SRS car 47 new in 1973 to Heidelberg at Rahnsdorf Strasse.The Greater Berlin area has three feeder tramways to its S-Bahn network - service 87 (Woltersdorf), service 89 (Strausberg) and the "Schöneicher-Rüdersdorfer Strassenbahn" (SRS)- service 88. All are independent, but integrated into the Berlin network and ticketing structure. The SRS started in 1910 and runs from Rüdersdorf through Schöneiche to Berlin Friedrichshagen S-bahn system - with nearby interchange with the Berlin tram network.
Car 78 is a 1957 Gotha car used on the line into the 1990sDuring the Communist era, the tramway struggled financially and relied on cascaded stock from other systems. In 2001 70% of the shares were privatised - with international firm Veolia holding the majority take and the two local authorities 15% each.
On weekdays a 20 minute service is operated using four trams with the first car leaving depot as early as 03:34 and the last back in at 00:32. At weekends 3 cars provide a 30 minute frequency.
The mainstay of the fleet is a batch of ex Heidelberg Duewag articulated cars acquired between 2001 and 2008. In total 12 have been purchased, though not all are in use. The fleet is:
41 of 1966 acquired 1999 ex HB 225, named "Grätzwalde" - stored.
42 of 1966 acquired 2000 ex HB 219, named "Kalkberge" - in service (above)
43 of 1966 acquired 2003 ex HB 218, named "Rüdersdorf" - in service (above)44 of 1966 acquired 2003 ex HB 226, named "Schöneiche" - in service.
45 of 1966 acquired 2003 ex HB 229, - stored (one half).
46 of 1966 acquired 2004 ex HB 220, named "Friedrichshagen" - in service
47 of 1973 acquired 2006 ex HB 237, named "Brandenburg" - in service.
47 of 1973 acquired 2006 ex HB 237, named "Brandenburg" - in service.
Interior of 4648 of 1973 acquired 2006 ex HB 238, - in service (below)
Additionally Heidelberg car 227 of 1968 is stored as acquired (back in 2004), while three others have been scrapped. Car 228 did run as car 43 until 2004, whilst 222 and 240 were used for spares. Entry into service of the Heidelberg cars was slow with refurbishment undertaken in house. 48 entered service in 2009, for example, three years after purchase.
Ex Cottbus Tatra 18 is stored in the depot yard - this part having been disconnected from the system.
These double ended cars replaced several much younger single Tatra cars. Between 1992 and 1994, eight Tatra T5s were acquired from Cottbus and overhauled, to replace the traditional four wheel cars with trailers. Today just two remain at the depot - one apparently active, the other long term stored. The depot is also host to a number of stored cars.
The line is undergoing upgrading and for much of the summer was truncated on the outskirts of Rüdersdorf. The route is a mixture of single track with loops and double track sections.
Works car A73 of 1975 is one of the vintage cars kept at the depot
This is believed to be car 113 in long term store 