Straßenbahnmuseum Stuttgart (Stuttgart Tram Museum)

Straßenbahnmuseum Stuttgart or Stuttgart Tram Museum is a historical museum of Stuttgart trams operated by Stuttgarter Historische Straßenbahnen (SHB) (Stuttgart Historical Tramway Association) and Stuttgarter Straßenbahnen. The museum only opens from Sundays to Wednesdays, so I had just the morning of Sunday to make my visit to Straßenbahnmuseum Stuttgart.

Straßenbahnmuseum Stuttgart

I arrived at Straßenbahnmuseum Stuttgart by Stuttgart S-Bahn Line S3. Straßenbahnmuseum Stuttgart is located near to Bad Cannstatt station.

I had arrived just in time before opening at 10am, so I headed straight in as one of the first visitors of the day.

There is a café outside in an old tram but it was closed.

Heading in to Straßenbahnmuseum Stuttgart.

The ticket counter is just in front of the main door.

My ticket for the Straßenbahnmuseum Stuttgart. Regular tickets cost €5. There is also a day ticket including the Vintage Tram Line 23 costing €11.50 on Sundays. The Vintage Tram Line 23 can be used as a mode of transport to Straßenbahnmuseum Stuttgart, but only departs 3 times a day on Sundays.

Heading in to the exhibition area.

World of Trams Stuttgart

When entering the exhibition area, I finally understood why the Straßenbahnmuseum Stuttgart is also called Straßenbahnwelt Stuttgart (World of Trams Stuttgart). Actual trams take up most of the exhibition space.

As there is really a lot of exhibits to see, and to spare you the agony of loading almost 400 edited pictures, and also to not reveal everything in the Straßenbahnmuseum Stuttgart and spoiling your future visit, the pictures and descriptions here will be summarised and not all exhibits will be featured.

The exhibition starts off with one of the first models of a wagon on rails.

This moved on to horse-drawn trams.

The evolution of Straßenbahn and Styadtbahn seats along with the type of luggage used by travellers.

There is a children’s play area near the entrance.

Trams are lined up back to back on multiple lines in generation chronological order.

An old staffed ticket booth is also displayed.

GT4 519

There is a preserved GT4 in 1990 condition which is open for visits.

The interior of GT4 519 with 1990 interior.

The route map of the Stuttgarter Straßenbahnen with a mix of Straßenbahn and Stadtbahn on the street network.

The route map of Tram Line 6.

The destination sign of Tram Line 6.

Seats are laid out in facing bays in 2+1 configuration.

An old style ticket validator is also kept.

The end of the train is also for passenger access since trams operate in a single direction with a loop at the end of the line rather than a Stadtbahn with cabs on either side of the train.

At stops, doors can be opened by pressing the button.

The rear end of GT4 519.

The undercarriage of GT4 519 can also be visited.

A lot more trams are on display, though not all of them are accessible on the inside.

Some old tram toys are also on display.

These slightly familiar-looking China toys kind of ruined the classic exhibit though.

Maintenance of way vehicles are also built as wagons to be pushed by an existing tram.

Triebwagen 859 714

Triebwagen 859 714 is undergoing restoration works in Straßenbahnmuseum Stuttgart.

The cost of restoration is estimated to be €175,000.

Vintage Tram Line 23

I headed back outside just before the Vintage Tram Line 23 was about to depart, just to spot the departure. Unfortunately, I could not board this trip based on my schedule as the return journey would be too long for me to allow more time to explore Straßenbahnmuseum Stuttgart, as I have a train to Strasbourg to catch later.

GT4 632 was operating on the Vintage Tram Line 23 on the day of my visit.

The destination sign of Vintage Tram Line 23.

Staff on Vintage Tram Line 23 also dress up in old uniforms and use old signalling equipment.

A trailer GT4 401 was also attached, forming a 2-car tram.

The first tram departs from Straßenbahnmuseum Stuttgart at 10.32am on Sundays.

After spotting the departure of Vintage Tram Line 23, I headed back in to Straßenbahnmuseum Stuttgart to continue my visit.

There is a panel for signals if you’d like to learn how to drive a tram through junctions.

A sample office back in the tram days.

An old signalling office with phones and a typewriter.

A set of levers are also preserved.

The Straßenbahnmuseum Stuttgart is not just all about the fun stuff, there is an exhibit on how to build and maintain tram tracks as well.

Various types of rails used on the Straßenbahn Stuttgart

Maintenance of Way locomotives on display.

A model section allows you to drive a model tram.

Controls are reminiscent of old tram driving consoles.

Buses

Stuttgarter Straßenbahnen (SSB) also operates buses, and there is a bus section in the Straßenbahnmuseum Stuttgart.

MAN A21 NL313 (S SB5134)

Heading in to the MAN A21 NL313 to take a look.

The interior of the MAN A21 NL313 bus.

Souvenir uniform pins could be bought from this vending machine, but it was empty.

The validator on board the MAN A21 NL313.

The MAN A21 NL313 seat covers reminds me of Trans-Island Bus Services (TIBS) buses.

There are information panels on board on the various buses that SSB operated.

This Mercedes-Benz O405 is definitely familiar looking to me, even though it’s just the front of the bus that has been kept. Also, this bus head seems to have new tram wheels.

There’s also a 1955 Mercedes-Benz O6600H, but it is unrestored.

A display of bus models by the actual buses.

Straßenbahnmuseum Stuttgart is not just about the museum with static trams. There is a live heritage depot with working trams, visible through a glass door. However, as this is an active depot, visitors are not permitted to enter the area.

There are many other trams, displays, and scenes at Straßenbahnmuseum Stuttgart but they are not written in this article. These are chosen as a small sample of the offerings of Straßenbahnmuseum Stuttgart so that you hopefully won’t be overloaded with information and there will be more to explore when you visit Straßenbahnmuseum Stuttgart.

Souvenir Shop

The Straßenbahnmuseum Stuttgart has quite a number of souvenirs on offer. The display cases of souvenirs are located around the main entrance which is also the exit.

There are of course SSB Stadtbahn models which costs a beautiful €199.00.

A cheaper alternative to accurate HO scale models are wooden toy trains compatible with the BRIO wooden train system. These cost €16.00.

Socks with the SSB moquette are also available.

Postcards with various tram prints are at the ticketing counter. Purchases and payment for all souvenirs can be made at the ticketing counter.

Bistro “Meterspur”

The Bistro “Meterspur” is open on Sundays and offers coffee, cake, and small snacks. Meterspur means meter gauge.

Conclusion

The Straßenbahnmuseum Stuttgart is a very comprehensive museum about the tram history of Stuttgart. I could only afford to spend 1.5 hours there as I had an onward train to catch, and had to touch and go at exhibits to barely make it out on time. If you are interested in trams and trains, I recommend specially setting aside a full Sunday at the Straßenbahnmuseum Stuttgart to combine the museum visit with a ride on Vintage Tram Line 23.