The Solingen trolleybus

In 2022 we will celebrate two events in our hometown Solingen: 70 years of trolleybuses and 125 years of electric city transport. Solingen has one of three remaining trolleybus systems in Germany. With a lot of love the oldtimers are also kept in good condition Most recently, one was found in Argentina and brought home for restoration. You can find out what triangle has to do with it in our blog post!

Anyone visiting the city of Solingen for the first time will be amazed at the trolleybuses. The city of Wuppertal has its suspension railway, Solingen, on the other hand, has the trolleybusses.

The Second World War left enormous devastation at the time. That is why Solingen’s city administration decided to discontinue the tram and paved the way for the Solingen trolleybus in 1952. Today it is the largest trolleybus system in Germany with its 137 stops and a length of 56.6 km. 27 trolleybuses have been operated electrically from 2018.

But what does triangle have to do with all of this? As a Solingen-based third generation family owned business, we are very proud of our hometown and its trolleybusses. We also support the idea of electric drives for Solingen as a clean city with the associated reduction in fine dust. Moreover, we are big fans of public transport in general, as we take the bus or bike to work whenever possible.

We would also like to mention the Obus-Museum Solingen association, which has existed since 1999. The 130 members preserve and restore the old trolleybusses. And that’s where triangle comes into play: we sponsor the restoration of a vintage car in the trolleybus museum through perimeter advertising and the upholstery of five seats – in red, of course! After the TS1 with the number 10 was retired in Argentina, it has been back in Solingen since November 2019 and is now being refurbished. It will no longer drive because many spare parts are missing, but it will definitely be enough to be amazed! We’re excited to be part of this project and can’t wait to see the gem finished!

Photos: Obus-Museum eV, bob-solingen.de, Solinger Tageblatt, Dustin Adams

But that’s not all: Our employee Dustin Adams is a member of the Obus-Museum Solingen association. Most recently, he was dressed up as Santa Claus and many children got excited about the so-called Santa Claus rides, which were completely sold out. A total of 14 trips were made on the 3rd weekend in Advent in the trolleybus 151 from 1982. He was almost recognized by his own son, but only almost! We think his voluntary work is great. Keep it up!

Furthermore, there are also two anniversaries in 2022: 70 years of trolleybuses and 125 years of electric city transport in Solingen. In addition, a “Bergisches Forum” for electric mobility is planned on the Rasspe site. We are excited!