The city of Tallinn has a tram network as the only city in the country of Estonia. Due to its Soviet heritage it has a gauge of 1067 mm,
something not common in Europe, but rather in ex-Soviet far east. The network is operated by Tallinna Linnatranspordi AS, the Tallinn
city transport. The trams used to be all from the Soviet times, either of the type Tatra KT4 or Tatra KTNF6. This here is a Tatra KT 4,
which is a classic "communist country tram" built in Praha, Czechoslovakia. The model KTNF6 is the same tram, but with a later added
add-on low floor piece in the middle of the tram. After Estonia regained its independence, most Tallinn trams were painted like this
one in the new blue and white colours, instead of the standard communist country cream and red or white and red. Picture of a KT4 tram
no. 136 close to the Balti jaam station 21.8.2013 by Ilkka Siissalo.
After independence the first priority for Tallinn was to get their bus, trolley bus and tram networks in a better working condition.
Used buses were bought throughout Europe and same happened with the trams. This KT4D has been bought used from Eastern Germany after
the German reunification. It is a similar KT4D Tatra as the one above, but it has already in Germany received some minor rehauls and
has here doors taken from a 1960s western Düwag tram. It is still in its Eastern German colours. Picture of a KT4 tram
no. 145 close to the Balti jaam station 21.8.2013 by Ilkka Siissalo.
Finally in 2016 the city of Tallinn was able to get new trams according to western standards. The new ones were built by the Spanish
company CAF and quite surprisingly the colours of the trams were changed back to the communist era red and white. This is one of the
new CAF trams en route on the Pärnu maantee road. Picture 19.4.2016 by Ilkka Siissalo.
