1940s N-type trams in Bytom, Poland

Bytom, Poland has for many years has been famous for its old-fashioned tram line Nr. 38, which is just under a mile long (1.34 km) and therefore the shortest tramway line in all of Poland.

Until this July the single track, middle-of-the-road route was also known as the last place in Poland where the Konstal-built "N" type trams still operated in daily revenue service. As of mid July, the N-wagon has been replaced with a brand-new "spaceship" from Modertrans. It offers low-floor access to the elderly and less able.

The N car will remain preserved and should still find occasional use on line 38, as an operational reserve and for specials. Once line 38 is also connected to the main tram interchance Plac Sikorskiego in Bytom through some infrastructure improvement measures, the line 38 service will also run there and then require 2 diagramed vehicles, so the idea exists to use one new vehicle and one old N type for the circuit, as the authorities are aware of the touristic value of the heritage N tram.

Here a short film from a recent mid July visit to Bytom with the new shapceship in use on line 38. Bytom is generally highly recommended as a very interesting place, both as a historic city and because of the railways there, light rail and heavy rail with the main line station and adjacent freight yard.

 

Very flashy, but it's just not the same...........

 

Just checked my copy of the monumental, 2 volume, "Tramwaje Gornoslaskie" history of the Silesian tram network and that shows car 954 as entering service in 1949 and then being refurbished in 1986/7, being renumbered then from 1132 to 954 - Or at least I think that is what the Polish notes mean!
I expect it will be retained for special use elsewhere on the network as well, as they have a tram and trailer set preserved which has been used on service "0" in Katowice in the past....



They have a couple of later cars in the "historic fleet" that see use on that route as well.