For the next month the location for “Around the World in Trams” will be Amsterdam in the Netherlands as we head back to 1980 for a selection of images of trams in service in the city.
The first trams ran in Amsterdam in 1875 when the first horse tramway started operation and eventually there were some 15 lines which operated around the city. From 1900 until 1916 the majority of these lines were converted to both electric operation as well as from 4ft 8in gauge to 4ft 8½ gauge. The system was also expanded from this time and reached its maximum size in 1931 when it consisted of 25 lines. It did suffer in the postwar period with a number of lines closing in the 1950s but fortunately soon after additional lines joined the network once again. Beyond the time period of this set of photos there was also to be a further rejuvenation of the trams including several more extensions and the introduction of new trams.
But its 1980 that we’re interested in for these photos and we start off with view of 700 leaving Havenstaat with a service on line 10 to Molukkenstraat. This tram was built in 1967 and was a Werkspoor 7G which has since been withdrawn and was scrapped in March 2004.
Photograph by Keith Chadbourne, 1980