Klub Miłośników Starych Tramwajów w Łodzi

Klub Miłośników Starych Tramwajów w Łodzi (KMST) is a Polish non-governmental organization founded on 1 October 1981 on the initiative of Zbigniew Szafrański. It began as the Łódź section of the Warsaw-based Klub Miłośników Komunikacji Miejskiej and was renamed in 1994 on the initiative of Mirosław Z. Wojalski. In 1999 it gained the status of a simple association (stowarzyszenie zwykłe), and since 2004 it has been a registered association. Its first president was Wojciech Źródlak, then editor of the magazine "Tramwajarz Łódzki"; the current president, since June 2024, is Kamil Smulski. The club's main goals are collecting memorabilia of Łódź trams, cultivating the traditions of the motorman profession, and conducting historical research on public transport in Łódź and its agglomeration. It cooperates with the Muzeum Komunikacji Miejskiej w Łodzi at MPK Łódź. The association brings together over 120 people of various ages and interests, including enthusiasts of both historic and modern trams and buses, ticket and postcard collectors, modelers, and transport photographers. Thematic sections include historical, rolling stock and technology, bus, ticket, photographic, philatelic-philumenic, modeling, tracks and overhead lines, current affairs, and tourism. The most important statutory activities are carried out by the Traffic Section, which handles events with historic rolling stock, including the Łódzkie Linie Turystyczne, and the Technical-Repair Section, which cares for the Brus Museum Depot and renovates historic vehicles. KMST organizes special rides with historic rolling stock and tours of public transport facilities. In summer, together with MPK Łódź, it runs the tourist tram line "0", on which club members (professional motormen) drive the cars while others act as conductors. The club meets on the first working Wednesday of each month at the Muzeum Komunikacji Miejskiej w Łodzi. It has published the magazine "Pantograf" (formerly monthly, now occasional-thematic) and currently distributes an internal newsletter "Odbierak" to members. Club historians have produced numerous publications, including two monographs on the centenaries of tram service in Łódź and the first suburban lines. In 2008 the club was awarded the Medal Pro Publico Bono im. Sabiny Nowickiej. Its long-term goal is to create a proper public transport museum in the disused "Brus" depot at ul. Konstantynowska 115.

The club was founded on 1 October 1981 on the initiative of Zbigniew Szafrański, initially as the Łódź section of the Warsaw-based Klub Miłośników Komunikacji Miejskiej. Its first president was Wojciech Źródlak, then editor of the magazine "Tramwajarz Łódzki". In 1994, on the initiative of Mirosław Z. Wojalski, the name was changed to "Klub Miłośników Starych Tramwajów w Łodzi". Five years later, in 1999, the club obtained the status of a simple association (stowarzyszenie zwykłe). Since 2004 it has been a registered association. The current president, since June 2024, is Kamil Smulski. The association brings together over 120 people of various ages and interests. Despite its name, members include enthusiasts not only of old (historic) trams but also of modern ones, as well as public transport buses. There are collectors of tickets and postcards on tram and bus themes, modeling enthusiasts, and transport photography amateurs. Thematic sections include historical, rolling stock and technology, bus, ticket, photographic, philatelic-philumenic, modeling, tracks and overhead lines, current affairs, and tourism. The most important statutory activities are carried out by the Traffic Section, which provides service for events with historic rolling stock, including the Łódzkie Linie Turystyczne, and the Technical-Repair Section, which cares for the Brus Museum Depot and conducts renovation of historic rolling stock. The work of club historians has resulted in numerous publications in hobby magazines and books, including two monographs that appeared in connection with the centenaries of the launch of tram service in Łódź and the opening of the first suburban lines. KMST once published a magazine called "Pantograf". Formerly a monthly, it is now occasional-thematic, for example devoted to the closed depot at ul. J. Dąbrowskiego. A full set of issues is available in the collections of the J. Piłsudski Library in Łódź and the Library of the University of Łódź. Currently, members receive an email newsletter and access to a non-public Facebook group called "Odbierak", which contains a short description of what the club has accomplished in the past month and other important information. Special rides with historic rolling stock and tours of public transport facilities are organized systematically. In the summer season, the club, together with MPK Łódź, organizes the tourist tram route line "0", on which its members (professional motormen) drive the cars, while others act as conductors. The association cooperates with the Muzeum Komunikacji Miejskiej w Łodzi at MPK Łódź, where club meetings are held on the first working Wednesday of each month. In 2008 the club was honored with the Medal Pro Publico Bono im. Sabiny Nowickiej. The long-term goal is to create a proper public transport museum in Łódź in the disused "Brus" depot at ul. Konstantynowska 115.

• 2024

  Kamil Smulski became president in June.

• 2008

  Awarded the Medal Pro Publico Bono im. Sabiny Nowickiej.

• 2004

  Became a registered association.

• 1999

  Obtained the status of a simple association (stowarzyszenie zwykłe).

• 1994

  Renamed to "Klub Miłośników Starych Tramwajów w Łodzi" on the initiative of Mirosław Z. Wojalski.

• 1981

  Founded on 1 October as the Łódź section of the Warsaw-based Klub Miłośników Komunikacji Miejskiej.

A volunteer-driven heritage association preserving and promoting the history of public transport in Łódź through historic vehicle operations, museum cooperation, and research.

• Łódzkie Linie Turystyczne

  Tourist tram and bus lines operated with historic vehicles, including line 0 and line 151, running on weekends and during events like Light.Move.Festival.

• Zajezdnia Muzealna Brus

  The club's museum depot at ul. Konstantynowska 115, cared for by the Technical-Repair Section, intended to become a full public transport museum.

• Pantograf magazine

  Club magazine, formerly monthly, now occasional-thematic.

• Odbierak newsletter

  Internal email newsletter and Facebook group for members.

1. 1Linie turystyczne – Klub Miłośników Starych Tramwajów w Łodzikmst.pl
2. 2Klub Miłośników Starych Tramwajów w Łodzi – Wikipediapl.wikipedia.org
3. 3Klub Miłośników Starych Tramwajów w Łodzi – Wikidatawikidata.org