Stuttgart Tram, Railcar 222

Railcar 222 was constructed by the Herbrand Company in Cologne in the years 1902 and 1904, and was put into operation by the Stuttgarter Straßenbahnen (SSB). It belonged to the second generation of motor-powered railcars. It was painted in the original colours of the tram company which was established in 1886: cream-coloured with a pale-blue stripe beneath the windows. The railcar was about 7 metres long and about 2 metres wide. At the front and back there was an open platform which offered standing-room for a total of 17 passengers, while inside the railcar 16 passengers could sit on two benches along each side.

From 1902 to 1912 railcars of this model travelled on three main routes of the Stuttgart rail network: the “Prag Route” (between North Railway Station and West Railway Station), the “Cross Route” (Seidenstraße, Traubenstraße and Gaisburg) and the “Ring Route” (Schreiberstraße, Schwab Tunnel, Schloßplatz Square). From 1914 to 1927 these railcars then also operated along other routes.

Railcar 222 was in use until 1955 and was altered several times during this period. After the first conversion between 1912 and 1914 the platforms were closed and integrated into the railcars. From 1929 on, the SSB gradually replaced Railcar 222 with more modern vehicles and sold individual railcars to other tram companies. From 1933 railcars of this model were no longer used for passenger transport. The SSB converted the remaining railcars to working vehicles. From 1955, Railcar 222 stood in the depot of the SSB and was supposed to be scrapped. However, it was then refurbished according to its original state and later exhibited in the Tram Museum. Railcar 222 is therefore the oldest motor-powered railcar in the Stuttgart Tram Museum.