From the Erdberg Depot to the Wiener Linien Museum

Here you can find out how the Wiener Linien Museum came into being.

How is it, actually, that there are so many historic vehicles in the depot? And who collected them? Here is a brief overview of how the collection came about:

Mid-20th century: Cars are ‘in’, trams are to be phased out

After the Second World War, Europe was being rebuilt. The mindset of progress was shaped by the ideal of the ‘car-friendly city’: the car was the measure of all things. Trams were no longer considered modern and were to be phased out. In many countries, tram networks were dismantled and replaced by buses. Incidentally: because this transition did not happen quite as quickly in Vienna as in other countries, Vienna now has the sixth-largest tram network in the world.

In the exhibition, our double-decker bus bears witness to this era: it replaced trams on routes 13A, 61 (later 59A), 15A, 39A (later 35A) and 48A.

Courageous railway enthusiasts save valuable vehicles

So whilst the trend was moving towards cars and buses, a number of dedicated individuals began to save historically valuable vehicles from being scrapped. In some cases, this was only achieved in the face of fierce opposition, as the era was characterised on the one hand by shortages and scarcity, and on the other by the pursuit of progress.

To support the efforts of these individuals and pool their resources, the Association of Railway Enthusiasts (Verein der Eisenbahnfreunde, VEF) was founded in 1950, followed in 1966 by the Vienna Tramway Museum (Wiener Tramwaymuseum, WTM). Their aim: to save historically significant vehicles from being scrapped, to restore them, to exhibit them and to make them accessible to the public on special trips.

The collection is the largest and most comprehensive in the world documenting the public transport system of a single city.

Private owners and Wiener Linien join forces: the museum takes shape

In 1985, Wiener Linien reached an agreement with the private owners of the collection setting out the terms for the establishment of the tram museum. Hall IV in the former Erdberg depot was converted into an exhibition hall. Wiener Linien transferred a number of trams to the Erdberg depot. The two associations, VEF and WTM, made their trams available on permanent loan to the new, much larger museum. From May 1986, the trams were on display at the Erdberg depot at weekends – marking the start of museum operations at the depot.

What is a Remise?

A “Remise” is a shelter for vehicles and equipment. The word comes from French and is derived from ‘remettre’, which means “to put back” or “to store.” In Austria, the word is still used today to refer to a tram depot.

The former Erdberg Remise: an authentic home for the Wiener Linien Museum

The Wiener Linien Museum is housed in the former Erdberg tram depot, which operated as a depot for Lines D and 18 from 1901 to 1990. Beginning in 1985, the depot was gradually converted into an exhibition space for the Vienna Tram Museum. Since 2014, the museum has been housed in the depot in its current form.

The history of the Erdberg depot at a glance

  • 1901 to 1990: The Erdberg depot served as an operational depot for trams.
     
  • In 1985, Hall IV was converted into an exhibition hall. On 31 May 1986 – during the 2nd Vienna Tramway Day – Mayor Helmut Zilk opened the Vienna Tram Museum. Halls I, II and III continued to house trams from lines D and 18.
     
  • On 6 January 1990, the Erdberg depot was decommissioned. Halls I, II and III were adapted for museum use.
     
  • On 13 June 1992 – during the 8th Vienna Tram Day – Mayor Helmut Zilk opened the completed Vienna Tram Museum. Halls II, III and IV, as well as two tracks in Hall I, are now available for the exhibition.
     
  • 1992 to 2012: Operation as the Vienna Tram Museum
     
  • In 2013, it was time for a redesign. The museum underwent refurbishment.
     
  • On 13 September 2014, the “Remise – Vienna Transport Museum” opened with a new museum concept.

The Collection

The Wiener Linien Museum houses one of the most extensive collections on the history of urban public transport. It comprises historic vehicles that illustrate the history of public passenger transport in Vienna, along with their accessories and other items such as photographic and textual documents and plans. Our aim is to document as comprehensively as possible the original historic trams and buses that were in service in Vienna. The museum is one of the most extensive collections of its kind in the world.

The collection focuses on the period from around 1900 to the present day. However, we also display vehicles that bear witness to the early days of public transport in Vienna in the 19th century, such as the ’Wiener Stellwagen’, a horse-drawn carriage, and the horse-drawn tramway.

Some of the items belong to Wiener Linien, whilst the majority come from private collections and have been loaned to the museum on a permanent basis.