Spårakoff
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Spårakoff is a tram converted into a bar in Helsinki, Finland.
The tram is still in service, and tours the streets of Helsinki while its passengers enjoy their drinks. The bar is operated by the Finnish restaurant chain HOK Elanto, who claim Spårakoff is the only one of its kind in the entire world.
Spårakoff is immediately distinguishable in the Helsinki traffic by its vivid red colour, as normal trams operated by Helsinki City Transport are green, with yellow features. The tram tours the central areas of Helsinki in a time of 40 minutes.
The name "Spårakoff" comes from the Helsinki slang word spåra (tram) and the famous Russian beer brewer Nikolai Sinebrychoff, who founded Finland's biggest and most famous beer brewery.
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[edit] Schedule and prices
Although Spårakoff uses the same track as all other trams, it only stops at five stops along the way. These stops are the only place where people can board or disembark the tram. The stops are:
- Rautatientori (Central railway station)
- Linnanmäki amusement park
- Helsinki opera house
- Aleksanterinkatu
- Kauppatori (Helsinki market square)
Spårakoff makes six tours per day, starting from 2 p.m. and ending at 8 p.m..
Tickets to Spårakoff cost 8 Euro. Standard Helsinki City Transport tickets are, of course, not valid. A price list of available drinks can be seen on the Spårakoff home page.
[edit] Technical information
- Constructed in 1959, changed into a bar in 1995
- Breadth: 2.3 m (7 ft 7 in), height: 3.6 m (11 ft 10 in)
- Track width: 1 m (3.28 feet)
- Total mass: 20 Mg (44,100 lb)
- Top speed: 60 km/h (37 mph)
- Capacity: 24 seats, 6 standing places, one WC
- Staff: 1 driver, 1 waiter/waitress
