Bergische Museumsbahnen e.V.

Description

In Wuppertal-Kohlfurth, the Bergische Straßenbahnmuseum (BSM) preserves the memory of tram operations in the Bergisches Land. It is run by the volunteer association Bergische Museumsbahnen e. V.; the museum operates the smallest tramway service in Germany licensed under BOStrab.

The museum’s founding was a response to the progressive closures of regional tram lines. The tram network in and around Wuppertal once exceeded 300 km and was therefore among the larger networks in Germany; regular tram services in Wuppertal ended in 1987. The association was founded in 1969 and in 1973 acquired a 3.2 km metre-gauge section between Wuppertal-Kohlfurth and Wuppertal-Cronenberg, which until 1969 had been part of interurban line 5 (Wuppertal–Solingen).

In the following decades the route was largely restored: new rail sections, kilometres of copper overhead wire and a dedicated power supply were installed. The rectifier station “Am Schütt” began operation in 1989, making electric services possible again. A depot with storage tracks was established at the Kohlfurth site; from the 1970s onwards a workshop, storage and exhibition hall was constructed by volunteers, with the shell completed in 1989. In 1991 the competent authority granted the concession for operations up to the Friedrichshammer stop; the museum opened in 1992. The line was extended in stages: in 1993 to Kaltenbach and since 1997 to the terminus Greuel. Infrastructure and vehicle works continued; a vehicle hall was completed in 2006 and a workshop annex in 2008. Several vehicle transfers, restoration phases and incidents — such as repeated overhead-wire thefts (2015/2016) and a transformer failure in 2017 — have marked recent history. After severe flood damage in July 2021, the yard, hall and vehicles were significantly affected; following comprehensive inspections and repairs, operations resumed in April 2025.

The metre-gauge line begins just east of the Kohlfurther Bridge at the museum depot and, after turning south, follows a 180-degree curve northwards along the Kaltenbach valley. There are six stops on the operable section; the current terminus is Greuel. Recommissioning the connection to Möschenborn is planned and still requires formal planning approval; a double-track terminus already exists there. The route gains roughly 150 metres in elevation, which corresponds to an average gradient of about 5%; the alignment is predominantly wooded and typical of former interurban lines.

The fleet comprises a total of 29 motor cars and trailers, as well as several goods and work trolleys. In passenger service in 2017 five vehicles were regularly used; several other motor and trailer cars are undergoing restoration. For maintenance work three service vehicles and three trolleys are available; other vehicles are partly operational and partly unrestored, stored out of service without authorization.

Public services run in the season from April to October on announced operating days; operations are carried out exclusively by volunteer members of the association. Around 20 active volunteers take care of year-round maintenance, track construction, overhead-line and vegetation management, as well as vehicle restorations. Approximately 30,000 visitors use the museum’s offerings each year, making it one of the most frequently visited museums in Wuppertal.