Recently, several spectacles and tram parades have been organized in European towns and in towns worldwide, on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of the local tramway network. This was also the case in Belgium. In 2019 there was a huge tramway parade in Brussels, and on 28th May 2023, a similar event took place in Antwerp. All operational historic vehicles of the De Lijn / VlaTAM(Vlaams Tram en Autobusmuseum) museum collection took part in a parade(including one “horse omnibus” and one horse tramway – see https://www.150jaartram.be/en/antwerp/trams). After this, the general public was able to inspect the vehicles or to take a ride on the trams which made a circular tour in the Antwerp town centre. The event was an enormous success. The date of the next appointment for tramway fans is already known: 19th May 2024; location: Ghent (Gent) – the occasion: 150 years of trams in Ghent!
Joseph Van Olmen
