Bologna Transport Museum (Italy)


return to trolleybus museums

The Bologna Transport Museum is a bit like that of La Spezia. It is a collection of vehicles, but this time kept in good condition and undercover near the railway station. However, the Museum is not generally open to the public - only to pre-arranged groups, but then a guide is on hand to take you round and answer questions.

The collection was initiated in the late 70's in preparation for the Centenary of Public Transport in Bologna in 1980. There are some 29 exhibits, from railways and trams to buses and trolleybuses, and not all from Bologna. It even includes a steam tram! There are also many photographs and small artefacts scattered around. Of trolleybus interest are an immaculate Fiat 2405F articulated trolleybus from the Bologna fleet and one donated from Vevey-Montreux in Switzerland, complete with trailer! This has since my visit, I understand, returned to Switzerland under the auspices of RetroBus.

Unfortunately, none of the exhibits ever seem to see the light of day, despite them being in such good condition. The operation at the museum seems to be kept very low-key.

P3220073a.JPG (81834 bytes) Ex-Bologna 1335, a Fiat 2405F-Macchi-CGE articulated trolleybus. This dates from 1964 and was withdrawn in 1981.
P3220076a.JPG (98207 bytes) P3220079a.JPG (34627 bytes) The driver's station of 1335, and the cast logo and fleet number on the side.
P3220074a.JPG (111787 bytes) The interior of 1335.
P3220064a.JPG (83130 bytes) Vevey-Montreux 17, a Berna built in 1957 and withdrawn in 1995 when replaced by the current articulated fleet.
P3220062a.JPG (100102 bytes) P3220087a.JPG (32276 bytes) The interior of 17 and the cast logo and fleet number on the side.
P3220066a.JPG (69690 bytes) The trailer for 17, number 53, built in 1966. Unfortunately there wasn't room in the exhibition area to exhibit the two coupled together.
P3220068a.JPG (110206 bytes) The steam tram and some of the other exhibits.