Pražská strojírna, which is a subsidiary company of the Prague public transit company, obtained the first contract in New Zealand. The Czech company will supply two atypical tram rail switches to the Museum of Transport and Technology (MOTAT) in Auckland. Switches will be delivered in May this year.

The subject of the contract is dual gauge rail turnouts with switches, which allow operating trams with a standard wheel gauge of 1435 mm and also trams with a wheel gauge of 1219 mm. Instead of a single-pin tongue design, the switches will have three-pin tongues for increased safety.

General Manager Robert Masarovič of Pražská strojírna said that after considering the specific conditions in the Museum, where the rail track is being used by various historical trams, we proposed designing switches containing three pin tongues to ensure that the operation of various trams from different time eras is safe. A big role in securing the contract was played by great references from Public Transport Victoria, which is one of the biggest clients of Pražská strojírna.

The Museum of Transport and Technology in Auckland has a tradition from the 60s of the 20th century. Today the collection has grown and has over 300,000 articles. The museum also stores and operates a fleet of trams which used to be operated in New Zealand and Australia. The museum also has some rarities such as a double-decker tram or a steam-powered tram. Each part of the museum is connected by a 2 km long rail track which is being used for transporting visitors. Pražská strojírna is connected with the tradition of the British businessman Joseph Ruston and his factory. The Czech company manufactured since the second half of the 19th century in Prague mainly steam machines and steam boilers. In 2007, the company went through reorganization and started focusing on foreign markets. The company supplied switches, for instance, to Sweden, Germany, Belgium, Algeria, Australia, and Estonia.

Source: https://zdopravy.cz/
CzechTrade Australia