Unidirectional trams are common across Eastern Europe and the former USSR, with reversing loops provided so trams can turn around for their reverse journeys. But the Ukrainian capital of Kiev once turned trams a different way – on a turntable.
Kiev Museum of Electric Transportation photo
The tram route along Набережне шосе opened in 1951, with the Dnieper River on one side and the hills of Kiev to the other.
Central State Film and Photo Archive of Ukraine photo
On this route “Dnipro” metro station was the destination of many trams during morning and evening rush hours, connecting the housing estate on the eastern bank with their nearest metro station.
A conventional reversing loop takes up a lot of space.
So a turntable was provided instead. Overhead wires allowed trams to drive onto the turntable.
Kiev Museum of Electric Transportation photo
A sign reminded the driver to apply the brakes before entering the turntable, and what appears to be signal lights tell them when to stop.
Kiev Museum of Electric Transportation photo
Inaugurated on 2 April 1965, the need for the turntable disappeared a few months after opening, when the Kiev Metro was extended across the Dnieper River to “Hidropark”, “Livoberezhna” and “Darnytsia” stations.
The tram turntable was removed at an unknown date, but the tram line along the river remained until 2011.
When it was ripped up to make room for highway expansion.
Sources
No mention of Australia, so I assume we’ve never had any.
I didn’t check at the time, but Elwood Depot on the former St. Kilda to Brighton tramway had a turntable. The same article also mentions tram turntables in Sydney and Newcastle.
https://www.sydneytramwaymuseum.com.au/members.old/Trolley_Wire/127%20-%20Trolley%20Wire%20-%20Apr%201970.pdf
Adelaide’s horse tramway network also used turntables.
https://tdu.to/m/255488/re-first-glenelg-teams-was-re-tramway-turntables
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Don’t forget that San Francisco’s cable car system still has four turntables (three at terminals, one in the carhouse), all still in use today.
How could I miss that one! There are some nice photos of the Powell Street turntable here:
https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Powell-St-turntable-San-Francisco-s-most-13108866.php