Trams in Versailles

The Tramway de Versailles or Tramway Versaillais was a standard gauge tramway system serving the French city of Versailles.
The first lines opened in 1896 and served:

Square Duplessis – Grandchamps
la Rive Droite station|Rive Droite] – Sénat
la Rive Gauche station|Rive Gauche] – Chambre Députés.

The first modernisation was the opening of a steam tram between Versailles and Saint-Cyr-l'École on 20 November 1889. The second happened in October 1895 when the SVTE took over the network, electrified it and purchased 29 electric tramways from the Postel-Vinay works.
The network went from three to six lines and served:

Line A: Glatigny – Granchamp
Line B: Clagny – Orangerie
Line C: Le Chesnay – Chantiers station|Chantiers]
Line D: Square Jean Houdon – Montreuil
Line E: Rive Droite – Trianon
Line F: Rive Gauche – St Cyr

In 1907, line C was extended to Porchefontaine and line D to République.
During the 1950s the network was formed only of lines A, B, C and E. It was seriously amputated at the dawn of World War II and closed on 3 March 1957 during a glorious celebration with 200 000 inhabitants, the mayor of Versailles, Maurice Chevalier and the baptism of the replacing buses.

Rolling stock

Horse-drawn trams.
29 electric Postel-Vinay tramcars, transformed in 1922 and renumbered 1 to 9. They were open-ended and painted in yellow and white. the tramcars were staffed by two men, a wattman, who drove the trams, and a ticket inspector, who was in charge of collecting fares, the trolley pole and point levers. The tramcars were modernised after World War I and their open ends closed as well as the replacing of the two motors by one more powerful.
2 Carde double-decker tramcars.
4 large capacity tramcars, numbered 53 to 56 and capable of transporting 55 seated passengers.
1 modern Satramo tramcars.
11 transformed Postel-Vinay tramcars in 1933, numbered 10 to 20.

The tramcars received their definite livery in the 1940s and were painted in blue and light grey.

Tramcars in preservation

Tramcar n°1 is preserved at the AMTUIR in Saint-Mandé. It was the first tram "rescued" by the museum on 16 March 1957. It was acquired by the museum from EDF thanks to contributions by amateurs.

Tramcar n°1 data
Length	8.12m
Width	2.00m
Height	3.61m
Gross weight	10.2t
Capacity	20/19
Engine	GE 800 25 hp
Current	by trolley
Truck	Postel-Vinay
Gauge