For sale: old Amsterdam tram, couple of not so careful owners

The tram in question. Photo:
The tram in question. Photo: Museumtramlijn.org

Offers have been accumulating on auction site Marktplaats for an authentic, graffiti-covered Amsterdam tram, but the owner, the Electric Tram Line Museum is particular as to who it will sell it to.

The museum is getting rid of the tram because it is moving to smaller premises and can no longer give it a home.

The tram was built in 1957 and was in service across the city until 2004 when it was sold to Poland. It eventually made it way back to familiar tracks in 2011, museum spokesman Mark Vermeulen told broadcaster NH Nieuws.

Offers are around the €5,000 mark at the moment and most seem to come from scrap merchants. Vermeulen has other ideas, however. ‘We would prefer to sell to someone who will reuse the tram, for instance as a tiny house or for meetings,’ he told the broadcaster.

The tram comes complete with all the fittings but no longer functions, although a handy buyer could soon change that, he said.

The tram will go for ‘any reasonable offer’ the ad says. ‘As far as I’m concerned the person with the wackiest idea can have it for €2,000,’ Vermeulen said. In the unlikely case the tram will go for scrap, buyers will have to fork out at least €5,000.

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