Leerdam Railway Station, Netherlands.

The Leerdam Railway Station in Netherlands is located on the Elst – Dordrecht Railway line between Dordrecht and Geldermalsen. The railway station was opened on 1^st December 1883. A new station building was opened in 1987, next to the former building. The former building was maintained, and is currently being turned into a restaurant. An 2 hourly local train services between Dordrecht - Gorinchem – Geldermalsen call at Leerdam.

Trains in Antofagasta, Chile.

 

I received this postcard from a friend in Chile. On the reverse it say "Trenes en Chile" Antofagasta. No more information is available at present about this postcard. Any one is welcome to contribute.

Vienna Tramway Network (M Type Trams), Vienna, Austria

 

The Vienna tramway network is a vital part of the public transport system in Vienna. In operation since 1865, the network reached its greatest extent during the interwar period (1918–1939). Today, it is still one of world's largest tram networks, at about 172.1 km (107 mi) in total length. The trams on the network run on standard gauge track. Since 1897, they have been powered by electricity. In 2009, a total of 186.9 million passengers used the network's trams.

Here a M-tramcar with m-trailer which operated in 1973 is seen on the streets of Vienna. These trams are preserved at the Tram Car Museum “Electrische Museumtramlijn” in Amsterdam.

 

Rotterdam 'De Hef' Rail Road Bridge, Netherlands.

‘De Hef’ (‘hef’ means lever) is a steel railroad bridge that connects the Noordereiland (Northern Island) in the Maas river with the Southern part of Rotterdam.. The bridge was built in 1877 as a swing bridge to connect railroad traffic in the North of the Netherlands with the South of the Netherlands. ‘De Hef’ was part of a very long railroad bridge of a few kilometres length that went straight through the city of Rotterdam. In 1918 a German steamship ran into the swing bridge and the swing bridge was destroyed. It was decided that a lift bridge should replace the swing bridge and in 1927 the current lift bridge was completed. It was the first one if its kind in Western Europe. De Hef uses two towers of 60 meters with counterweights of concrete to lift the span parallel with the deck.  This allows big ships to pass under the bridge.

In 1993 a 2800 meter railroad tunnel was opened to replace De Hef and other railroad bridges. Today De Hef is not used anymore, although you can still see the railroad tracks at the bridge. The bridge is always open today and is an official monument.

Red Tram, Lisbon, Portugal.

In three previous posts in November 2012 (2) and July 2012 (1) I have written about the famous Red Trams of Lisbon.

Take an old-style tram and rattle around some of the most interesting parts of Lisbon on the famous Tram Network of Lisbon on a Red Tram. See major landmarks such as the imposing Castle of São Jorge, once a Moorish royal residence, and Santa Maria Maior de Lisboa, Lisbon’s cathedral.  Marvel at the many faces of this richly diverse city. Contrast the old-fashioned village atmosphere of medieval Alfama with the sophistication of upmarket Chiada. Compare the tangled maze of streets and buildings of Mouraria with the grandeur and opulence of Laba.  There are not many places in Europe where you can still ride a tramcar. Going by tram is not only a wonderful way to see Lisbon, it is also a lot of fun!

LRT Kula Lumpur, Malaysia.

Light Rail Transit is a light rail transit system in central Kula Lumpur serving a large part of the Klang Valley Conurbation in Malaysia. The rail network consists of the Ampang Line and Kelana Jaya Line, which were opened in 1995 and 1998 respectively. Along with the KTM Komuter and KL Monorail networks, this system constitutes the core of public transport in Kula Lumpur.