European Railroad Discussion > Tram bits, Lviv Ukraine

I spent a day in Lviv, Ukraine in October, 2016.  

I looked for photos on my backup computer, which has all the photos from the trip.  But I didn't seem to have taken any standard tram photos. I seem to have been "photo-lite/immersion heavy" that day. 

I was a little disappointed, I was at a tram stop just beyond an interline loop.  Three trams came along, and all three turned at the loop.  Someone with either English skills or Pantomime skills informed me that the line was out of service beyond the loop...  A bit of a disappointment.  Maybe that is why I didn't reward the Lviv Tram Authority with a series of classy photos to bring home with me.  Or, maybe because it was raining... 

Here is what I have: 

1) Inside a tram
2) Tram system map
3) Tram tracks 

 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/08/21 13:01 by gobbl3gook.

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4) Tram tracks were in rough shape

5) Detail of photo 4.  If you look at the left side turnout rail, you can see that there is a downhill slope toward the camera.  The turnout track has settle about 2" relative to the main track.  And to enable the transition, they ground off the rail head on part of the turnout track, and widened the rail web with some weld bead.  Definitely an impressive "can-do" fix.  But not a happy commentary on the maintenance budget.  

6) This is where I waited in vain for a tram.  Many things in Lviv and elsewhere in Ukraine are locked up pretty tight.  

I'm sure there are happier commentaries on the Lviv tram system available on with a google search, but this documents my experience on a overcast, intermitently drizzly weekday.  

Actually, looking at the map in photo 2, I think I probably looked at the tram lines on my Pocket Earth GPS map, and chose to ride the long line to the SE that would go part the park with the Childrens Railway.  And, my tram probably turned at "Academy of Arts"  And I waited at the southbound stop waiting for another one.  
https://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?17,5308419

But, looking at the map, the light blue line is the *only* line that is out of service.  

After learning it was out of service I imagined that the whole system was crumbling, with many lines out of service.  Happily, six years later, I see that I happened to try to ride the only line that was out of service.  

And I had a nice tromp through the park regardless, and enjoyed the Childrens Railway equipment.  

Location -- Photo 6 was here
https://openrailwaymap.org/?style=standard&lat=49.82485769675231&lon=-335.962809920311&zoom=17
https://opentopomap.org/#map=17/49.82468/24.03678
https://www.google.com/maps/@49.8248167,24.0364298,1042m/data=!3m1!1e3
https://goo.gl/maps/ZqNJwa9HieUEuVYP6

Oct 2016
Questions, comments, observations?  

Ted in OR



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 11/08/21 13:07 by gobbl3gook.

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Street scenes, Lviv.  

Busy city.  Crowded.  Not wealthy. 

7 I would not like to rely on minivans for my daily travel needs -- packed like sardines on poorly maintained cobblestone streets... 

8) Art Noveau architecture -- much of Eastern Europe was fortunate enough to have a building boom 1890 - 1910 during the Art Noveau era, then not have another building boom when these buildings reached maturity in the 1960s, 70s, 80s.  In the US lots of buildings from this era were demolished to make way for modernist stuff.  Here they were just tacked together enough to prevent crumbling, and inhabited.  Like that streetcar track... 

9) Opera House.  I was in Lviv from about noon to midnight.  I checked in to a hostel for a quick nap, and to stash my luggage and bicycle.  Then walked all afternoon and half of the evening.  I managed to see a lot of the city, including a few tourist highlights.  Though most tourists probably make a point of seeing the Opera House during daylight hours!  



 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/08/21 12:54 by gobbl3gook.

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The shot of The Opera House at night is spectacular! Good no great use of your pixels!

Bruce
Columbia MO