In the town of Jihlava in the Czech Republic, you can see a full-size tram perched on the roof of a domestic garage. This extremely unusual sight appeared on Lidická Street in the town in 2018, having previously operated on the streets of Olomouc.
A tram on a garage roof
Amidst the detached houses of the Jihlava 1 district stands a 1980s T3 SUCS tramcar, mounted on steel beams several metres above the ground. It is a real tram, although internet users often mistake the photos of the house for a hoax. These unusual images quickly gained popularity and became something of a phenomenon. The biggest surprise is the bizarre juxtaposition of ordinary houses with a huge tramcar suspended above a garage. The vehicle still contains its original fittings, and what’s more, some of the systems still work, including the lights and audible signals.
A return exactly 70 years later
The story of the tram on the roof of the house began in 2018. The tram had previously operated in Olomouc as tram number 166, belonging to the city’s transport operator. After this particular tram was taken out of service, an association dedicated to preserving historic public transport vehicles decided to buy it. The idea also coincided with the 70th anniversary of the phasing out of trams in Jihlava. The last trams ran there until December 1948, after which they were replaced by trolleybuses.
Purchase of a tram for Jihlava
The tram was to be transported to Jihlava and preserved as a collector’s item, but a serious problem soon arose. The organisation “Za záchranu historických trolejbusů a autobusů” (lit. “For the Preservation of Historic Trolleybuses and Buses”) did not have a suitable hall or warehouse. Placing the tram on the ground would have caused rapid corrosion of the undercarriage, and furthermore, the vehicle would not have had the display it deserved. It was then that an unusual proposal was made to place it on the roof of a garage at the home of one of the association’s members. The idea initially sounded like some sort of absurd joke, but when it was put to a structural engineer, he confirmed its feasibility and designed a system of steel beams capable of supporting the tram’s weight.
A tram on the roof – a difficult operation involving a crane
In July 2018, the carriage arrived in Jihlava. The tram, weighing several tonnes, was lifted by a crane and placed on a structure prepared in advance above a garage in the Lidická kolonie district. The metal frame was designed so that the weight of the vehicle would not bear directly on the roof, but would be transferred to the walls of the building. The whole operation attracted the attention of residents and the media, and photos of the installation quickly went viral online. The local press joked at the time that the tram had returned to the city after 70 years, albeit on the roof of a garage.
The iconic T3-era tram
The T3 SUCS model belongs to the famous Tatra T3 family of trams manufactured by ČKD Praha. Carriages from this series served hundreds of towns and cities across Central and Eastern Europe for many years and are now highly recognisable icons of post-war public transport.
Source: jihlavske-listy.cz, olomoucky.denik.cz
Read also: Interesting facts | Czech Republic | Public transport | Detached house
