The trams number 202 and 203 shown in the video are both ČKD Tatra KT8D5 types built in 1990. In the year of their production they were already in service in Košice, Slovakia, with numbers 532 and 524, where they were in service until August 1992. They were no longer needed in Košice due to the decline of tram service, but they were very much needed in Miskolc. So they were brought to Miskolc at the age of only 2 years, together with several others, to replace the old FVV CSM-2 type and some of the CSM-4 type. In Miskolc, the KT8D5s ran until 2015, when they were completely replaced by the Škoda 26T trams.
A total of 18 Tatra trams were in operation in Miskolc, 15 of which were bought by Prague after being taken out of service in Miskolc, refurbished and are currently in operation in the city. In Miskolc there are therefore 3 left. The 202 is the Christmas tram, the 203 is a backup vehicle, while the 209 is a heritage tram since 2022, repainted in its original red and white colour with leather seats.
Officially, all 3 Tatras are public service vehicles (unlike the SGP and FVVs) so officially all three trams could be is service any day. Of course, there is no need for this, because with the timetable that has been constantly thinned out in recent years, there is already a surplus of Škoda trams. The last time a Tatra was needed was when lightning struck the tramway depot on 1 September 2020, leaving 11 Škoda trams unusable.
However, to keep their type certificate, tram drivers must drive a certain number of hours on the type every year. This is why every year in November, the KT8D5 No 203 runs for a month. It was no different in 2023, and it was nice to spend a month of nostalgia with it again.
In December, it was replaced by its 202 counterpart in the form of the Christmas tram. I won't go into more detail about it now, as there is a dedicated video about it, which you can watch here: • Miskolc adventi villam...
Content:
0:00 203 - Outside filming - Daytime
4:38 203 - Interior filming - Daytime
5:44 203 - Outside filming - Daytime
11:54 203 - Outside filming - At dusk
16:21 203 - Outside filming - Evening
20:40 203 - Interior filming - Evening
21:36 202 - Outside filming - Daytime
30:57 202 - Interior filming
35:21 202 - Outside filming - Evening