Kolkata tram museum reopens with rich history and cultural festival highlights climate awareness.
Times of India | 29 March 2025
1234 Kolkata: After a two-week closure due to renovation, the Kolkata Tram Museum, "Smaranika," housed within a vintage tram built in 1938, which remains functional to this day, will be reopened shortly, said a senior official of WBTC. Modified at the Nonapukur Workshop, the tram features a vestibule allowing visitors to move seamlessly between its two cars. One car has been transformed into a cosy cafeteria, while the other serves as a mini-museum, displaying fascinating memorabilia that traces the history of Kolkata's iconic tram system from its early days to the present. The experience of exploring an archive on trams within an actual tram adds to its unique charm.
Inaugurated in 2014, the museum's collection includes rare photographs and historical accounts of the earliest trams, such as horse-drawn tram cars, disinfectant trams, flat wagon trams, omnibuses, and watering tram cars. Visitors can also view an assortment of vintage tram-related artefacts, including old tickets, tram passes, pens used by conductors, coins, armlets, a coin exchanger machine, conductor caps, and various tram components like pull-off springs and governor switches. The museum also showcases newspaper cuttings and pamphlets from festivals around the world that celebrate tram journeys, along with posters highlighting the role of Kolkata's trams in literature. Together, these exhibits offer a fascinating glimpse into the more than 150-year-old history of Kolkata's beloved tram network. To complete the experience, visitors can relax in the cafeteria, enjoy a hot cup of coffee, and watch a documentary on Kolkata's trams, making for a truly immersive trip down memory lane.
Stay updated with the latest city news, Air Quality Index (AQI), and weather updates for major cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Noida, and Bangalore on Times of India.