En:Heritage streetcar
Heritage streetcars (also known as heritage trams or nostalgic trams) are a part of the efforts to preserve rail transit heritage. In addition to preserving street-running rail vehicles, heritage streetcar operations can include upkeep of historic rail infrastructure. Working heritage streetcars are closely related to the growing global heritage railway movement and form a part of the living history of rail transport.
The vehicles are called streetcars or trolleys in North America and trams or tramcars elsewhere. The first two terms are often used interchangeably in the United States, with trolley being preferred in the eastern US and streetcar in Canada and the western US. In parts of the United States, internally powered buses made to resemble a streetcar are often referred to as "trolleys". To avoid further confusion with trolley buses, the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) refers to them as "trolley-replica buses".
Museums, heritage tram line operators, and amateur enthusiasts can preserve original vintage vehicles or create replicas of historic vehicles to re-create or preserve streetcar technology of the past. Heritage vehicles that are kept fully functional can be used on heritage tramlines or for charter traffic.
The Remise Museum (Depot Museum, or Carbarn Museum) in Vienna, opened in 2014, covers the history of public transport in the city of Vienna and offers an extensive tram collection to visitors.
The Styrian municipality centre Graz has a tram museum since 1971 located in the depot of Mariatrost. Another heritage tramway operates in Styria between the railway station of Mariazell and the nearby Erlaufsee, mainly using ex-Vienna streetcars. This line was recently electrified on longer sections and also extended towards the city center.
In Innsbruck, a collection of the city's historic trams is preserved and renovated – together with other Tyrolean railway vehicles – by the association Tiroler MuseumsBahnen, which has its museum in the old station of the Stubaitalbahn.
In Belgium, there are three tram museums, one in Brussels – organizing several weekend rides to Tervueren and around the city – and other in Antwerp. The 70-킬로미터 long (43 mi) Kusttram (the coastal line between Knokke and De Panne via Ostend) features also some vehicles of the once-extensive interurban network, housed in the depots at De Panne and Knokke.
ASVi run a museum in Thuin and an 8 km (5 mi) line with electric and diesel cars on a part of the once SNCV line 92 and on a part on the once SNCB line 109 after regauging to 1,000 mm (3 ft 3 3⁄8 in) 미터 궤간.
In Sofia, heritage trams are operated. Occaisionally, stage plays are performed, including stand-up comedy and stage plays for children. Additionally, late 2024 a tourist information point was opened in former tramcar 83.
In Prague, the Prague Integrated Transport operates Historical Tram Line No. 41 at weekends using historical Ringhoffer tram vehicles and a week-long operating Nostalgic Tram Line No. 23 using older PCC-based ČKD Tatra T3 and uniquely a T6A5.
Historical trams are also seasonally operated on the Brno tram system.
In Ringsted, the museum opened on land which belongs to Skjoldenæsholm Castle on 26 May 1978. the Danish Tramway Museum, is an open-air museum dedicated to vintage trams.
In Tallinn, renovated heritage trams have been in public use since 2017.
In Helsinki, Oy Stadin Ratikat Ab offers charter (private-hire) tram rides with vintage cars and in summer months operates an in-street heritage tram line on the Helsinki tram network.
