the only city in Germany doing this to their "old-school" DÜWAG cars.
Contrary to many such conversions, this one looks authentic...
... with an interior looking like as if it was made in the sixties!
The old electric equipment remained: cam-plate (I'm not sure how the word "Nockenfahrschalter" should be translated) controller switch.
A section equipped for the usage by rail-guided buses - unfortunately the "Spurbus" service was paused during our visit.
Vogelstang West along route 4...
... where OEG cars were supplementing MVV-V cars due to some tie-up.
"Wrong service"
Driver's cab...
... and interior of an OEG car.
Another surprise: an HSB (Heidelberg) car with the Mannheim central station in the background!
Next page: Ludwigshafen and more Mannheim
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