Spårakoff

Spårakoff, at corner Kaivokatu/Mikonkatu
Spårakoff Tram Pub, waiting at Mikonkatu tram stop in Rautatientori square.
Inside the Spårakoff pub tram.
Inside the Spårakoff pub tram.

Spårakoff is a HM V type tram converted into a bar in Helsinki, Finland. It is one of the four HM V trams that remain operational. Two are museum trams, and one is used as a non-passenger carrying advertisement tram.[1]

Known as the pub tram, the vehicle does circular tours of Helsinki picking up passengers for a fee during summer months. It is operated jointly by Sinebrychoff, HOK-Elanto (part of the S Group) and Helsinki City Transport.[2]

The pub tram is immediately distinguishable in the Helsinki traffic by its vivid red colour (as opposed to the normal colours, green and cream, used on the Helsinki tram network of the Helsinki City Transport), and by the destination board that reads PUB.

History

The Spårakoff was remodelled from an old HM V tram in 1995, to commemorate the 175th anniversary of Sinebrychoff. HM V number 15 was selected as the tram to be converted, and it was renumbered no. 175 in honour of the anniversary. The Spårakoff started its operation on Mayday’s eve, 1995.

The Spårakoff has an area of 20 m². It has seats for 24 customers, a counter and a lavatory. The lavatory is so small it had to be ordered from a company that builds cabins for cruise ships. The remodelling was done Helsinki City Transport. Originally the Spårakoff was only supposed to be in operation for two years, but it turned out to be so popular that it continues its operations today. When it started, it was the only one of its kind in the world,[3] and this may still be the case today.

Operation

In 2015, the Spårakoff operates from 4 May to 5 September. A tour ("pub crawl") takes approximately 40 minutes, travelling from the Railway station to Kallio, Töölö and Kauppatori while its passengers enjoy their drinks. The route has the following stops: Rautatientori, Linnanmäki, Oopperatalo, Aleksanterinkatu and Kauppatori.[4]

Name

The name "Spårakoff" is formed from spåra ("tram", in Helsinki slang,[5] from the Swedish word spårvagn "tram")1 and the beer brand Koff, produced by the Sinebrychoff Brewery — the oldest brewery in Scandinavia and one of the largest in Finland.[6]

Technical information

The tram has two bogies and was originally constructed in 1959. The conversion for pub use (including addition of a toilet) was in 1995.[7]

The tram is staffed by one driver and one waiter/waitress serving customers.

Notes

^1 Although the letter å is part of the Finnish alphabet, native Finnish does not use it, and in commonly used Helsinki slang, the word for "tram" is spelled spora. However, the official spelling of Spårakoff's name retains the å from the original Swedish word spårvagn.

References

  1. ↑ "HKL: Motor trams 1 – 15 (1959)" (in Finnish and English). Finnish Tramway Society. Retrieved 2015-05-10.
  2. ↑ Kimmo Lundén (2014-11-24). "Miten niin pilkku-Suomi? "SpåraKoff säilyy!"" (in Finnish). Talouselämä. Retrieved 2015-05-10.
  3. ↑ Kaisu Moilanen (2015-05-07). "Spårakoffista tuli heti nähtävyys" [Spårakoff became instantly a sight to see]. Helsingin Sanomat (in Finnish). Helsinki: Sanoma. Retrieved 2015-05-10.
  4. ↑ Tom Heino. "Ravintolaraitiovaunu Spårakoff - HKL 175". Suomen Raitiotieseura ry.
  5. ↑ Heikki and Marjatta Paunonen (2000). Tsennaaks Stadii, bonjaaks slangii. Stadin slangin suursanakirja. Helsinki: WSOY. p. 1078. ISBN 951-0-23239-4.
  6. ↑ Ari Lindholm (2007-07-26). "Suomalaisten suurpanimojen historia" [History of the large breweries in Finland]. lindholm-fi.net (in Finnish). Retrieved 2015-05-10.
  7. ↑ "SpåraKoff" (in Finnish). Virgin Oil Co. Retrieved 2015-05-10.

External links

See also

Coordinates: 60°10′16″N 24°56′42″E / 60.1710187°N 24.9450463°E / 60.1710187; 24.9450463

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