Prague Tram Adventure Videos (& S-Bahn)

[bill937ca]

Prague has one of the largest tram networks in the world.  There are 24 regular day lines on 142.7 km of line (52 percent on reserved track) operated with 435 trains at peak times. Today at 06.30 there were already 304 trains running of which 170 were low floor. The current fleet totals 893 trams, but the T3s normally run in pairs. Over 1,239,000 passengers per day.

 

Before the videos some background on Prague trams.

 

Speed limit for trams is 50 kph on city streets

Trams have there own traffic signals and turnout indicators (a little black box with a white border).

Trams do not have to stop at pedestrian crossings, but cars and trucks do have to stop. 

There is a very high degree of tram priority with linear thresholds, medians, exclusive rights-of-way

Trams have loud clatter gongs.

 

First some relatively normal scenes from the cab. Major tram junctions often do not have traffic signnals.

 

 

 

This video is too funny. The woman losing her load when she sees the tram. Boo!!  Old people running down the middle of the road and falling flat on their face. Cardul.  Trams run every few minutes , but many people act like they will never see another tram. People and cars come out of nowhere.  What really gets me is the people with baby carriages going against the red light and almost getting by a tram.

 

 

In Prague there are 3 backbone tram lines that run twice as often as other tram lines.  Generally trams run at least  6 times an hour during the day and most locations are doubled up so molocations would have at least 12 trams per hour.

 

This video is at Jindrisska near Prague's two train stations.  There are up to 53 trams an hour at this location in each direction on a workday and 753 total per day.  Video is by on of my Japanese subscriptions, North Railway.

 

 

Edited August 2, 2019 by bill937ca

[bill937ca]

These videos are from an ongoing series called Stories from the rails.  There are English subtitles.  Our friend with the baby carriage crossing the tram tracks on a red light is in the first video. If you cross the tram tracks be careful for trams in the other direction.  Again cars come out of nowhere, sometimes on the wrong side of the road and passing on the left. These videos are by NaKoleji. Although these videos seem bad he has other cab ride videos that  are completely uneventful and normal from one end ot the line to the other. These are the worst of the worst. 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited July 22, 2019 by bill937ca

[bill937ca]

As for models, there is a little shop in Prague I have come across that sells a line of 1/87 Prague trams.  He sells grooved rails straight, curved R220 and R266, turnouts, paving strips, completed models and model kits, traffic signs, street furniture (tram stop pillars) and powered chassis.  I see no indication of English or the ability to do foreign sales, but he has a good list of local dealers.  Maybe useful if I get there.  🙂

 

If anyone in Europe is interested, I will post the link.

 

I'm going to post the link because his shop page shows $USD prices.     http://www.mb-modely.eu/    But I'm still unaware if they do foreign orders or can process orders in English.

 

 

Edited July 23, 2019 by bill937ca

[bill937ca]

Another video.  At 10.28 there is an interesting sequence that shows the speedometer while driving on city streets.  Cabs are enclosed in Prague and there is a gplas window in the door. This tram goes around a corner and as he crosses the Most Legii bridge he reaches the 50k limit and then has to slow down because of a left turning auto on the track allowance, and crosses the special work at 15k.  Video by 777whitestone.

 

 

[bill937ca]

Here is a different perspective. A relatively short 10 minute ride on tram 6 in the center of Prague aboard a 90s vintage Tatra articulated tram.

 

 

[bill937ca]

One of the tram watching sites that has caught my eye is Praha Masarykovo nádraží.  This is the secondary train station in Prague serving mainly commuter trains. It is a transfer point for trams, Metro and commuter trains.  First some trams outside the train station.

 

Edited July 28, 2019 by bill937ca

[bill937ca]

The train station itself is the oldest stub end terminal in Europe dating from 1854.  Until the 1940s trains passed through the city walls each trip and at night the gates were closed.  The last major renovation of the station was in the 1930s.  Starting in 2022 the station will undergo a major renovation with the number of tracks being expanded from 7 to 9 to accomodate a new airport train service. A unique feature of the station is an Art Nouveau canopy over the station concourse.

 

https://www.radio.cz/en/section/business/major-renovation-planned-for-pragues-masaryk-train-station

 

Some photos from Brian Solomon from 2016.

 

http://briansolomon.com/trackingthelight/tag/masarykovo-nadrazi/

 

 

 

Edited July 28, 2019 by bill937ca

[bill937ca]

In addition to the Esko Prague network (aka S-Bahn) there also is second operator KZC Doprava that runs historical trains hourly to Praha-Ckovice on weekdays only.

 

Czech language  KŽC Doprava page         https://cs.wikipedia.org/wiki/KŽC_Doprava

German language  Esko Prag page            https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Esko_Prag

 

Video by DavidDopravniVidea

 

 

[bill937ca]

More Esko Praha S-Bahn trains at Praha Masarykovo nádraží.  The tram 92 at the beginning of the video is one of Prague's  nine night tram lines.  There are scenes of the station exterior,  concourse and train board at 0416.

 

Video by  Poiree